Candidate for
Councilmember; City of Torrance

I come from humble roots and I am a second generation American. My grandparents on my father's side came off the boat from Austria and Czechoslovakia to find a better life in America. My grandfather was a bus driver for the Chicago Transit Authority and my grandmother was a housewife. My father was a mailman. On my mother's side, my grandparents came from Japan to work in the sugarcane fields on Oahu. My mother was born in the sugarcane fields and then worked as a cleaner in the Hawaii State Capitol. My father met my mother when he was stationed at Pearl Harbor.

I was born in Honolulu but raised in Chicago. I got my first job at age 16 at Sears Roebuck to contribute to the household income and save for college. I won a full scholarship to Northern Illinois University. After graduation I joined the airline industry so that I could fly to Hawaii to see my family. I lived all over the United States and met my husband, John, in Houston, Texas where he was serving as a Search and Rescue Pilot for the US Coast Guard.

We moved to Torrance 15 years ago because we loved the cultural diversity and the hometown feel. I retired from the airline industry 10 years ago and transitioned into a Financial Consultant. It was during that period that I became aware of the financial fraud and scams that were being perpetrated on senior citizens. I knew I could make a difference so I geared my business towards helping senior citizens make better financial decisions. Then six years ago I was appointed to the Torrance Commission on Aging where I knew change could really happen on a larger scale.

Through my volunteer efforts I continue to look out for the needs of seniors and make sure services and programs are available for them to live securely and comfortably.