Primary Election Date: 06/08/2010
General Election Date: 11/02/2010

Who Am I?

I am a CPA, small-business owner, and mother. Prior to starting my own business, I worked for CGI, a large Federal government technology contractor where I helped redesign the accounting system used by the Courts. In this work, I travelled to more than 30 states doing implementation, design, needs assessment and training, including an emotional trip to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to assist in the Court’s efforts to recover. I took night classes while at CGI at the University of Virginia and became a CPA. After three years at CGI, I started my own educational software design firm. My little business now has clients in the US and abroad and consults for an NYSE listed company as well as various charter schools and educational non-profits at home and abroad. I love my work which includes everything from project planning and design documents, to conceptualizing Charlene the singing fish that teaches kids about river ecosystems. I’m proud that my company has had a hand in designing software which helps thousands of children learn. I’ve also spent extensive time in my work abroad, including in India, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jordan and South Korea. As part of my commitment to education, I’ve donated a lot of time and resources to early childhood education for poor girls in India. I’m pleased that even as my campaign progresses, this work still continues. I was born and raised in King George County, Virginia and live now with my husband Jonathan and daughter Ella in Fredericksburg.

Why Am I Running?

My goals are:
1) To be an effective advocate for middle and working class families;
2) To make certain that every child in our country has access to the education that they deserve;
3) To protect the American Dream and ensure a high quality of life for future generations.

Hold Me Accountable!

My top three issues are: 1) Reforming education by ensuring that our teachers have the resources they need and deserve, the flexibility to bring innovation and collaborative learning to the classroom, and the respect that such an important profession merits. 2) Stimulating economic development, particularly in areas hard-hit even before the current recession. Specific ideas include increased job training opportunities, increasing rural broadband penetration, tax and regulatory relief for small businesses, increased training and mentoring for new entrepreneurs, community micro-credit programs. 3) Protecting our environment and the Chesapeake Bay in particular. The dual problems of polluted water and rising temperatures have had devastating impacts on our nation’s largest estuary. We must stem the tide of climate change and reform the regulation of non-point source pollution.

My DFA values:

As a CPA and a small business owner, fiscal responsibility is part of my profession. As a student of economics, I also understand the dampening effects that our deficit will have on future economic growth. Because of these principles, I support pay-as-you-go budgeting rules and applaud President Obama’s stipulation that health care reform not add a dime to the deficit. I am socially progressive though because I do not believe in balancing the budget on the backs of the poor, working or middle class families, or our most vulnerable citizens. Other progressive values include support for true equality for the LGBT community, women’s health and reproductive freedom, and a strong public option in health care reform. I’ve taken all of these positions publicly despite running in a Conservative district because I believe that the American people deserve leaders who are willing to lead.

My Campaign is People-Powered!

It doesn’t matter how much money you raise, you don’t unseat a Republican incumbent in a Conservative district of Virginia without engaging directly with the people and making your case in a personal way. I also believe that with the organizational tools now at our disposal, we have a great chance to inspire phenomenal new people to run for office who are only inhibited now by a lack of ties to the donor and special interest communities. I hope that my campaign can help to provide some tools for exactly how we can do that.
From the very beginning of my campaign, I’ve worked hard to develop grassroots through netroots, using online tools to recruit and organize volunteers. We’ve also used innovative fundraising techniques specifically aimed at attracting small dollar donors. Those efforts are already paying off with an inspired, broad-based group of supporters dedicated to making a difference in the country and in VA-1. As my campaign progresses, I’m looking forward to continuing and expanding those efforts through a combination of innovative new programs and good old fashioned shoe leather.