What We Bring to the Practice of Medicine: Local Physician Co-Authors Book
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Greenacres resident, mother and physician Kimberly Greene-Liebowitz recently co-edited a book of personal essays from female physicians working in diverse fields of medicine around the world. Liebowitz and Dr. Dana Corriel invited colleagues in the field to share their thoughts and experiences on training to be a doctor, barriers to career advancement and success and the challenge of balancing demanding professional lives with domestic responsibilities, highlighted during the. COVID-19 pandemic.
“What We Bring to the Practice of Medicine” includes 40 essays about which Dr. Suzanne Koven says, “Some are sad, funny, infuriating or inspiring. All are unforgettable.”
The book is published by Kent State University Press and is available in print or audio. See the links below.
We spoke to Greene-Liebowitz about the book and her experiences as a parent in Scarsdale and here is what she shared:
What inspired you to write the book?
Dana Corriel, my partner in this project, came up with the idea. She had started to see some collections of writings by women physicians and wanted to create something curated and edited. She had started to solicit submissions when I reached out to her to discuss the book. We realized during that conversation that we balanced each other out well, so we decided to partner up. She's got a very big social media audience and her own company, so she's able to publicize in a way that I am not. Our alliance has broadened our contacts. I have experience with writing and revising, have taken multiple writing classes and written several books, so I bring writing and editing skills to the table. While it wasn't my idea at the beginning, I have found it a fascinating experience - I've met a lot of people, seen a snapshot of others' experiences, and been able to bring these stories to the public. Given all the issues around healthcare, I think these essays offer incredible value by humanizing physicians and allowing those considering a career in healthcare to see what it looks like for women who are literally "in the trenches."
Who is the target audience?
The target audience includes those interested in learning more about the challenges facing women physicians; parents of girls interested in STEM fields; women physicians and their supporters; and anyone who has known or been cared for by a female physician. It's edited for a lay audience, and relatable for non-physician providers, so we would be thrilled to see interest from others as well.
How did the pandemic influence the content and the process for having it published?
We started the project before the pandemic, and then when things really took off in March 2020, we had to try to work on the book with kids and spouses at home. Our physician-authors were working incredibly hard so getting edits back was difficult, delaying book completion and proposal submission. Once we started submitting, though, I imagine our process was the same as everyone else's. I just looked back over the email file where I keep the rejections, and it felt like there were a ton, but really, there weren't so many. With regard to the pandemic: I made the decision that we needed to include a piece about the pandemic, and that's Katharine Miao's essay. It's a beautiful snapshot of those early months when we were watching COVID race across the globe, wondering when it would strike.
How did you go about recruiting the other physicians to write to select topics?
Dana runs a company called SoMeDocs. She posted a request for submissions on all the social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter) associated with her company, including her website (doctorsonsocialmedia.com); and together we posted requests for submission under our own handles on physician-only social media groups on Facebook. In addition, we reached out to people we knew personally or who we had "met" in these physician groups to seek submissions.
How has the experience for becoming a doctor changed for women since you did your training?
Dr. Kimberly Greene-Leibowitz
Oh, lord... that's a long conversation. First, there are more women entering medical school than there were before. In 2019, for the first time, the number of women matriculating exceeded the number of men. So the demographics of medicine have been shifting. Fields that were very male-dominated have become less so; when I was in medical school, emergency physicians were described as adrenaline junkies who carried scalpels and emergency airway kits in their pockets. If you look at this caricature from Dr. Glaucomflecken, you'll see the stereotype. I don't think that's true anymore, and that's just my specialty.
With a broader lens, medicine is different because things that were tolerated in the past are no longer standard. I wrote an essay about this in the book - but we had no "me too" and locker room humor was standard. I prided myself on being "one of the guys" and that's just how things were at the time. I can't speak for others, of course, but my perception is that a lot of that has changed. The locker-room humor has definitely disappeared. Now there is talk about providing places for women to pump while breastfeeding which NEVER would have happened in the 90s. There's still a lot of places that don't offer maternity leave to residents, but it is expected that attendings will have maternity leave. There is better understanding of the differential demands on women, and some places - such as University of Penn - have changed the whole way they structure tenure to accommodate this. At Penn, those seeking tenure can take a three year path or a six year path. The longer path allows for outside commitments - young children, aging parents, etc.
