Candidate for
Councilmember; City of Seaside

Dennis Alexander was born into a Marine Corps family at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Being the son of a Marine sergeant and veteran helped Dennis realize the value of commitment, integrity and hard work. These are the values Dennis believes are necessary to serve the public and are also the standards to which he holds himself.

After being raised in a working class family in the Milwaukee area, Dennis graduated from the University of Wisconsin, and served two years with the U.S. Peace Corps in the Philippines.

It was in the Peace Corps that Dennis learned the effectiveness of grassroots, locally initiated projects as practical solutions to problems. He led the creation of a public sanitation system for schools in a village that had none. He helped in introducing high Vitamin C fruit-bearing trees in an area that had a shortage of the vitamin. He also created a transportation network for villagers in need of medical attention to visit a U.S. Navy hospital ship, and he taught mathematics in a rural high school.

Upon returning home to the United States, Dennis relocated to the Monterey Peninsula to attend the Monterey Institute of International Studies, where he obtained a Masters in International Business. Dennis's commitment to public service led him to several volunteer capacities in the Monterey Peninsula area. Dennis has volunteered with the Monterey County AIDS project as a public education speaker. He has also volunteered with the Monterey Rape Crisis Center as a telephone crisis counselor and as a fundraiser. He has overseen the physical rehabilitation of more than twenty houses in Seaside in order to make them warm, safe and dry for elderly and disabled residents as a Board member of Rebuilding Together with Christmas in April.

Finally, Dennis was appointed a commissioner with the City of Seaside Neighborhood Improvement Program in 1998. In 1999, he was elected Chair of the commission, and has led the cleanup of dozens of neighborhoods and parks in Seaside, as well as the rehabilitation of the Seaside Children's Center.

In 2001, Dennis graduated from Monterey Peninsula College's police academy and was sworn in as a Reserve Police Officer with the city of Seaside. Dennis has proudly served with his fellow police professionals in keeping Seaside residents safe. He is also a member of the Disaster Action Team with the Monterey County Chapter of the American Red Cross. In his professional life, Dennis serves the city and youth of Seaside as a mathematics teacher at Seaside High School. He teaches mathematics in Spanish and is the faculty advisor to the Seaside High School chapter of the National Honor Society.

Dennis is also affiliated with other organizations, including: Keep America Beautiful, California Association of Reserve Police Officers, Northern California Association of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, California Teachers Association and Monterey Bay Teachers Association.

Dennis, his wife Laurel and their daughter Denise are actively involved in the community. Dennis and Laurel were Torchbearers through the city of Seaside in the 2002 Winter Olympic Torch Relay. Denise currently attends Monterey Peninsula College and works at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Laurel is the Director of Grant Programs at the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, the host of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament, where she leads the Foundation's grantmaking efforts. Each year, the Foundation awards close to $5M to charities, including many located in or serving the Seaside community. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Monterey County AIDS Project, and has a background in corporate marketing and nonprofit development. She is a longtime member and past President of the Junior League of Monterey County, and currently serves on the Nominating Committee of the Association of Junior Leagues International.