Anna Hochkammer is running for Pinecrest Village Council Seat 1. President of the Palmetto High School PTSA.
Why are you running?:
“After many years of working with local community leaders, volunteers, and business leaders, I know how to make politics work for the betterment of my community. Now it’s time to take the step to serve my friends and neighbors in the Village of Pinecrest Council.”
Motivation to run for office:
“My motivation is to enhance quality of life in Pinecrest. What I’ve learned walking door to door is that the vast majority of people truly feel this is a wonderful place. What I want to do is enhance that, find out what we’re doing right, and make those things stronger. After 15 years of community service in Ecuador and a professional career that included owning a small business and teaching mathematics, the natural fit for my talents was to volunteer with the local school PTA/PTSAs. I rose through the ranks of the PTSA at Miami Palmetto Senior High School to become President of the association in 2014. All along the way, I tackled very complicated problems and found ways to put all the pieces together to solve issues. Honestly, I’m no shrinking violet. I am accustomed to advocating strenuously for the things I believe my community needs. But that does not preclude pleasantness. You can do both. And that’s what it takes to serve effectively.”
Personal/professional background:
“Born in Michigan and a Northwestern University graduate, I moved to Ecuador in 1994 to pursue graduate school. I met my husband, Roger, in Quito and lived there for 15 years before returning to the U.S. with my husband and daughters Sophie, Gracie, and Vivian. We settled in the Village of Pinecrest. It was the right choice. I participate in the Village of Pinecrest Education Advisory Committee and the Fashion-in-the-Gardens fundraising committee, I work in the PTAs at Pinecrest Elementary School and Palmetto Middle School, I am a member of the Village Schools Marketing Committee, and I represent my association as a member of the Pinecrest Business Association.”
Vision of the village:
“I want to ensure we are on the right track with regard to public safety. I want us to expand and enhance our neighborhood watch networks, and make sure police leadership is feeling integrated into the community.
We also need to right-size our budget and keep a firm hand on our finances – that means properly vetting items before we put them into the budget, line by line. We don’t have a huge commercial tax base and so we really have to be extra careful about our dollars and cents. I also see tremendous potential in the Village to improve communications. As the community matures and the issues become more nuanced, it’s important for our representatives to act as a bridge between residents and the legislative and budgetary processes that support our strategic plan.”
Why Pinecrest is unique:
“What people like most about Pinecrest is that we are a quiet, residential community. While we like our businesses along US-1 because they add to our quality of life, there is no appetite to have that commercial district move into our residential neighborhoods. We are one of the few communities left in Miami-Dade County where you have very high quality traditional community schools. People move into Pinecrest to be able to educate children, pre-K through 12 within the limits of the district – and get THE best possible education. That is something that makes us totally different than other areas of Miami-Dade County.”
Commonalities among other communities:
“I see real opportunity for cooperation with neighboring communities such as Palmetto Bay, which is very similar, with schools and business communities serving the same populations. We benefit by good communication and sharing of information between the two communities and I would like to see that relationship deepen and grow.”
Accessibility & getting the word out:
“Elected officials must be able to put in the time for one-on-one engagement. We’re not a big enough municipality to justify any other kind of representation. So I plan to knock on every door in the Village, give people my email address, and then actually respond. It is conceivable to go out and meet every single resident.”
Little known fact:
“I was part of a transitional generation, so there was always an expectation that I was going to go further and pursue a professional career. As a result, over the years I have found myself moving and adjusting, sometimes as a house wife, and sometimes collecting a paycheck that was absolutely essential to my family’s well being. If women of my generation are to be known for anything, it is our flexibility and ability to adapt. You have to climb every mountain one at a time.”
Preferred contact information:
E-mail: annaforpinecrest@gmail.com.
Website: www.annaforpinecrest.com.
By Bill Kress
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