How has your perspective as a physician affected your experience of being a mother in Scarsdale … what do you like about the community and the schools and what would you like to see changed?
Again, this is a long, complicated answer. I'm going to answer it in pieces:
A - It's a lot easier to be a mother when you're a physician, because there is so much you can manage at home without seeking help. It's also a little paranoia-inducing, if you let it be, because you know all the terrible things that can happen. And it alters the way your kids are treated. When my son was five days old, he had what was called an ALTE at that time - an Apparent Life Threatening Event. Basically, he became cyanotic, but it looked so different from anything I could have anticipated that it took me a moment to realize what it was. He then spent fifteen days at Westchester Medical Center, being worked up for all manner of horrible things. The last thing they tested him for before we were discharged was something called Congenital Hypoventilation Syndrome. It affects about 1000 people worldwide. I have no doubt he was tested for that because I was a physician. That's not a test they're offering to the standard patient.
B - As for being a mother in Scarsdale... I have had my share of people asking for medical advice in weird places (birthday parties, ice cream stores, school plays) but the biggest impact on my experience in Scarsdale has been during the past few years. I'm going to try not to ruffle too many feathers but... I have a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, and one of the best skills I acquired during that master's program was learning how to really read a study, understand statistics, and understand data quality. The bottom line is that not all studies are created equal, and you can a) always make statistics lie and b) say whatever you want in the abstract, even if it bears little resemblance to your actual results. This has made me much more critical of medical information provided by agencies, professional associations, etc. As a result, I had a lot of difficulty with the medical decisions made by the district during the pandemic. They felt rooted in advice from agencies rather than in data from studies, and in spite of my best efforts to get the district to permit the creation of a medical advisory board, they rejected my efforts. I worked with Rich Schutzer on that, and I like to think that if we'd had a team of physicians, we might not have made choices I agreed with 100%, but we also would have considered issues not adequately evaluated by the district. Further, the person who the district relied on for medical decisions is a retired pediatrician who advises seventeen districts and, by his own admission, left clinical practice because there were too many changes. It felt (and continues to feel) very irresponsible to me.
C - Community: in many places, being a physician makes it hard to fit in - it makes you "different." It's nice to be in a place where it's just my job, not something that puts me on a pedestal.
D - Change: As above with the district. They need better (and more!) medical advisors, because medicine/healthcare is complicated. They need people who are parents of kids it the district - not just grandparents - because we have a different perspective and risk calculus. The truth is that a team works better than an individual in nearly all cases. With a broader lens, i.e. not just considering the medical advisory issue, I think the district should be thinking about mental health, physical health, and learning in a completely different way. There should be a more global view that incorporates the entire K-12 structure. For example, there are still a lot of kids with pandemic-associated anxiety. This can result in more days of school missed, more stomach and headaches, greater disability, greater risk for failure. It can't be fixed with one or two counselors or the same medical advisor. How do you take a global approach to helping kids manage anxiety from the time they are very little? Is it an in-class approach? Holding more kids back? Reducing demands so some kids graduate in five years? Is it biofeedback? Group support? Reducing what we expose young kids to so they are less stressed? We aren't doing any of that.
Buy the book here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/What-Bring-Practice-Medicine-Perspectives/dp/1606354493
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/what-we-bring-to-the-practice-of-medicine-kimberly-greene-liebowitz/1142637933
Bronx River Books: https://www.bronxriverbooks.com/book/9781606354490
Kent State: https://www.kentstateuniversitypress.com/2022/20652/
What Happens to the Books Collected at the Recycling Center?
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You can recycle so much more than paper at Scarsdale’s Recycling Center on Secor Road. A reader noticed the book bins and asked us to find out what happens to books that are placed in those bins. Are they all destroyed?
The answer is no! In fact the books that are collected end up in many good places. We spoke to Gary Parenteau, the owner of Discover Books who manages the books that are collected in Scarsdale and here is what he shared:
Tell us about yourself and Discover Books - what is your background and why/how did you start this operation?
