Rachel has lived in Brighton for almost thirty years with her husband, Len, and two children, Andrew and Leah, both Brighton High School graduates. She graduated from Syracuse University in 1991 with a degree in Education. Shortly afterward, Rachel moved to Rochester and began working at the JCC. She served as the Director of the JCC’s child care center, school-age programs, and summer day camp, among other roles. Rachel has worked at AutismUp since 2012 in roles including Volunteer Coordinator and Family Navigator, and she currently serves as the Director of Community Education.

Rachel graduated from the New York State Partners in Policymaking program in 2013 and Rochester’s Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) in 2022. Her work has not been in politics but in the community. Community inclusion is at the heart of Rachel’s professional expertise and passion. Whether it be educating parents on their disabled child’s educational rights or organizing against corporate interests in public Education, she advocates for transparency and accountability at every level.

Grounded in her Jewish values, Rachel will always fight for full inclusion, especially for marginalized communities. She has been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights since the 1980s, having lost close family members to AIDS. With personal ties to the disability community, Rachel has been active in advocacy efforts for Education, housing, employment, and civil rights. From marching in support of Black Lives Matter or for the right to reproductive health care, Rachel will always work to ensure that we won’t leave anyone behind as we progress in our community.