Who am I and Why am I Running for Burgess?
I am the daughter of an Air Force veteran and a nurse who lived around the world before coming to Connecticut in 2012. After graduating from East Carolina University with degrees in English and Secondary English Education, I started my teaching career in New Haven teaching high school English. In 2018, my husband Lawrence and I moved to Naugatuck. The following year I started teaching at Naugatuck High School, and Lawrence and I also started Sunset Farm. In 2021, I completed my masters degree in Educational Leadership from Quinnipiac University. With the birth of our children and the expansion of our farm, I left teaching in 2022 to pursue Sunset Farm and my non profit work. Sunset Farm became the town's first USDA Certified Organic farm in 2023 and has expanded to 15 acres across two locations, with ten employees. We supply food to Naugatuck Public Schools and have donated over 2,000 lbs of foods to different groups so far this year.
Lawrence and I assumed leadership of the Naugatuck Farmers Market in 2023. Since then we have tripled the vendor count, sales, and attendance, recruiting half of the small businesses there from Naugatuck. The market is a vital part of Naugatuck's local food system and creates economic opportunity for farmers and food businesses.
In addition to running our farm, I am also the Director of Agriculture at CitySeed, a non profit in New Haven. I oversee all of the farmers markets in New Haven, assist with fundraising and grant applications, as well as engage in agricultural policy work at the state and federal level. I have authored or supported more than 25 grant applications that have secured over $600,000 in state and federal funding.
I am a board member of CT NOFA, the Connecticut chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association. I am also a founding board member of the Connecticut Farmers Market Association.
I am also a proud mother of two future greyhounds and love being a parent to our two children.
In my free time, I enjoy reading and running. I recently ran a half marathon race and will be running a full marathon in November.
My life experiences have offered me a unique insight into education, agriculture, and business. As Burgess, I will bring these experiences with me to best represent you and our town.
As Burgess, my values and insight will help shape decisions about our town. I want to be clear about what I stand for and what’s important to me as a leader.
As a former teacher and farmer, I am not afraid of doing hard things. In the high school classroom and in the fields, I am happy to roll my sleeves up and problem solve. I value the hard working families and individuals of Naugatuck and want to make your voice heard.
As a small business owner, I am innovative. Like many others in town, my husband and I started our business from scratch. I continue to foster close relationships with many small business owners and champion their endeavors across town. I value small businesses and growing our local economy in Naugatuck.
As a mother, I am invested in the future of our community. I am passionate about having a positive impact on the place where my children will grow up. Our town deserves modernized critical infrastructure to help us make smart growth. I value the success of our community now and in the future.