My name is Gary Parenteau and I am a Rhode Island native. After college, I spent the majority of my career in corporate sales specifically dealing in the Science and Medical industries. This led me to travel all across the US, Germany and Switzerland. While on one such trip, it hit me that long distance travel was not for me anymore. After 12 years of nonstop travel I wanted to do something that I truly enjoyed. That is when I found Discover Books. In 2018 I took over our New England operations of just 9,000 square ft and 7 employees. Since then, we have grown to over 30,000 square feet in Rhode Island and a second facility with 10,000 square feet in East Hartford, CT. We now have over 40 employees and a fleet of trucks that take care of our donation bins and customers.
Where do you collect books?
We collect books all over New England, New York and part of New Jersey. Books are either donated into one of our 600 or so donation bins or through our many library partners.
For the ones that can be distributed, where do you donate them? We love to donate books. We have donated to organizations such as Books through Bars, Books are Wings, numerous schools, College English Clubs, book clubs, and many more.
The Rohode Island College English club sold Discover Books to raise funds for the club.
For the ones that are recycled, please describe the process:
When a book is deemed to be recyclable they are sent off to be pulped. The process uses a large machine called a Hogger to pull the spines off the books. The loose paper is then loaded into a water and chemical stream. This treats the paper and allows it to be used to make paper towels, toilet paper, house insulation, and more.
How many books do you handle each year?
We take in so many books that a physical count is almost impossible. We on the other hand, measure in pounds. It is safe to say we process/rescue over 12 million pounds of books a year just in New England.
Please share a story about the books finding new readers?
We believe children deserve to read. Books help foster creativity and open up their imaginations. Nothing makes us more happy then when we are able to give children books. We distribute thousands of free books in low income areas. Sometimes, the books we give is the only book that they have ever owned. These tend to be our favorite stories.
Please note we do sell books to keep our services free. They can be found on DiscoverBooks.com.
Scarsdale residents can bring their books to the Recycling Center at 110 Secor Road during regular Recycling Center hours, which are Monday through Saturday, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
Books are Wings distributes books collected by Discover to local area children.
When is Coffee Coming to the Hartsdale Train Station?
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There’s still no coffee for commuters at Hartsdale Train Station.
Though Metro North reports increases in ridership since the pandemic, the stationhouse in Hartsdale remains closed. Starbucks ended their lease during the COVID crisis and the once popular stationhouse has remained vacant and dark.
In January 2022, we asked the MTA about their plans and were told, “The MTA has been marketing the space since Starbucks elected to leave when its lease expired. The station building will remain closed until a new tenant occupies the stationhouse. The Hartsdale Station provides heated shelters on the platforms for customers.”
We asked about the status this week, and Ray Raimundi from the MTA Press Office pretty much repeated what he told us over a year ago. He said, “The MTA Real Estate Department is seeking a tenant for the space through an RFP in October 2022, which did not result in any proposals. Based upon subsequent marketing and interest, another RFP was issued in January 2023. Proposals continue to be evaluated – and as soon as a tenant is identified – our press office will notify you. The station building continues to remain closed until a new tenant occupies the stationhouse. The Hartsdale Station provides heated shelters on the platforms for customers.”
In Scarsdale, the MTA building on Depot Place is also empty. In November 2022, Scarsdale Village Trustees passed a resolution calling for the termination of a lease agreement with MTA and Metro North. The Village hopes to take over that space.
Almost 500 Runners Participate in 53rd Annual Race in Scarsdale
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Chen Zou took first in Scarsdale in the women's 15KAlmost 500 runners streamed through the streets of Fox Meadow and Greenacres on Sunday March 26 for Scarsdale’s 53rd annual 15K and 4 mile runs. The sunny but cool day was excellent for athletes from Scarsdale, the tri-county area and as far away as California to compete. Roads were blocked off to drivers by police giving the competitors freedom to run.
