It is a great honor to serve you as the Mayor of the Village of Rhinebeck. I always work hard on your behalf and should you elect me to serve another term I will continue to do so. Village residents face many challenges; from rising costs and outdated infrastructure, to the changing climate. 

We are rebuilding our infrastructure while being fiscally responsible, and by seeking grants to cover many of the costs. We continue to take many important steps to protect our environment and laid the groundwork for upgrading the facilities that supply our drinking water. 

We are continuing our quest to increase the efficiency of Village government. We have increased wages, benefits and diversity among our staff, and we continue to improve services to the Village residents.

All of this involves long term planning, study, financing, and a vision for how best to steer Rhinebeck into the future, while protecting what makes this community great.

I am proud of our Village Board accomplishments in partnership with residents, business owners and Village employees. 

I am committed to this job.  I am committed to public service.  I am committed to the long-term welfare of our Village for our current residents, and for our future generations.

We have a powerful opportunity before us. With coming zoning changes, Rhinebeck should continue evolving toward a greener and more pedestrian-friendly community. I am excited to be working on projects furthering this goal.

One of my tasks will be to shepherd to completion the village’s new $1.6 million grant to build sidewalks connecting our schools to the village. This goal has been discussed for many years, but only now is becoming a funded plan. In addition, I am working with the State Department of Transpiration to create an historically sensitive replacement for the small bridge over the Landsman Kill on Route 9. Upon completion, it should serve a fitting gateway to our village. As liaison to the Tree Commission, I’ve worked to support and empower the hardworking volunteers who plant trees and plan for our greener future.

Beyond these specifics, being a good Village Board member requires teamwork and sharing a vision. With my fellow trustees, we have laid the groundwork to improve our water and wastewater plants. We have built new sidewalks, paved roads, and evaluated the underground drainage system for improvement. We are working to fortify our village against climate change and are doing our part to mitigate it.

As I’ve served on the Village Board, I’ve learned more and more about Rhinebeck’s rich history. We live in a special village. The coming zoning revisions will require teamwork and consultation with the public if they are to succeed. My goal as Trustee is to honor our shared history while readying the Village for the needs, challenges, and changes of 21st century. I ask for your support as we reach for these goals.

The Village of Rhinebeck is a remarkable community. Every day, I see neighbors helping neighbors create this place by showing up for each other, community events, the firehouse, the schools. We all want to live in a community where everyone thrives, and I have had the privilege of seeing this energy at work in Village Hall, where I have had the honor of working my tail off for you as Village Trustee since October 2020.

I see my role as supporting this community to thrive by improving government practices and services for now and for the future and by helping to create opportunities for the community to embody the vision and values that guide us all. Upon learning that our Comprehensive Land Use Plan was 30 years old, I encouraged the Board to support a nose-to-tail update through a community-driven process that resulted in our new 2024 Comprehensive Plan, lauded as the most comprehensive listening process in the history of Dutchess County. I am now focused on how that Plan is implemented: crafting an update to our zoning code, expanding our inventory of affordable housing, and encouraging the development of community spaces and a village green all while preserving the core assets and development of our historic village.

My fellow board members and I have been working on planning for the past few years: earning incredible grants for Safe Walks to School and water/sewer upgrades, developing unsexy plans for drainage problems throughout the village made worse by climate change, completing the Comprehensive Plan and earning a state grant to develop a new zoning code, implementing a composting program entirely funded by grants, and hiring the right people for the services that our village provides at appropriate wages. I look forward to spending the next two years implementing those plans.

We are at our best when we work together, incorporating our varied perspectives and beliefs, as the best versions of ourselves.

For those of you who I haven’t gotten to know yet, I am an author, a former Sidley Austin restructuring attorney, former deputy chief of staff for municipal policy for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, a sister, an auntie, and a proud Rhinebecker.