City of Hermosa BeachCandidate for City CouncilShort Term

Perhaps because of my journalism background, I see the world and what's possible in a different way. I’m fascinated by the why and the how, digging to find the root cause, and the consequences of our actions and decisions. My purpose and passion is fostering critical and independent thinking in kids, parents, and the politically engaged. In 2004, I co-founded KidsPickFlicks with my children, a website where all kids could be movie critics. My thought was if kids begin thinking critically with something fun, it will resonate deeper. After the site was acquired by a tween-focused digital platform, I was hired by Common Sense Media, where I advise parents and kids on questionable content in film, while encouraging families to use entertainment as a tool to discuss and analyze media messages. In the last few years, I created 80sMovieGuide.com and co-host a podcast with my 20-year-old daughter -- ‘80s Movies: A Guide to What’s Wrong with Your Parents -- which uses a modern lens to examine the impact of the movies Gen X grew up with and, thus, explain the world around us. And, in between, with a friend who votes differently than me, I co-created and workshopped a friendly talk radio show on WMAL in Washington, D.C. The format was to crowdsolve the nation’s problems, and we had a great listener response including voices you don’t normally hear on political talk radio: young, female, and ethnically diverse. The ideas were unexpected, out of the box, and our experts found solid, workable solutions among the crowdsourced ideas. In our politically polarized climate, it occurred to me that this concept could be reapplied as an app to use here in Hermosa Beach, getting people to come together by working on a problem that has nothing to do with politics.

I’m a mother of three and, what do moms always tell their kids? “Be the change you want to see.” I’ve spent my career and my free time working to make a positive impact in the lives of kids and families, amplifying their voices and helping them to become more media literate.  I care deeply about raising the next generation, teaching the importance of diversity and inclusion, and of acting with love, kindness, respect, and empathy. The Golden Rule is my defining principle: if we all treated others like we wanted to be treated, the world would face very few problems. Locally, I take a “do no harm” approach. I don’t believe in fixing things that aren’t broken, and when things aren’t working at their best, then we should talk to one another and work together to come to a solution.