Candidate for
Council Member; City of Milpitas

Experience:

• Milpitas City Council Member + 2002 to Present
• Arts Commission Liaison 2002-2004
• CIP (Capital Improvement Program) Subcommittee 2004-Present
• Citizens Emergency Preparedness Advisory Commission Liaison 2005-Present
• City Attorney Subcommittee 2002-2008
• Civic Center Subcommittee (Alt) 2002-2008
• Community Advisory Commission Liaison 2002-Present
• Milpitas Redevelopment Agency Member 2002-Present
• Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Liaison 2002-2004
• Senior Advisory Commission Liaison 2002-2004
• Santa Clara County VTA Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) Member 2002-2004
• Santa Clara County Emergency Preparedness Council (Alternate) 2002-2004
• Terrace Gardens Board of Directors 2002-2004
• 50th Anniversary of Milpitas Anniversary Committee 2004-Present
• Milpitas Unified School District Board of Education + First elected in November 1983 + 19 years
  -Elected President by my peers, 8 separate years
  -Elected Vice President by my peers, 6 separate years
  -Accountable for our current $69 million dollar budget, over 870 employees and a student population of over 9,200
  -Managed a $64.7 million dollar capital school improvement project on schedule and under budget
• Renovations at all 13 public schools in Milpitas
• New multi-use facilities at our elementary schools
• Seismic retrofit at many of our school sites
  -Leveraged matching funds with the State of California to provide an additional $33 million dollars in capital school improvement projects
• Upgraded needs at school sites including roofs, air conditioning, restroom facilities
• Began construction of new athletic fields at Milpitas High School that will provide improved outdoor classroom facilities for approximately 2,100 students while school is in session. The project will also allow for the use of students, parents and community members for evening and weekend activities including football games, soccer matches, track meets.
  -Implemented class size reduction, 20 to 1, in the primary grades (1-3) at all elementary schools in Milpitas
  -Spearheaded a joint city/school project to provide a Bobby Sox Field at Russell Middle School for our youth
  -Implemented the DARE program as a joint city/school district project in 1987
  -Implemented Safety Officers at Russell and Rancho Middle Schools, serving over 700 students, in partnership with the Milpitas City Council
  -Reinstated a Police Science Course at Milpitas High School offered in partnership with the City of Milpitas and instructed by one of our Milpitas Police Sergeants.
  -Spearheaded an earthquake policy for the school district and implemented a safety plan for each school
  -Implemented additional courses in the Fine Arts at Milpitas High School including Orchestra and Choir

• Metropolitan Education District (MetroED) Board of Education + 5 years
  -Elected President and Vice President by my peers
  -Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) between 6 school districts in Santa Clara County to provide vocational training, academic classes and adult education programs
  -Districts represented are San Jose Unified School District, Santa Clara Unified School District, Campbell Union High School District, East Side Union High School District, Los Gatos/Saratoga Joint High School District, and Milpitas Unified School District.
  -Manage over 32 occupational choices including electronics, manufacturing, business, automotive, construction, and health occupations. The training serves over 25,000 high school juniors, seniors and adults.

• Milpitas Community Advisory Commissioner + 1997 to 2002
  -Co-Chair for the current Tree Planting Task Force to develop a Heritage Tree Ordinance and provide opportunities for citizens to plant a free city tree per an agreement to maintain the tree
  -Spearheaded the City Calendar Subcommittee for 3 years
  -Instrumental in developing the recommendation to the City Council for a Neighborhood Beautification Ordinance

• Milpitas Child Safety Committee + 1998 to 2004
  -Due to the concerns of citizens regarding the State's implementation of Megan's Law, a committee was formed between the Police Department, City Council and School Board.
  -Instrumental in developing policies for information within the school district to parents regarding paroled offenders in our community.
  -Instrumental in securing a $40,250 grant to support the Suggested Routes to Schools and bicycle safety information to students and parents in Milpitas

• Milpitas City/School District Monthly Communication Committee, 1990-2001
  -The committee consists of 2 members of the City Council, 2 members of the School Board, the City Manager and Superintendent and provides for the sharing of information vital to both agencies
  -Many city/school partnerships were envisioned at these meetings including the Bobby Sox Field, Police Science Course, DARE Resource Officers, Global Village coordination, joint Sports Center use, etc.

• Milpitas Child Care Task Force + 1999 to 2001
  -Co-Chair with School Board President Marsha Grilli
  -Developed a Master Plan for Child Care that was approved by the Milpitas City Council

• Vice Chair on an appointed City Council Committee for School District Mitigation to forge a special dedicated developer fee to assist our schools for additional needs, i.e. school buses, adopted by the Milpitas City Council and the Milpitas School Board.

• Provide the resources for Police and Fire services to provide the highest level of protection for all the citizens of Milpitas
  -Implemented DARE program as a joint city/school district project, 1987
  -Implemented Safety Officers at Russell and Rancho Middle Schools, serving over 700 students in partnership with the City Council
  -Reinstated a Police Science Course at Milpitas High School jointly with the City and Police Department, instructed by a Milpitas Police Sergeant
  -Instrumental in securing a $40,250 grant to support the Suggested Routes to Schools and bicycle safety information to students and parents in Milpitas
• Hillside preservation by ensuring the Urban Growth Boundary approved by the citizens of Milpitas will not be undermined.
• Library + to ensure the construction of a new library, completed on time and within budget, providing expanded services and resources to all our citizens
• Senior Services + provide affordable senior housing in a centralized location with a modern senior center to provide needed services including accessible adult day care, medical clinic and economical transportation
• Educational Partnerships + implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city council and school board and strengthen the partnerships to provide continued opportunities for our children to be life-long learners.
• City budget + A fiscally responsible and realistic budget balancing revenues and expenses without jeopardizing our future and maintaining a high quality of life for all of our citizens

• 1994 Milpitas Citizen of the Year
• Milpitas Foundation for Education, Founder/Treasurer + 1990 to present
• Milpitas Historical Society, Past President/Founder + 1979 to present
• 2000 Milpitas Relay for Life Chair, American Cancer Society
• 1999 Women of Achievement Award Nominee
• Milpitas Chamber of Commerce + 1985 to present
• Friends of the Milpitas Library, Member
• Milpitas Alliance for the Arts, Supporting Member
• Milpitas High School Athletic Booster Club Sponsor
• Milpitas High School Parent Teacher Student Association Member

• Resident of Milpitas for 30 years
• Two children; Charles Martin and Nicole Ann Polanski
  -Both graduated from Milpitas High School and received degrees from UCLA (Charles) and Sonoma State University (Nicole)
• Senior Administrative Assistant/Office Manager, MetroED, Metropolitan Adult Education Program providing educational opportunities for adult students, 2003 to Present
• Executive Manager/Corporate Secretary, Eshinui, Inc., a software development company specializing in the Semiconductor Industry from July 2000 to 2002
• Coordinator Sales Administration, Greene, Tweed & Co., Semiconductor Group from February 1996 to June 2000
• Corporate Secretary-Treasurer and Office Manager, The Wine Register from November 1987 to November 1995
• Commissioned Notary Public of the State of California, 2002-2006
• Graduate of Northwestern College of Business, Portland, Oregon
• University of Santa Clara School Board Institute