About Stephanie

Working in Pittsford

My family moved to Pittsford when my husband accepted a faculty appointment at St. John Fisher College. At that time, I started a small business that I ran for 12 years, consulting with local, statewide, national and global nonprofit organizations on strategic planning and program evaluation.

I now work for Monroe County where I do research and strategic planning in human services. In my work I find ways to strengthen the positive impact of services like emergency shelter, food assistance, and protective services. I bring those same skills for research, program evaluation and systems change to town government. I'm proud that I've earned a reputation as someone who researches the issues thoroughly and digs into the data to make evidence-informed decisions.

Living in Pittsford

Our first ten years in Pittsford, my family lived in the south part of town near Powder Mills Park. The farmlands evoked memories of my grandparents' farm and the nearby trails made for easy escapes to hike in the woods. Our multigenerational neighborhood meant there was always someone around to visit with and turn to when a helping hand was needed.

Like many families in Pittsford, we are planning for the future and for the needs of our aging parents. Our search for a house with an "in-law suite" led us to our current home on the north side of town. Here we bought a midcentury modern home built by a Pittsford architect for his family. We are the first owners outside of his family and enjoy caring for our own little piece of Pittsford history. The experience of raising a child through caring for aging parents helps me serve our residents from cradle to career to retirement.

Valuing Pittsford

Because of my father's military service, I grew up all over the United States and around the world. Attending the University of Michigan as an undergraduate marked the eleventh place I called home. I then went to Berkeley, California, where I completed a master’s degree in social ethics at the Graduate Theological Union; to Dallas, Texas, where I worked for a domestic and sexual violence resource center and a parochial high school; and to Chicago where I completed my PhD in community psychology.

I have seen many parts of our country, experienced regional cultures, and witnessed different approaches to government. Those experiences strengthen the value I place on living in Pittsford. I see not only the strengths of Pittsford, but also its potential to be even more.