the following was submitted by the candidate

Today I am announcing my candidacy for the Board of Health. I am an attorney with over a decade of experience in public health law working with the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards.

I was appointed to the Board of Health in July, 2013 to replace Attorney Timothy Lowney. In my time on the board, I have observed, first hand, how helpful it is to have an attorney as a member, especially one with public health expertise. Presently, the Board of Health also includes a nurse and an epidemiologist, and this combination of professional experience has proven to be truly valuable. We work very well together and I am often called upon by my fellow board members to provide legal advice and assistance. My legal background is helpful in many matters that come before the board, particularly those involving regulation development and implementation, tobacco control and applications for septic and other variances.

Significant changes have occurred since my appointment, and I have been a part of the decision making process involved with them. For instance, our Health Director was appointed as the assistant Town Administrator and we conducted detailed interviews of several candidates before a new Health Director was hired. Since then, our Principal Clerk has retired and we are interviewing candidates for that position. These are important decisions for the town, and the present board was and is able to make them, reaching consensus after careful consideration.

Perhaps most importantly, we are also in the process of rewriting our tobacco control regulations. This is where my experience will be most helpful. My public health legal background provides the board with a unique and valuable resource. Put simply, I have done this before. While at the Massachusetts Association of Health Boards I worked extensively in tobacco control and was often called upon to draft legislation and regulations. I also compiled the 2nd edition of The Legal Authority for Tobacco Control in the United States.

I was born and raised in Milton as was my husband, Tony Sbarra. We have three children, Danny Sbarra, a sophomore at UMass, Amherst and Andrew and Lily Sbarra, both students at Milton High School. As a lifelong resident of Milton, all the issues the town faces are important to me. I understand that I am dealing with real people with real concerns. All health related issues require the consideration of experienced, thoughtful people and I believe that I am well equipped to continue to be a valuable asset to the board.

I respectfully ask for your vote on Tuesday, April 29th.