I love Mountainside.

I love the low taxes, the single-family neighborhoods, the open spaces, and the small-town character that is becoming increasingly rare in New Jersey. I'm not running to change what makes Mountainside special. I'm running to help preserve it, strengthen it, and ensure it continues to thrive for generations to come.

Like many residents, I've often felt disconnected from what happens inside Borough Hall. Too many people don't know what decisions are being made, how money is being spent, or how they can make their voices heard. Local government works best when residents feel informed, included, and connected to the community around them.

Mountainside is a town where community doesn't happen by accident. We don't have a traditional downtown where neighbors regularly cross paths. Building connections requires intention. It requires communication, transparency, and leaders who actively engage with all the people they serve.

I also believe local government is strongest when it reflects the full community. Young families, longtime residents, seniors, working professionals, and new neighbors all bring valuable perspectives. Better decisions are made when more voices are part of the conversation.

When I told my father that I was running for Borough Council, he was overcome with emotion. Having recently become a United States citizen, he understood the significance of participating in the democratic process in a way that few people do. It reminded me of something both of my parents taught me growing up: if you care about a community, you don't sit on the sidelines. You show up. You get involved. You do the work.

That's why I'm running.

Not because I think Mountainside needs to be reinvented, but because I listen, communicate openly, and am willing to put in the work necessary to keep our community strong.

When I was a little girl, I used to stand in my aunt's backyard in Mountainside and stare at the house next door. I didn't just admire it. I dreamed that one day I would live in that house, in that town, and raise my family there.

Decades later, that dream came true.

Today, I live in that very house with my husband Ryan and our two children, Sebastian and Serafina. Mountainside isn't just where we live. It's where we're building our life, creating memories, and investing in our future.

Public service has always been part of my story. I grew up watching my late mother, Carmela Colosimo, serve as the longest-tenured councilwoman in my hometown of Kenilworth. I saw the late nights, the difficult decisions, and the countless hours spent helping residents behind the scenes. She taught me something simple but powerful: if you call a place home, you take responsibility for it.

That belief is a big part of why I'm running for Mountainside Borough Council.

Professionally, I've spent more than two decades in finance. After starting my career as an auditor at Deloitte, I was hired by my client, a private-equity firm, to serve as their Assistant Controller. I later created the Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) department and currently serve as the Director of FP&A. Every day, I analyze budgets, ask tough questions, evaluate long-term impacts, and help ensure resources are being used responsibly.

Those same skills matter in local government.

At Rutgers University, I graduated with honors with a double major in Accounting and Italian, Phi Beta Kappa. I am a dual citizen of the United States and Italy, and I am fluent in Italian. That combination shaped the way I think: analytically, culturally, and with a deep appreciation for where we come from and what we can build together.

Beyond my corporate career, I'm also an entrepreneur. I own and manage investment properties and operate my own interior design business. I've learned how to balance competing priorities, first and foremost being a mom to the greatest children (objectively speaking), solve problems, manage budgets, and most importantly, follow through. I don't just bring ideas to the table. I know how to turn them into results.

I was raised by hardworking Italian immigrant parents who taught me the value of showing up, working hard, and taking care of the people around you. Those lessons continue to guide me today. When challenges arise, I don't back down. I look for solutions.

At home, Ryan and I are deeply invested in this community. Ryan coaches Sebastian's baseball team, Sebastian attends Beechwood and Serafina will join him next year. We spend our weekends at local events, on the ballfield, at school functions, and enjoying everything that makes this town such a special place to call home.

I'm running alongside Robert Barletta because we believe Mountainside's future is bright. By bringing fresh perspectives, practical solutions, and a commitment to listening, we can help preserve everything we love about this town while planning responsibly for the future.

Every decision I make will be guided by the same principle my late mother lived by: if you call a place home, you take responsibility for it.

I'm running for Borough Council because I believe local government has a fundamental responsibility to listen, respond, and act when residents raise real concerns about safety and quality of life.

Last year, I presented a petition to Borough Council signed by more than 300 neighbors calling for urgent improvements to pedestrian and traffic safety. Unfortunately, many residents walked away feeling those concerns were not taken seriously. The moment that stayed with me, and ultimately pushed me to run, was seeing a current council member asleep just minutes after my presentation began. At that point, I realized Mountainside needed more engaged, responsive, and accountable leadership.

Like many parents in Mountainside, I worry every time my kids head out on their bikes or scooters. I feel that same concern when biking through town or walking our dog along Birch Hill Road, Wood Valley Road, and other neighborhoods. Too many residents believe our streets have become less safe, and it's a concern shared across our community.

Keeping residents safe and improving everyday quality of life should be among the most basic responsibilities of local government. We cannot continue accepting the status quo when important issues, whether speeding, pedestrian safety, or other long-standing concerns, remain unresolved simply because "that's the way it's always been."

If elected in November, improving pedestrian and traffic safety will be my top priority.

I'm running because Mountainside deserves leadership that listens, brings energy, and takes responsibility for tackling difficult, overdue challenges. My career has centered around solving complex problems, building consensus, and implementing practical solutions, and I want to bring that same mindset to Borough Hall. And yes, staying awake during council meetings wouldn't hurt either.

I'm driven by a simple belief: Mountainside works best when practical people step up with fresh ideas, common sense, and a genuine willingness to get things done.

Professionally, I bring more than two decades of experience in communications, public affairs, and strategy as a senior executive at Marino, an award-winning marketing agency in Manhattan. My work has taught me how to listen, cut through the noise, build consensus, and help people solve problems in thoughtful, practical ways.

My background also includes years of public service. I served as Chief of Staff to Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (now Mayor of Trenton), managing legislative priorities and constituent issues in a fast-paced environment. Earlier, I worked with former Mercer County Commissioner Jim McManimon, where I saw firsthand the importance of responsive and accessible local government.

I am a graduate of The College of New Jersey and earned a Master's degree in Public Policy from Rutgers University's Eagleton Institute of Politics. Those experiences gave me a strong understanding of how government works at every level, how decisions get made, how funding flows, and most importantly, how to navigate the system to deliver results that directly benefit our community.

Outside of work, I have spent years volunteering as a youth soccer coach in Mountainside through PAL, the Borough Recreation Department, and Mountainside Football Club. Coaching countless local kids, including my own sons, has given me the opportunity to teach teamwork, accountability, and confidence while mentoring future community leaders.

As a first-generation Italian American, I was raised with strong values centered around hard work, personal responsibility, and showing up for your community. My wife, Kristen, and I have been married since 2008, and together we are proud to raise our two sons, Luca and Matteo, here in Mountainside alongside our Bernedoodle, Oliver.

Above all, I want to bring energy, common sense, and fresh thinking to challenges that have lingered for too long. Strong communities don't stand still, they move forward.