The City of South San Francisco
Office of the City Clerk
400 Grand Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080
(650) 877-8518
2 SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE
Why are you interested in serving as a Boards and Commissions member? What do you feel you could contribute?
What qualifies you for this appointment?
What is your vision for growth in South San Francisco?
Orange library is where I learned to read, to research, how to surf the web in the summer of 1996. Between the closing of West Orange and the grand opening of the new Library Parks & Rec building, I explored other local libraries and their events. They're cozy, they're quiet... they're not “home.” The missing piece for me: the community in South San Francisco--the people who appreciate this hidden gem of a town like I do. While I do miss that mid-century modern brick building tucked away in tall trees, I've quickly made myself at home in the LPR.
From opening day hearing the children's voices rise out of the park to almost 4 months in, seeing teenage students in every corner come final bell, I see our town in action, alive, thriving, and hungry for programming. I am a critical thinker and an observer. I have the ability not only to see the bigger picture but also to strategize on ways to improve situations.
Aside from my degrees in English and in Creative Writing, I am an avid reader and have been described as a library super-user. I have tremendous respect for the role of libraries and librarians in our communities. I've attended most of the Library Board meetings since July 2023. I also personally attend 2-3 library programs per month, so I often see the work come to life. With my background in events and operations, I observe programs with a quick eye for what works and what can improve. My role in real estate has afforded me additional qualifications: I see the ways our town demographics are ebbing with the increase in property sales; and I can get along and work with anyone. My passion drives my commitment to the organizations I belong to—you’ll see that once I am appointed within an organization, I tend to stick around. My dedication could be an asset as the library finds its flow in this new era.
South City is my home; those who know it best will always feel that way. I think about residents who have lived here for 50+ years, whose families have stuck around and whose kids have grown up eating Little Lucca and running through Sellick. With its proximity to the tech capital, its role as biotech capital, and increasing prices of real estate that will inevitably change the demographic landscape, the deep history of our soil might be overlooked. How many people realize that our town was founded before the turn of the century? How many care? We are now a contemporary town, but it’s important for us simultaneously to preserve our roots, observe our history (particularly that as a home to enclaves of immigrants), and celebrate progress. Through community engagement, involvement, and care, I have faith that we can continue the “small town feel” with the next generation of South San Franciscans.