Candidate for
Council Member; City of Hercules

I am an 18-year resident of Hercules, married with three children attending Hercules public schools. I have worked as a professional engineer for 29 years, after receiving a B.S. degree from Cornell and a Ph.D. from Caltech. I have volunteered for many organizations in our community and served in various leadership roles.

One of my priorities is the education of our children. I have volunteered at our local schools, served on the Hercules Education Commission (2007-08), and am a director of the newly formed Hercules Education Foundation, which will provide funds for special school programs. As a City Council Member, I will work with our two school districts to improve student performance and will follow through on plans to rebuild Ohlone Elementary School. I support Measure D which will renew the current parcel tax for five years and continue providing $10 million to WCCUSD.

As a member of the Friends of Hercules, I have addressed various community issues, including waterfront development, the intermodal transit center, secure mailboxes, and creation of a dog park. I opposed Wal-Mart coming to Hercules because their "big box" proposal was inconsistent with the General Plan for the waterfront area. I joined many other citizens in supporting the City Council's decision to invoke eminent domain to stop Wal-Mart.

Four years ago, I was an advocate for preserving open space in Franklin Canyon and campaigned for Measure M, which was approved by a wide margin. Recently, the Muir Heritage Land Trust announced an agreement with the landowner to acquire most of the acreage and preserve it for future recreational use.

Serving on the Board of Foxboro Village Homeowners Association for 9 years (1999-2008) provided me with much leadership experience. As President, I dealt with difficult issues involving construction defects and with legal actions taken to correct these problems. I worked closely with the Board and management to make critical building repairs without special assessments.

There are many development projects in the planning phase which will soon be coming before the City Council for approval. I participated in the 2000 Community Planning Charrette and have attended meetings on each of the major development projects. I want to ensure that these projects are well-designed, properly managed, and compatible with our vision for Hercules.