How long have you lived in the Lehigh Valley?
15 years
How many children do you have and what are their ages?
I have two children. Our son, Cole, is 11 and our daughter, Sage, is 5.
What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I am an avid professional wrestling fan with many, many pro wresting t-shirts.
What is your favorite family activity in the Lehigh Valley?
We have been season pass holders for Dorney Park long before we had children, but it is even better as our children grow up.
Favorite place to eat in the Lehigh Valley with kids? Without?
My favorite place to eat with my children is Notch because the menu is filled with interesting food and drink options for my foodie kids. If my husband and I are out on our own, we tend to go to Union & Finch. We enjoy the comfortable environment, reliable tap menu, and excellent comfort food.
What’s been the best piece of advice you’ve received from another mother?
Let go. To the extent that my life as a working mother works at all, it is because 1) I have a true partner in my husband of nearly 15 years and 2) I do not exert control over or attempt to micromanage any of the work he contributes to our home life. It really doesn’t matter so much how day to day tasks are accomplished as much as they are accomplished.
Tell us about Shield for Judge:
Presently, I am in the last leg of my judicial campaign (www.shieldsforlcjudge.com). I am vying to fill one of 3 judicial vacancies. Our county was founded in 1812. We typically have a 10-person bench. After electing our first female judge (Judge McGinley) in 1985, we had a 50/50 gender split on our court. We now have 3 vacancies due to the retirements of Judge Maria Dantos, Judge Kelly Banach, and Judge Edward Reibman. I am the only woman left in this race. I would also be our first African American and Spanish speaking judge. I am excited for this opportunity to not only make history in Lehigh County, but also provide much needed civil litigation depth to our court which is still recovering from the impact of the pandemic.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
I came to the Lehigh Valley to build a life and become part of this community. We wanted to raise our children in vibrant, diverse community filled with tradition and culture. We are doing just that. Our children experience all the culture this community has to offer. We not only raise our children knowing their Polish and African-American roots, but also soaking in traditions from other cultures. That openness as led our family to become bilingual, which likely would not have happened if we didn’t live in the Lehigh Valley.
