Vote Tuesday: Critical Races Still Undecided

As committed supporters of, and advocates for, the positive contribution that Jewish day school graduates have on their communities long after their matriculation years, we are always pleased to find opportunities to put this thesis on display within our own Atlanta community.

We can think of no one who exemplifies more how a Jewish education creates a foundation for future leaders than Lindy Miller, an engaged member of our community who is in a statewide runoff election on Dec. 4. In her race for the Georgia Public Service Commission on Nov. 6, Lindy forced a 12-year incumbent into a runoff. We’re not simply supporting Lindy because of her ties to and leadership in our community. We also recognize that she has the experience, education and character to bring a fresh, reasoned voice to the PSC.

Some may consider this race “down ballot” and less crucial than some others, but we disagree. In fact, we think of this race as a two-fer. That is, we can help elect someone who is eminently qualified for the PSC, who also is a product of our community and its schools. Someone who has taken to heart our shared value of contributing to the broader community.

After all, the work of the Public Services Commission shapes our state’s energy policies, and these policies have a direct impact on our quality of life, our economy and our environment. As Lindy puts it: No one should have to choose between keeping the lights on and putting food on the table.

Lindy was born and raised in Sandy Springs and attended the Atlanta Jewish Academy (then, the Greenfield Hebrew Academy) for all eight years of elementary school. She was active at Congregation B’nai Torah, including serving as the youngest member of the choir, and she was a leader in BBYO. Lindy has bachelor’s degrees in economics and in philosophy from the University of Pennsylvania, where she received the Jewish Renaissance Fellowship (recognizing commitment to Jewish life).

Lindy was a visiting student at the University of Oxford and holds a master’s in public administration from Harvard Kennedy School. She spent 13 years at Deloitte, the professional services firm, leading public policy globally in her last three years. She has lived abroad several times during her career, and co-founded Cherry Street Energy, a renewable energy company, while continuing to work full time. If elected, Lindy will leave her company, sell her shares, and focus entirely on her work at the Commission.

All the while she has continued her leadership in our community. Earlier this year The Atlanta Jewish Times named her to its list of “40 under 40.” She is on the board of Congregation Shearith Israel and has served on the boards of the Decatur Education Foundation and GiveWell, which works to alleviate poverty.

Lindy was selected for the Wexner Heritage Program (as was Matt Shulman), a Jewish learning and leadership development program for 60 volunteer leaders throughout North America. She’s also a busy mom, living in Decatur with her rabbi husband, a professor of bioethics at Emory University, and their three boys.

Lindy has campaigned across the state (it’s worth noting that commissioners represent a specific district, but are elected statewide), highlighting the opportunity to invest in tens of thousands of advanced energy jobs in Georgia. She has the clear vision to accomplish these goals, ensuring we’re all treated fairly by utility providers.

An added bonus of electing Lindy is bringing more diversity to state offices. She would be the first Jewish woman elected statewide to partisan office. Ever.

Lindy is an inspiration to us as we work with many in our community to strengthen our Jewish day schools. Similar to Lindy, we have a vision, and a plan, to enhance and continue to deliver the academic excellence of Jewish day schools. And, like the fiscally- minded Lindy, we also want to create new ways to offer a Jewish education to current and future families more affordably. We are engaging with our partners at multiple Jewish day schools in the area toward a collaborative dialogue and partnership to make all our community schools stronger.

Still, the primary reason we call on you to join us in supporting Lindy Miller for Public Service Commission is that she is the right person for the job: An entrepreneur and community organizer with an impressive resume, excellent analytical skills, and decades of practical experience. Go to the polls Tuesday, Dec. 4, to ensure this young, bright, independent leader is representing all Georgians.

Michael Merlin is the managing director with Merlin Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley. Matt Shulman is the CEO of The Ardent Companies, a privately-held real estate investment and asset management firm. Both are active community leaders and are co-chairs of the 20Chai initiative at The Epstein School (www.epsteinatlanta.org), an initiative designed to enhance and continue to deliver an exceptional education, create a new way to invest in our current and future families, and support these efforts with clear and consistent messaging.