I have proudly served the borough as a councilperson for the past 18 years. In January 2010, I had the honor of being elected the first female council president in the history of the borough, a position I held for six years. I also served as vice president. During my tenure on council, I have developed an excellent working relationship with the mayor, borough manager, police chief and all department heads. As council president, I have assumed the duties of the mayor when he was unavailable.

As a councilperson, I have been at the forefront of several large initiatives, including the revitalization of downtown, cost reductions and improving emergency services. I have served as chairperson of the public safety committee for 18 years. I am on the general administration committee for 18 years and currently serve on the budget and finance committee. In addition to serving on council, I am in my 24th year as a school crossing guard volunteer.

As chairperson of the public safety committee, I have been involved in the promotion of two officers to the position of chief, have promoted eight officers to the rank of sergeant and have hired several officers; we now have a fully staffed department. I also worked to assign officers to the Lehigh County Municipal Emergency Response Team as well as the Lehigh County Drug Task Force. I was instrumental in changing the ambulance corps from basic life support to advanced life support. I have personally taken the National Incident Management System Training IS100, IS700 and IS800A through Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The duties of the mayor are to oversee the day-to-day operations of the police department, to preserve order in the borough, to enforce ordinances and regulations, to remove nuisances, to administer oaths and to determine if a state of emergency exists at any time within the borough. In the nearly two decades of experience I have gained as a public servant, I am confident I have the skills necessary to serve in the position of mayor. I have an extensive knowledge of police procedures as well as emergency services. Also, I have been involved in the development of ordinances and policies that our departments enforce.

As mayor, I will continue to work with council and our emergency services along with all department heads to ensure that the departments receive the personnel needed and the best equipment available. I am committed to providing you with the safest place to live and raise your family. I will bring to the position of mayor the same dedication I have given to the position of councilperson since taking office January 2000. It will be an honor and a privilege for me to serve as the first female mayor in the history of the borough.