About Me
Hi, I'm Gabriella
I’m the oldest of three children. I’m a military brat. Dad dropped out of high school after Pearl Harbor was bombed and tried to enlist in the Army. They rejected him because he was 16 and told him to come back in two years. He left the Army recruiting office, walked down the street, and lied about his age to the Merchant Marine recruiter, who accepted him. He sailed in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II. In 1948, he left the Merchant Marines and enlisted in the Air Force, retiring in 1968.
Mom was orphaned at age 5, along with her four sisters, when her father fell to his death on Christmas Eve in 1936 while hanging Christmas lights. She met my dad during a bus strike in Detroit in 1950 or 51, when he offered her a ride, she accepted. They later married, and I was born in 1952.
For the next twenty years, we moved every 2-4 years when Dad received PCS orders. His last tour of duty was at the Pentagon, and we stayed in the D.C area after his retirement.
I earned my BS in Business Administration from Old Dominion University in 1975. After graduation, I entered the real estate business, working in that field for over 40 years as a salesperson, property manager, owner, or title agent. In 1979, I married the love of my life, and we remain happily married 46 years later. In 2003, I saw an ad for an 1878 mansion in Lynchburg, VA. One Saturday, we drove to Lynchburg and bought the home.
For the next 4-plus years, we drove to Lynchburg every weekend to restore the home to its former glory. In September 2007, my wife, Kathy, and I opened The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast, which we closed in 2019 when COVID hit.
From 2016 to 2018, I attended Liberty University, where I studied Cinematic Arts. I then spent a semester at Sweet Briar College studying theater. In 2019, I enrolled in a three-year limited-residency program in L.A. and earned my MFA in Professional Screenwriting from National University. I have written several screenplays (none have been produced yet), a stage play, Conversations with my Therapist, and I’m finishing my first novel, The Fisherman. I enjoy writing and traveling. My favorite destination is anywhere there is water. I entered this race to make a difference, bring common sense into politics, and fix problems other politicians ignore.
MISSION STATEMENT
Common Sense, Equal Opportunity
My mission is simple: rebuild trust, restore responsibility, and put problem-solving ahead of politics. I am running to confront the issues that others keep putting off, to tell the truth about the hard choices ahead, and to ensure that every American—regardless of background—has a fair chance at a secure future.
This campaign isn’t about political labels. It’s about fixing a system that no longer works for the people it was designed to serve. I welcome volunteers of any party or perspective who are ready to help with signature gathering, web and social media support, campaign management, treasury roles, or grassroots outreach.
If you want to help bring common sense back to government, I’d be honored to have you join me.