I am happiest when I am wandering in Glover Park with my family, listening to the bugle call at night, or out front gardening and talking to neighbors.

My two kids were both born in Washington DC. One is two years old and one just started at Stoddert for kindergarten.

I love and depend on our community strengths, and I have the skills and experience to help them grow.

My childhood neighborhood was very similar to Glover Park. My brothers and I walked to elementary school. Our friends lived close by. We roamed the neighborhood until we were hungry or the street lights came on. Our neighborhood had inter-generational households, a spectrum of incomes, and recent immigrants. I hope my children can have the same sense of safety, independence, and natural wonder.

When I was young, my family ran a small business. I know how difficult it can be to make ends meet at the end of the month. I worked in restaurants and local businesses. I have also worked with Wall Street and global firms.

As soon as I learned to bike, it gave me a sense of freedom. Later, it was my economic mobility, my reliable transport. When my mom lost her ability to walk, I saw how unfair our streets are. Wide streets for cars were not designed to give her enough time to cross in her wheelchair. Now, my family uses our bikes to get kids to school, work, do grocery shopping, and visit friends.

I listen and build solutions, including non-obvious ones. I love the challenge of getting up to speed very fast on new topics. I look at creative solutions from elsewhere and bring the best to a new context. I translate technical concepts from experts, and also push experts to explain things in plain language and test their assumptions.

In my current role as policy director at Environmental Defense Fund I guide legislation and regulation to bring transparency to sources and impacts of air pollution, and to direct investments to where they can do the most good.