When I was growing up my father and my mother, both children of the Great Depression, always stressed the importance of looking for ways to help others, even those outside of our nuclear family. While we could be considered a good example of a strong middle-class family, mom and dad always found ways to assist others, whether it be through church, a community group, or just assisting someone or some family down the street. As someone who spends time reflecting upon their life, I find it amazing how so much of my parents'/ family’s actions and behaviors ingrained themselves in me and contributed to who I am today.
Throughout my professional career as an educator, my job always centered on working to improve the lives of others either as an instructor, counselor, or administrator. I gravitated to this profession because it afforded me an opportunity to practice that which my parents instilled in me; the desire to make or improve the lives of others. Now, I work for the residents of the City of Darien, and it is still my goal to not only meet the requirements of my position but to reach out and extend myself so that the city is giving more back to residents than what is asked. There will be some of you who will question the sincerity of what I write, and I understand your reluctance to take what I say at face value. To those of you who see the way the City of Darien enhances your lives, I say thank you; to those of you who don’t realize our efforts, my hope is that someday, you will see what a great city we live in, and how our city services far exceed those of surrounding communities.
Recently, a former elected official of Darien attended a public meeting before a different city council. His statements, filled with gross generalizations and inaccuracies, painted a very negative picture of our wonderful city. It is a shame that someone whose role included promoting the City of Darien has chosen to disparage a community he called home for so many years. I can guarantee our residents that our city will continue to exceed its resident’s expectations; such behavior is in our DNA. As long as I am Mayor, Darien will continue to “give more than is expected, love more than seems wise, serve more than seems necessary, and help more than is asked.”