Why did you choose to join the MSMVCD Board of Trustees? / Why is the mission of mosquito and vector control important to you?

I was appointed by our Town Council and felt that this would be a good position because of my longstanding interest and involvement in public health, and because of my background in the sciences and in particular epidemiology. Given the increasing effects of changing climate, I hope to help the District and the citizens I represent understand the need for ongoing surveillance and prevention efforts as the range of diseases and their vectors might change. I hope to protect the population from disease with the use of integrated approaches and source reduction, consistent with the greatest possible protection of farming, watersheds, and populations from pesticide use.

What is your relevant expertise?

I have worked in the sciences, particularly in the laboratory and medical instrumentation. Since 2004 I have managed an epidemiological data collection system for the Midwives Alliance of North America, serving as Data Collection Director; this has given me familiarity with the complexity of data collection and the analyses of such data for medical studies.

Educational/Professional background?

• Studied chemistry, biology, and mathematics at Baylor University; Studied electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics and psychology at MIT.
• Have worked in software design of embedded systems, data acquisition, instrumentation and process control on a variety of platforms.

List of service clubs you belong to (if any):

• Environmental Forum of Marin (former board member)
• Berkeley Energy and Resource Collaborative

List of other city/town/county boards or committees you serve on:

• Fairfax Climate Action Committee
• Flood Zone 9 Advisory Board
• MCCMC Disaster Ad Hoc Committee
• MCCMC Pension and OPEB Reform Ad Hoc Committee

Other information you wish to share about yourself:

My daughter is an organic farmer, and through her, I am familiar with the concerns of farmers and ranchers in our county.