Advocacy

My advocacy on behalf of community initiatives — as well as my strategic management consulting — are informed by the following philosophies, research, and experience:

– Fiscal Responsibility
– Public Health and Safety
– Environmental Sustainability

Fiscal Responsibility

An agency’s budget is its strongest statement of priorities. As a management consultant to nonprofit organizations, foundations, and businesses, Susan is adept at making sure that financial and technology systems are efficient and appropriately managed to carry out those priorities. For nonprofits and public agencies, this means that dollars are well spent meeting critical program goals that assist those most in need.

As a four-term school board member, Susan took her responsibility for fiscal oversight of the Goleta School District very seriously, ensuring that the district provided the best education possible for all students. During surplus years, she proposed the practice of allocating funding for two years out rather than the current year. This allowed the district to plan ahead, so that when the economy shifted they were prepared and avoided sudden program changes for the students.

In addition to this time cushion, she advocated for increased revenue sources. Specifically, the expanded mission of the Goleta Education Foundation resulted in increased revenue for student programs, and the popular after school program is both meeting needs and generating significant revenue. During the great recession, no permanent teaching positions were lost. By refinancing previously issued bonds, the District was able to return $1.5 million to taxpayers.

Susan brings her software engineering and management background and budgeting experience to her work in order to help ensure that services are both cost-effective and high quality. She advocates for employing updated fiscal and software systems to ensure that personnel have the resources and information available to efficiently deliver services and programs. Susan has been instrumental in helping our community remain resilient in the face of new and ongoing challenges.

Public Health & Public Safety

The main purpose of local government is to ensure the public health and public safety of all residents. This means more than maintaining high quality law enforcement and fire protection; it means ensuring that our most vulnerable children have alternatives to gangs, that seniors are safe in their own homes, that our workforce has access to quality housing and transportation, and that we all enjoy a healthy economy and a healthy environment.

As a member of the Eastern Goleta Valley Community Wildfire Protection Plan development team, Susan works with neighbors, County Fire, and scientists on ways to reduce wildfires through proven strategies like structure hardening and strategic fuel breaks that save lives, preserve our watersheds and restore native vegetation.

Environmental Sustainability

Susan is committed to promoting environmental sustainability. Our region contains some of the richest biodiversity on the planet. Our coasts, mountains, and open spaces not only attract tourists but also give our residents a high quality of life and exceptional recreational opportunities.

Susan knows that together we can find innovative solutions to our most pressing problems: the effects of climate change (including wildfire and drought), recent growth that has outpaced our infrastructure, the high cost of housing, and an aging power grid that needs serious redesign focused on the increasing use of locally generated renewable energy.