As a forty-one year resident of Burlingame, I care about our city. I have lived in Burlingame for most of my life, starting off as a child in my parent’s house, going to school in the city, as a Burlingame Planning Commissioner, City Council Member and two-time Mayor.
My civic involvement in Burlingame started at an early age when I was just starting in the sixth grade. My mother and father, Katie and Denis O’Brien, both exuberant participants in the Burlingame community, would take me to city council meetings. I, being a quite precocious 12-year-old, thought the meetings were less than entertaining and in so many words, told my mother so. My mother answered that you can never complain about your community unless you plan on doing something about it. That is how my journey started in public service.
I’ve realized those city council activities and meetings, while maybe not exciting for 12-year-olds, are often lively and the decisions made by the city council are what most impact our day-to-day lives in Burlingame. As my parents taught me so many years ago, if you’re going to complain about something, you better do something to fix it, and ever since, Burlingame has been a part of me, and I’ve been a part of Burlingame.
After my primary and secondary education in Burlingame, I attended the University of San Francisco and graduated with a B.S. and M.S. in Nursing with an emphasis on Nursing Administration. I worked as an RN and clinical instructor.