Candidate for
Governing Board Member; Hermosa Beach City Elementary School District

Personal

I was born in Manhattan Beach, grew up in Los Angeles, and have lived in Hermosa Beach for the last 15 years. I am a fourth generation Angeleno. I have two kids at Hermosa Valley -- one in sixth grade, the other in third.

Education and work experience

I received my BA from Claremont Men's College (now Claremont McKenna College), with a double major in accounting and literature. In 1977, I received a JD from the UCLA School of Law. I worked for eight years as a tax consultant for Price Waterhouse, an accounting firm, in Seattle, New York and Los Angeles. I have worked as a tax and finance manager for several companies in the LA area, and currently work for Candle Corporation, a software company in El Segundo, as a finance manager responsible for overall tax matters. Up until a few years ago, I also taught as an adjunct professor at Golden Gate University in the Masters degree program.

Skills and experience relevant to the position af Trustee

I believe I bring three key attributes. First is a background in finance and financial analysis, which will come into play as we project the District's financial future and budget and plan for new classroom space (which we urgently need), a gym (which is desirable, and should be analyzed as part of the overall construction project), and continued hiring and retention of quality teachers. Second is an ability to work in a collaborative fashion without overcompromising - my belief here is that everyone has an insight to contribute, but that the search for a solution acceptable to all is a voyage to the least common deominator. I believe I can keep the focus on the overall objective without descending to mediocrity, and in so doing will continue the good work of the Board. Third is a sense of urgency - we need to get facilities expanded without a moment to lose.

In addition to its role as overseer of education, the Board fills roles in management and finance. I bring both of these by virtue of training and work experience. Although I have worked as an educator at the graduate school level, I believe this experience is only tangentially relevant to my role on the School Board (we already have accomplished teachers in our schools, and educating kids is different from educating adults). I also have experience with tax policy, which is the foundation of school finance. I will bring a strong sense of urgency and an ability to focus on the task at hand, and an ability to work with others toward developing a consensus.