Submitted by Nancy Ratcliffe
In the midst of this tumultuous election season, there are two local candidates I strongly endorse: Carrie Downey for Mayor and Dr. Helen Anderson-Cruz for School Board. I have known these women for 22 and 25 years, respectively, and both are imminently qualified for the offices they seek.
I became acquainted with Carrie when her first daughter was one of my kindergarten students. Carrie was tireless in her support of me as her child’s teacher, and of our entire school. Beyond her work in our classroom, she offered to represent me, pro bono, when a disgruntled parent demanded I remove a “We Support Our Troops” sign displayed in our classroom window. As President of the Village PATT, she always went above and beyond to meet the needs of students, their families, and the Village staff. I had the pleasure of teaching all three of her daughters.
Carrie was a Navy Judge Advocate General for nine years before entering private practice as a lawyer. Very significantly, she holds a Master of Laws degree in Environmental Law, a subject particularly important to the present and future interests of Coronado. Combining that training and experience with her (1) service on the Board of Directors of SANDAG, (2) service on the Board of Directors for the Energy Policy Initiative Center, (3) service on the Coronado Hospital Foundation, and, most importantly, (4) service on the Coronado City Council since 2004 renders the best qualified candidate for Mayor of our City. Carrie is a human dynamo with boundless energy, and who cares deeply for this City, its citizens, and its future.
Nancy Ratcliffe
