Laurie Poppe, Hillsborough
I grew up in Great Falls, Virginia, a bucolic suburb outside of Washington, D.C., much like Hillsborough, where my grade school friends and I would ride our horses to Thelma’s Country Store for ice cream in summer. Our parents were not worried to unleash us at early ages as everybody in the community knew one another and every parent had the authority to reprimand any child. We felt safe and knew there were firm boundaries on our behavior. My childhood community was made up of farmers, doctors, small business owners, executives — you name it. We were a diverse community. And I loved it.
“Inside the Beltway,” many of my friends’ parents were in public service: Congress, Senate, CIA, the Pentagon, ambassadorships and other government or military institutions. I came to know so many wonderful, intelligent and dedicated people of all backgrounds and political persuasions. I respected their commitment to our community, and I recognized what they sacrificed to serve our country.
From an early age, I sat at many dinner tables where discussions on weighty topics flowed steadily and opinions among friends and family contrasted mightily. Debate and discourse were the norm and were welcomed. There is no better way to understand a topic deeply than to listen and learn from all vantage points. I learned that the most effective leaders listen, ask questions, then listen some more, and ultimately seek a resolution based on community interests. When you approach an issue based on the goals, values, and interests of the citizens, you create a plan that develops commonality and enriches the community as a whole.
This perspective was further developed when I returned to school as a single mother to earn a dual law degree and a master’s degree in social work from Rutgers University. My legal specialty, collaborative divorce, takes a traditionally adversarial process and turns it on its head. We work to build consensus and strive to teach skills that empower couples to make difficult decisions with respect and integrity. As a therapist, I am trained to focus on clients’ strengths, to respect their values and boundaries, and to support them in their goals — not mine.
I moved to Hillsborough in 1989 because it felt like I had come home. The farms, the deep family roots, the community — it all drew me in and I immediately fell in love. Like Great Falls, we are diverse and yet unified by common goals and interests.
So when people ask me why I am running, it is because I know that leaders require all vantage points to make strong decisions. I am trained to create consensus in difficult situations, I am trained to listen deeply and to understand others’ values and goals, and I am skilled at building commonality when seeking a solution. These are the skills I will bring to your governing body if elected.
I look forward to this campaign, meeting my fellow residents and discussing how, by working together, we can achieve grand things. Hillsborough is wonderful, but I know it can be even better.
Laurie Poppe
Hillsborough
Democratic candidate
for Township Committee
