I enthusiastically support Greg Christiana for town moderator.
Greg and I met as part of the Build Arlington’s Future campaign in 2019, which led efforts to ensure that our schools were prepared to meet the needs of all students in Arlington. I was immediately struck by Greg’s thoughtfulness in discussions and by his evidence-based approach to ensuring the success of that campaign. After I was elected to Town Meeting, I was again able to see Greg’s thoughtful, respectful and inclusive approach to discussions on a variety of issues.
I have been a Town Meeting member in Precinct 4 for three years and have not felt comfortable speaking a single time during the sessions. There are likely a number of reasons for this, but fear of public speaking is not one of them, as this is something that I do regularly in my career. Equity work is a focus of my professional life, and I think it’s important for the town moderator to ask questions about why we don’t have a diversity of people on speaker lists. I’ve had great conversations with Greg about this issue. I know he values having a variety of voices and viewpoints heard and would use data to learn more about where we stand and to identify effective strategies for making Town Meeting more inclusive.
I believe Town Meeting is a meaningful way for members of our community to be involved in decisions that affect Arlington and its residents. Ensuring that we create and maintain a transparent moderating model that allows for inclusive discourse will be critical for sustaining a successful Town Meeting — one that represents all residents. I am confident that Greg has the right approaches and temperament to make this happen. Please join me in voting for Greg Christiana on April 2.