The well-orchestrated event was a concerted effort by the Scarsdale Recreation Department, the Department of Public Works, Engineering Department, the Fire and Police Departments, volunteers from Lions Heart and the Scarsdale Village Ambulance Corps. As Con Edison has torn up portions of Greenacres Avenue for the installation of a gas line, workers from Scarsdale had to ensure that potholes were filled and streets swept to make the racecourse safe for the runners. The fire department brought their ladder truck to the high school and hung an American Flag at the finish of the race.
According to Recreation Supervisor Brian Gray, there were a total of 552 registrants with 482 checking in on race day. Volunteers from Lions Heart were stationed along the route to cheer the runners on, and members of the fire department manned water stations on the road.
Shangyuan Luo placed first among Scarsdale residents in the men's 15K
Chen Zou reported, "The Wind Runners Group has about 50 runners who participated in the Scarsdale 4m/15k race this year, including a number of whole families. For example, all the members of the Wang, Jianlong family(grandma, husband, wife, daughter and son) participated and all got their awards in their respective age groups. We also set up our water station at the intersection of Brite Ave and Fenimore Rd, about 10 volunteers helped serve water and sports drinks to all runners."
Here are the results of the race – showing winners from Scarsdale and nationwide. Thank you to Sue Oricchio and Brian Gray at the Scarsdale Recreation Department.
15K
Female Overall
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Sunny Jiang Irvine, CA F50-59 01:02:04 06:53 1140
Top Resident Female
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Chen Zou Scarsdale, NY F40-49 01:07:29 07:15 1153
F20-29
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Luna Hsieh Danbury, CT F20-29 01:08:46 07:23 1109
2 Megan Farrell New York, NY F20-29 01:10:49 07:36 1059
3 Lauren Lilly Scarsdale, NY F20-29 01:24:14 09:03 1037
F30-39
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
Robert Cruz placed first overall in the men's 4 mile race.
1 Helena Dona New Rochelle, NY F30-39 01:10:49 07:36 1053
2 Aliyah Frumin Pelham, NY F30-39 01:12:13 07:45 1048
3 Carmen Chappetta Scarsdale, NY F30-39 01:12:50 07:49 1035
F40-49
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Chen Zou Scarsdale, NY F40-49 01:07:29 07:15 1153
2 Kate Lyons New York, NY F40-49 01:08:57 07:24 1102
3 Jenny Baum New York, NY F40-49 01:16:01 08:10 1103
F50-59
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Sunny Jiang Irvine, CA F50-59 01:02:04 06:53 1140
2 Hongwei Zhou Scarsdale, NY F50-59 01:12:32 07:47 1127
3 Adella Lin New York, NY F50-59 01:16:46 08:15 1141
F60-69
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Trisanne Berger Scarsdale, NY F60-69 01:31:15 09:48 1045
2 Diane Calderon Mamaroneck , NY F60-69 01:31:15 09:48 1042
3 Joan Taback Frankle New York, NY F60-69 01:31:20 09:48 1044
15K
Male Overall
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Angel Confesor Brooklyn, NY M30-39 00:53:40 05:46 1090
Top Resident Male
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Shangyuan Luo Scarsdale, NY M40-49 00:55:22 05:57 1112
M1-19
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
Joan Frankle placed 3rd and Diane Calderon placed 2nd in the 15K race for women 60-69.
