Background: Vice president of nonprofit education foundation; adjunct college faculty; instructor.

Why I got into public service: To work on concerns that my community had voiced for generations.

Top Issue: To ensure public safety by tightening the laws on hazardous material companies.

Guiding Value: Hard work! There are beneficiaries of all labor; the harder and more efficiently you work, the better things are for everyone.

First Job: Receptionist at a law firm.