Background

PERSONAL:

One of 9 children, I am a lifelong resident of Dallas, grew up in Oak Cliff, graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, and have attended Eastfield College and Dallas Baptist University. At 16, I joined the full-time workforce, and have worked full time almost ever since. As a single mom, I worked hard to get my 3 children through high school and they worked hard to get their college degrees. As a mother and grandmother, I know how important it is to address the individual educational needs of children. One of my sons received a full college scholarship; the other has dyslexia and struggled with school. Of my 8 grandchildren one has Asperger’s Syndrome (a form of autism); another one excels in math and science, but struggled with learning to read; the two year-old already knows the alphabet.

CIVIC:

My commitment to education and public service began at the age of 12, as a volunteer in the pilot program for Project Head Start, working with disadvantaged pre-school children.

I have also served our community in the following capacities:

• Mentor for at-risk students at Woodrow Wilson High School
• Adult sponsor of Variety Club of North Texas youth group in volunteer projects for disadvantaged/underprivileged youth
• District aide for State Representative in Southeast Dallas County
• President of Little Forest Hills Neighborhood Association
• President of Cochran Heights Neighborhood Association
• School board member, PTA President, Ways & Means Chair  of Holy Trinity Catholic School
• Activities director of senior citizen day care program
• Board of Directors, Dallas Homeowners League
• Advisory Committee to the North Central Expressway Task Force
• Volunteer teacher, Camp Fire USA summer camp for disadvantaged children
• Administrative director, 2nd Annual Dallas Veterans Day Celebration

Mentor for at-risk students at Woodrow Wilson High School

Adult sponsor of Variety Club of North Texas youth group in volunteer projects for disadvantaged/underprivileged youth

District aide for State Representative in Southeast Dallas County

President of Cochran Heights Neighborhood Association and Little Forest Hills Neighborhood Association

School board member of Holy Trinity Catholic School

Activities director of senior citizen day care program

DISD needs to develop programs that will recognize individual strengths and weaknesses at an early age and intervene to address both.

I will bring the same commitment to education and public service as Trustee for DISD District 3 that I have demonstrated throughout my life as a volunteer, public servant, mother and grandmother.

PROFESSIONAL:

Since joining the full-time workforce, I have worked for large corporations, small businesses, non-profits, and am currently self-employed providing consulting services to a variety of clients, including medical non-profits, national restaurant chains, political campaigns, and college professors.

In my professional and civic careers, I have a proven record of working together to achieve results on tough issues. While on the board of the Dallas Homeowners League, I worked to end bad zoning and provide stability for Dallas neighborhoods; as a member of the advisory committee to the North Central Expressway Task Force I helped develop the consensus plan for the Central Expressway of today.

My background has given me a broad perspective on life, and fostered my ability to see all sides of an issue and how they fit into the big picture.