1 Michael Rynne Stamford, CT M1-19 01:05:26 07:02 1028
2 Alexander Akbarian Scarsdale, NY M1-19 01:18:17 08:24 1065
M20-29
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Joshua Cadwallader Stamford, CT M20-29 01:03:43 06:51 1157
2 Jianing Fang New York, NY M20-29 01:06:02 07:06 1009
3 Evan Rossi New York, NY M20-29 01:11:03 07:38 1008
M30-39
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Angel Confesor Brooklyn, NY M30-39 00:53:40 05:46 1090
2 Devin Kelly New York, NY M30-39 00:53:47 05:47 1139
3 Jeremy Polster Scarsdale, NY M30-39 00:56:56 06:07 1041
M40-49
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Shangyuan Luo Scarsdale, NY M40-49 00:55:22 05:57 1112
2 Jared Fayer Scarsdale, NY M40-49 00:55:55 06:00 1039
3 Felipe Garcia Brooklyn, NY M40-49 00:58:17 06:07 1093
M50-59
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Raymond Russell Mamaroneck, NY M50-59 01:08:13 07:20 1016
2 Jun Ohara Scarsdale, NY M50-59 01:10:20 07:33 1146
3 Jianlong Wang Scarsdale, NY M50-59 01:11:31 07:41 1125
M60-69
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Michael Trenk Scarsdale, NY M60-69 01:11:11 07:39 1159
2 Jerry Owens New Rochelle, NY M60-69 01:15:33 08:07 1032
3 Davd Furnari Scarsdale, NY M60-69 01:24:32 09:05 1149
M70-79
Winners of the 4 mile race, ages 15-19
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Glen Kirchoff Scarsdale, NY M70-79 01:24:43 09:06 1040
2 Karl Eilers Danbury, CT M70-79 02:09:43 13:55 1094
4 Mile
Female Overall
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Lara Dorsky New York, NY F20-29 00:24:44 06:11 730
F1-14
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Caitlin Jeremiah Scarsdale, NY F1-14 00:33:31 08:23 619
2 Sophia Wu Scarsdale, NY F1-14 00:35:39 08:55 576
3 Isabella Tse Scarsdale, NY F1-14 00:36:21 09:06 693
F15-19
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Elliot Eisenberg Scarsdale, NY F15-19 00:35:00 8:46 614
2 Sophia Wu Scarsdale, NY F15-19 00:35:07 8:47 754
3 Megan Niu Scarsdale, NY F15-19 00:41:44 10:27 583
F20-29
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Lara Dorsky New York, NY F20-29 00:24:44 06:11 730
2 Elizabeth Hansen Scarsdale, NY F20-29 00:35:31 08:53 626
3 Joanna Wang Scarsdale, NY F20-29 00:36:34 09:09 713
F30-39
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Lee Cohen Scarsdale, NY F30-39 00:28:45 07:12 584
2 Jessica Heyer Scarsdale, NY F30-39 00:32:19 08:05 621
3 Vered Gottesman Scarsdale, NY F30-39 00:33:30 08:23 640
F40-49
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Leena Gyftopoulos Scarsdale, NY F40-49 00:27:58 07:00 625
Edgewood girls had a wonderful time.
2 Ivy Ghatan Scarsdale, NY F40-49 00:29:23 07:21 741
3 Kate Dowling Scarsdale, NY F40-49 00:31:46 07:57 828
F50-59
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Rita Pan Scarsdale, NY F50-59 00:32:28 08:07 753
2 Stephanie Mehta Scarsdale, NY F50-59 00:35:01 08:46 686
3 Djoeke Van Beest Scarsdale, NY F50-59 00:35:34 08:54 575
F60-69
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Dorian Glickenhaus New York, NY F60-69 00:35:35 08:54 725
2 Andrea Seiden Scarsdale, NY F60-69 00:37:11 09:18 810
3 Loretta Adamo White Plains, NY F60-69 00:37:31 09:23 591
F70-79
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Dagny Hyde New Rochelle, NY F70-79 00:56:11 14:03 695
2 Xiumei Ma Scarsdale, NY F70-79 00:58:27 14:37 716
Male Overall
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Robert Cruz Scarsdale, Ny M40-49 00:21:47 05:27 772
M1-14
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Gabriel Banon Mamaroneck, NY M1-14 00:27:18 06:50 768
2 Jack Sheridan Scarsdale, NY M1-14 00:28:24 07:06 634
3 Teddy Bryson Scarsdale, NY M1-14 00:28:34 07:09 644
M15-19
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
Someone called a cab!
