As someone who is trying to build drugstores for the Walgreens Company (NOT WALMARTS!!!! Somebody Please Get It Straight) in Connecticut, I am very familiar with how zoning laws can affect development. I DID NOT BUILD THE WALGREENS DOWNTOWN AND FEEL THAT THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT WAS INAPPROPRIATE FOR DOWNTOWN NEW HAVEN AND THE DENSITIES THAT ARE PRESENT THERE. Urban Sprawl, like this store, are inappropriate for certain areas of our city, areas that are more dense or where there is an historic nature to the pattern of development. Developments, done in this manner, destroy our streetscapes by allowing parking fields around their entire perimeter, instead of understanding the importance of pedestrians and the unattractiveness of walking past a parking lot. I would like to work with the City Planning Department in order to change the Zoning Code to prevent this and other similar types of developments in areas where they are inappropriate. I can't change the world, but I can work to change my corner of the world and through example show other communities in the state how we can create positive change by working together.

When I was in Florida, learning the development business, I would have heated discussions with other developers about what is appropriate and what is not appropriate 'development'. Florida has some extremely beautiful natural environment and I used to get indignant about encroaching residential developments on the Everglades, farms and the overdevelopment of beachfront (because of the development pressures on Florida, land is developed very quickly, so you can see the results immediately. Areas the size of East Rock can be developed with lightning speed and one year where there was a farm, in another there can be 4,000 new houses...it's truly scary). I was called a hypocrite by other developers who saw the world as more black and white. If I was on the sidelines I would be called an idealist, but standing in their shoes I was called a hypocrite. Funny how people can be labeled.

I argued to them, and say to you now, that there is appropriate and inappropriate development and the world is not black and white. I would tell them that as a wannabe developer, I would like to work from within in order to change the laws to reflect a new understanding of the importance of green space, open space and the environment. It really is all about SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. WE LIVE IN A FISHBOWL! Destroying the environment for a quick buck, clearing the Rainforest for cattleranching so that we can eat $.89 hamburgers, allowing the proliferation of PFC's that create hole's in the ozone that destroy parts of our foodchain, drilling in the Arctic National Preserve so that we can drive SUV's that are energy inefficient are all examples of why we need to examine energy policies at a national level. However, if there was ever an opportunity to THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY, creating a Natural Gas Energy Cooperative at English Station is it. As Alderman and someone who understands the term sustainable development I would not merely talk about this, but would explore the real viability of this idea so that we can make a difference and create an example of effective government and leadership.


Education

May 1989 Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT
B.A. French Literature

Fall 1988 Alma College Foreign Studies Program, Paris, France
Alliance Francaise, Paris, France

1982-1985 DePauw University, Greencastle, IN

Internships

1985 Winter Term Intern
IBM/Rolm Corporation, Atlanta, GA

Concerned with understanding Rolm's operations and objectives in the telecommunications marketplace. Involved with work in Rolm's accounting, sales, customer service and management divisions.

1984 Winter Term Intern
Deputy Public Defenders Office, Ottawa, IL

Responsible for reviewing cases taken by the Public Defenders Office in Southern Illinois in order to greater understand the role of the public defender as it applied to Illinois Criminal Law.

Experience

Oct. 1999-Present
Site Resource Development, Inc., New Haven, CT
Director of Development/Owner

Established company to do site selection, acquisition and due diligence on property acquired for Baycorp Development, Inc. of St. Petersburg, Florida. Redirected my companies efforts to include full development of these sites internally and relocated to New Haven, Connecticut. Responsibilities include all aspects of starting a new business including, but not limited to, locating sites, applying relevant software to the process, negotiating all contracts, creating financial proformas, tracking financial interests, correspondence, etc.

1998-1999
Wilherst Developers, St. Petersburg, FL
Administrative Assistant

Hired to learn every aspect of the free-standing drugstore development program for Eckerds drugstore. Responsible for creating and maintaining the physical filing system for all projects and organizing internal company meetings. Liaison between our company and our financial partners responsible for maintaining our rapport and exchanging information on related projects. Handled the closing of the first company project, a three million dollar drugstore in Crystal River, Florida. Responsible for absorbing everything related to the development of free-standing drugstores.

1993-1998
Tuf Tuf Deli, West Haven, CT
Owner

Created, marketed and operated a small fast-food type deli based on a franchise concept. Wrote and implemented business plan which established operating systems, quality standards and training methods. Negotiated all relationships and contracts with vendors, subcontractors and landlord. Trained and supervised a full-time staff of four. Increased gross revenues by four hundred percent within a six month period while reducing per unit food costs.
1992-1993
Olympic Steel, Milford, CT
Inside Sales Representative

Primary responsibilities included ensuring a supportive relationship between myself and our clients while increasing sales of industrial flat and plate steel through phone solicitation and networking activities. Support activities Included problem solving, order processing and expediting. Other responsibilities involved increasing sales and improving customer service as part of a coordinated effort between the
inside and outside sales representatives.

1989-1992
Christopher Martin's Restaurant, New Haven, CT
Manager & Bartender

Trained and directed staff of 10-15 people. Exercised fiduciary responsibility. Responsible for marketing and promoting bar and restaurant and involved in organizing charitable functions for the community such as the Thanksgiving Dinner for the Homeless and Working Poor. Increased the bar business through profitable management techniques.

Summer 1989
Andrew Rubenoff: Design, New Haven, CT
Project Foreman for House Island Restoration Project, Branford, CT

Restored an 1890 fishing cottage off Branford Point, CT. Directed and supervised entire project and crew of 10 people to restore and modernize the cottage for 3 season occupancy. Hired subcontractors. Coordinated the supply of raw materials. Arranged work schedules and met deadlines.

Skills & Interests
Dale Carnegie Public Speaking & Confidence Building course. Semi-Fluent in French and conversant in Greek and Spanish. Interests include reading, business, politics, travel and fitness. Extensive travel in Europe. Literacy Volunteer for greater New Haven 1986. Computer Literate. Extensive reading on Urban/Suburban Development Issues, Monorails/High Speed Trains, Land use patterns, etc. including, but not limited to, the following books:

Connecticut and the 21st Century; a Report on Regional Transportation Infrastructure, Michael Gallis'
Home Economics, Wendell Berry
City Sense and City Design; Kevin Lynch collection of essays and reports
Entropy, Jeremy Rifkin
Edge City: Life on the New Frontier, Joel Garreau
Walden, Henry David Thoreau
Super Trains, Joseph Vranich
Crossing the Expendable Landscape, Bettina Drew
722 Miles: The Building of the New York City Subways, Clifton Hood
Le Courbousier, Seleted Essays, LeCourbusier
The Lexus and the Olive Tree, Understanding Globalization, Thomas Friedman
No Logo, Naomi Klein