I am writing to support the candidacy of Hilary Cooper for school board.
I got to know Hilary in 2012, when she and I were each presidents of our respective parents organizations: she at the middle school and I at Beach. Coming together to address the district-wide crises of the day (all of which paled, of course, to 2020!), I got to see Hilary in action — and I became impressed with her ability to connect to different constituencies in our community.
We as a society — and even as a community — have become too divisive; we do not value enough those who will listen to people with a different perspective, finding nuance and crafting consensus when the problems feel over-constrained and the combatants dug in. I believe that Hilary’s ability to understand disparate views and to forge compromise will be a tremendous asset to our school board and to our community.
The shadow of the pandemic will be long; we need leaders who are equipped to lead not just through the immediate crisis, but the many challenges to come. Hilary’s character — especially her curiosity, optimism and willingness to do the hard work — will serve our district well.
Please join me in voting for Hilary Cooper for school board on November 3rd!