1 Rishi Shadaksharappa Scarsdale, NY M15-19 00:22:00 05:30 551
2 Jack Sherman Scarsdale, NY M15-19 00:23:28 05:52 513
3 Joning Wang Scarsdale, NY M15-19 00:24:24 06:06 712
M20-29
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Michael Fosco Brooklyn, NY M20-29 00:23:44 05:56 729
2 Michael Schur Scarsdale, NY M20-29 00:39:51 09:58 574
M30-39
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Benjamin Blum Scarsdale, NY M30-39 00:27:48 06:57 622
2 Matthew Ehmer Scarsdale, NY M30-39 00:29:03 07:16 638
3 Bryan Trenis Scarsdale, NY M30-39 00:33:29 08:23 801
M40-49
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Robert Cruz Scarsdale, Ny M40-49 00:21:47 05:27 772
2 Babak Ghatan Scarsdale, NY M40-49 00:28:14 07:04 740
3 Timothy Bliss Scarsdale, NY M40-49 00:28:53 07:14 616
M50-59
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Vivek Pabby Mount Kisco, NY M50-59 00:28:35 07:09 692
2 Kevin Stiroh Scarsdale, NY M50-59 00:31:13 07:49 703
3 Alex Diamantis Tuckahoe, NY M50-59 00:31:48 07:57 587
M60-69
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Dwight Stephens Scarsdale, NY M60-69 00:33:36 08:24 742
Firemen handed out water on Greenacres Avenue
2 Barry Abramson Scarsdale, NY M60-69 00:37:13 09:19 593
3 David Siegel Scarsdale, NY M60-69 00:38:26 09:37 673
M70-79
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 Wayne Rubin White Plains, NY M70-79 00:36:42 09:11 708
2 Ted Piekarski Scarsdale, NY M70-79 00:45:58 11:30 704
3 Steven Bernstein Scarsdale, NY M70-79 00:49:27 12:22 529
M80-89
Rank Name Hometown Division Time Pace Bib
1 John Gibbons Old Greenwich, CT M80-89 00:50:43 12:41 635
2 Leonard Rich Scarsdale, NY M80-89 00:53:53 13:29 514
50 members of the Windrunners particpated in the 15K and 4 mile runs this year.
A family on Brite Avenue hit the pots and pans
Team Jeremiah cheered on the runners.
Trustee Sameer Ahuja Discusses Cell Service Gaps, a Second Term and Why He Likes Living in Scarsdale
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The Village election will be held on Tuesday March 21. On the ballot is Sameer Ahuja who is running for his second term as Scarsdale Village Trustee. See below for what he accompllished in his first term, and what he plans for his second.
Tell us about yourself – what do you do professionally and why do you enjoy living in Scarsdale?
Professionally, I am the President of GameChanger, a 140-person sports technology company that is on a mission to help families elevate the next generation through sports. GameChanger's mobile apps are used in all 50 states by millions of youth sports coaches, fans, and athletes to score, stream, and watch youth sports. 1 out of every 6 youth sports games in the US are on GameChanger and more games are covered every spring month on GameChanger than in the entire history of Major League Baseball.
2023 marks my 38th year connected to Scarsdale. My immigrant experience is inextricably tied to Scarsdale - my family moved here when I was in the 6th grade, and I graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1992. Subsequent to that, many weekends were spent here with my folks enjoying all Scarsdale has to offer. I moved back with my wife and two daughters in 2014 and it has been a wonderful experience for all of us.
Were you involved in any community organizations before serving as Village Trustee? If so, tell us about your contributions.
I was a member of the Village Advisory Council on Communications prior to serving as Village Trustee. In this capacity, I focused on leading the initial phases of the redesign of the Scarsdale website. It was a multi-month endeavor, working closely with Village staff and the third-party design firm on rewriting dozens of pages of site content and revamping the site’s design and look and feel. This experience provided me the opportunity to build relationships with and learn from several dedicated members of our community, from resident volunteers to Village staff.
I also focused my service on our community’s youth, serving as a volunteer softball coach for Heathcote girls for five years. The role of a coach has special rewards, both from the excitement that kids bring to team sports, and from the heartfelt appreciation that parents have for your efforts.
I took on the Trustee role with a non traditional set of prior experiences, relative to peers. I feel I have been up to the task, successfully scaling a very steep learning curve and contributing in virtually every area of the Board’s work. That was only possible because of the time and mentoring given to me by so many of Scarsdale’s most dedicated volunteers, trustees and staff. I thank them for their support.
What are a few issues/initiatives you worked on during your first term as Village Trustee?
