For a few weeks now, I've been sharing my thoughts on various town issues. But, it's August and we're going to start door knocking - time I formally introduce myself! I'm Jennifer Borgioli, and I'm running for Lancaster Town Board.

The first thing to share? I adore Lancaster. Fifteen years ago, when my husband and I were making plans to start our life together, his house in Lancaster made perfect sense. I'd been living in Depew since I'd graduated from college and started my first teaching job (the picture below is from one of my first years as a special education teacher). I saw that Lancaster was centrally located with lots of green spaces, full of great people with far-reaching traditions and deep roots. But as my neighbor, you already know that! Thanks for making me feel welcome from the day I moved in.

Second, I spend my days, when I’m not out riding my bike, as a freelance developmental editor and researcher. People hire people like me when they’ve written something and want to make sure they’re putting their best, most accurate words out into the world. Like most developmental editors, I have a specialty, and mine is K-12 education. I help teachers write and find a publisher for their books, create and edit reports on policy, state, and national educational trends for a variety of clients, and I’m working on my second book. My first was with a teacher friend about his classroom; the new one will be about helping the general public understand the complex decisions teachers have to make every day. I also help people outside of education who create content about or for schools. If you watch a lot of science YouTube videos, you might have seen one of the ones I helped fact-check.

Because I spend so much time reading and writing, and as great company as our cat, Steve!, is, I substitute teach in the Lancaster school district a few times a month to get my head out of books and reconnect with the community, students, teachers, and schools. I volunteer with the village beautification efforts and for Braver Angels, a 501(c)3 group committed to depolarizing American politics.

Finally, when I come to your door, I’m going to be asking for your vote. I am happy to answer any questions you have about my plans for when I’m elected or my values. To answer a frequently asked question, “why are you running?” here: I’m running because the town council is the perfect place for an eager, word nerd, homebody like me. Residents benefit when their representatives know and understand policy and procedures. When they're persistent, organized, and responsive. I know people have questions about what’s happening and how things work in Lancaster, and I want to answer them (can a town board communicate too much? Let’s find out!). I want our local government to be part of making life better, fairer, and easier - not harder - for current and/or future Lancastrians, and I’m willing to do the work to make that happen.