Victory! And, Thanks!

My election owes much to many fine people.

To the voters of Gaithersburg, I appreciate your confidence and will work to maintain it. Not only in Kentlands and Lakelands, where the support was kind of overwhelming, but throughout our city.

To our elected officials:

Cathy Carlson Drzyzgula, my campaign chair, you will be missed on the Council. Your advice and encouragement and your unflagging support for the entire city leaves a void — so, don’t expect me to stop calling!

Jud Ashman, our great “new” mayor, your support, leadership, and energy are so important. Congrats on the well earned win, and thanks for everything so far and to come.

Michael Sesma, thanks for your endorsement, great work, and friendship.

Ryan Spiegel, all kidding aside, I appreciate sitting next to you, the snarky notes, and the political and governance insights. Congrats on another big win!

Robert Wu, you ran a great campaign and I’m very happy to serve with you. We got to know each other over the past year and you are a great asset to the city. Stealthy or no, I appreciate the mutual support during the heat of the campaign.

Henry Marraffa Jr, you ran a solid campaign and continue to contribute to our city, and I enjoy serving with you.

Sidney Katz, what can I say? I would not be doing this without your support. The example you set for steadiness and dedication are without peer. You are a superstar.

Cheryl C. Kagan, so many thanks for the endorsement but also for the ongoing stream of great advice and all your support for me and for our city.

Andrew Platt thanks for the endorsement, the planning, the input from your experience, and your ongoing energy on behalf of our city and our economic development.

And District 39 Delegate Charles Barkley (not on FB?), thanks for your support. You are a good man.

Campaign team:

My treasurer and dear friend, Ayesha Arora-Sharma, thanks for everything, as always. And Shelley Sharma, a great friend, for your help & support.

Neighbors, friends, and contributors: Jerry Stringham, Michael Bonnell, Steve Wilcox, Bikram Bakshi, Ann Marie Clements, Jennifer Carter, Joy Martin Nurmi, Leigh Henry, John P. Lin, Elaine Saba Koch, Bill Albright, Barney Gorin, James Mifsud, for the business people who provide the economic backbone for our city, for my many classmates from Wharton Executive MBA East class of 2005, and so many more, this means more than I’m capable of expressing. Bernard Unti for good company on the campaign trail, and Eileen E Noseworthy, Vicki Stander Understein, Julie M McGaughran for booth duty at Oktoberfest, Peg Nottingham for the website, and more!

Special thanks to Luc Brami and Shaun Auxier, Luc for the signs and banner, advice, & support, and Shaun for the awesome design work and everything you do.

And finally, but clearly not last, I could not do this without my family: Michelle Harris, Liz Harris, Jess Harris, Lona Feldman, Susan Feldman, Rich Lewis, Stephen Lewis, M’Liz Scotton Riechers, Mike Riechers, Robert K. Chester, Eric Mates, Juliet Guennoun, Sophia Guennoun, Sam Harris, Shirley Sieger, Mary Ann Elliott, and the innumerable Canadian cousins and extended family all over the world. Your love and support means everything.