I’ve embraced the opportunity to transform our technology infrastructure so that the Village has a foundation to deliver 21st century services, not just next year, but 20 years from now. Along those lines, I have been working with the Technology Advisory Council to bring in an outsourced provider to operate Village’s IT. Just this week, the Board voted to authorize the Village Manager to complete an agreement with our preferred vendor.
I also partnered with the TAC, Village staff, the Mayor, and the Village Attorney to work to close wireless coverage gaps in the Village. The Board voted in February to authorize the Village Manager to enter into an agreement with Verizon Wireless to conduct work to address some of these gaps, in Fox Meadow, in the area of the High School and Fox Meadow School. Few topics have had more support from the community. This is a topic of crucial public safety and quality of life, and I am proud of the progress here.
I have also chaired the Economic Development and Land Use pillar within the Mayor’s Strategic and Financial Planning framework. Our pillar has worked with the Board, staff, and residents to advance a project to transform our Village Center, everything from complete streets, to pedestrian safety, to new retail.
Finally, I have been the Vice-Chair of the Pool project, and we have made significant progress in planning a project to revitalize this treasured community asset so it may serve the next generations of Scarsdale.
Why do you enjoy serving as Village Trustee and why do you want to continue for an additional two years?
I love being a Trustee because of the relationships and interactions with other people that the role affords. First, virtually all of our committed volunteers and staff are intelligent, caring, and inspiring people, who I enjoy learning from and spending time with, and they are all generous with their time and effort. Second, it means a lot to me to set an example, at a minimum for my kids, and youth in general, for the importance of public service. Finally, perhaps my favorite activity as a Trustee is engaging with the community at large in meetings, forums, and 1:1 outreach - it has been a chance to get to know so many amazing people.
Our work is not done, and I look forward to the chance to serve two more years. Important topics such as ongoing budget management, the Pool, the Village Center, wireless coverage, Village and volunteer personnel, and others need ongoing effort.
You were recently involved in the recommendation to co-locate antennas at the Public Safety Building and at Village Hall to improve cell service. What was the process for identifying this solution?
This project has been a remarkable multi-year effort that has featured:
-A remarkable level of collaboration, on the day to day work between Village staff, the Village attorney, volunteer residents, and Village Board members
-Unity on the part of the community - in February, residents from all over town, public safety leaders, school board and district leaders, neighborhood association representatives, came out in support of the work
-Renewed partnership between Scarsdale government and crucial private enterprise, in this case Verizon Wireless
Without all of these things, the project would not be moving forward
What are some of the additional priorities of the Technology Advisory Council? What do they expect to tackle next?
Two major projects, at a minimum. The first is successfully onboarding and supporting the soon to be hired Managed Service Provider that will direct Village Technology work. The second is continued work to address wireless service gaps across Scarsdale.
The pool, lights at Crossway Field and possible transit-oriented development are all issues before the Village Board. How do you prioritize items for the agenda and how do you reach consensus on decisions?
I look forward to the Mayor’s and Village Manager’s leadership during this next term to establish priorities for the Village based on the current state of things, the community’s wishes / expectations, and any practical realities/constraints such as availability of funds. It will be crucial that the Board be realistic about its most important priorities and be willing to say no to important, but unrealistic priorities during this upcoming term.
Stormwater management and flooding remain serious issues in some neighborhoods in Scarsdale. How can the Village identify and implement long term solutions?
Thankfully this topic has been one of the current Board’s priorities. But the community’s work here is not done. I suggest we consider a mental model to “not fight the last war”. Given apparent climate trajectory, we should prepare not just to address the types of events that we have experienced recently, but also attempt to prepare for more extreme events. It’s a reality that our residents typically need government most when dealing with an extreme, unpredictable event. At a minimum, our leaders and staff should train themselves to be ready to rise to the occasion when such an event occurs.
Con Edison is replacing the infrastructure for natural gas delivery in Scarsdale at the same time that NYC is outlawing the use of gas in new buildings. What are your thoughts on fulfilling Scarsdale’s energy needs now and in the future?
I have not had the chance to deep dive on this topic, and will plan to do so if elected to a second term. At a general level, I support a practical, realistic, step by step transition to a future of renewable energy that incorporates all stakeholders.
