I have lived in the Southern Tier for most of the past 27 years, including the last nine years as a homeowner on Elmira's Near Westside. I graduated from Corning-Painted Post West High in 1984 and earned an associate's degree in Liberal Arts from Corning Community College in 1985 before going on to earn a bachelor's degree in journalism from Syracuse University in 1987.

Address: 627 W. Gray St., Elmira Employer: Cornell University Job: Graduate School communications director Education: Corning-Painted Post West High (1984), Corning Community College (A.S. liberal arts, 1985), Syracuse University (B.S. journalism, 1987) Birthday: Dec. 2, 1966 (Currently 40) Political background: Democrat. Elected mayor Nov. 8, 2005, and took office Jan. 1, 2006.

Since then, I have worked as a newspaper reporter and editor, a Web developer, a technology manager, and as a media relations professional. I am currently director of communications for Cornell University's Graduate School. One of my earliest jobs was covering Horseheads football for the Corning Leader and, later, I worked a summer in the mailroom at the former Aetna Life & Casualty payment processing center in downtown Elmira.

Since then, I have worked as a reporter for the Syracuse Post-Standard and held communications jobs at Rochester Institute of Technology and Syracuse University. I returned to this area in 1995 to become the Star-Gazette's first online editor. I helped shape the newspaper's presence on Time Warner Cable's fledgling high-speed Internet service (now known as Road Runner) and went on to lead development of Star-Gazette Online and, briefly, served as the newspaper's Metro Editor.

I spent much of the last 12 years in Web communications. I worked for Corning Inc. after a stint in New York working for Accenture, the technology consulting company.

When I decided to buy a home in 1998, I made a choice, as a young professional, to buy a house in Elmira because I believed Elmira had the most to offer. I still believe that.

As a resident, I understand the issues of the city and how they play out in all our neighborhoods. My work experience is diverse, and has a central theme: change and innovation. As a former newspaper reporter and editor who covered city and county government, I understand the business of government. In fact, it was my job to make sure others understood it, too. As a former Web developer and technology consultant, I understand how innovation and risk-taking can pay off. As a manager at Corning Inc., Gannett, Accenture, and now at Cornell University's Graduate School, I learned how to lead, innovate, and inspire.