Candidate for
County Supervisor; Marin County; Supervisorial District 4

Steve was born in Wilmington, Delaware in 1952. He earned his B.A in Architecture from Arizona State University. While there, he won the Cwmbran Work/Travel Scholarship in 1975, allowing him to spend a half year working in Wales and travelling throughout southern Europe. He has lived in Forest Knolls since 1978.

Prior to his election to the Marin County Board of Supervisors in 1996, he owned and operated his own design/build firm for 18 years, while also making time to be actively involved in his community. Steve served on the Marin Conservation League Board of Directors from 1990- 1996, during which time he was awarded their prestigious Ted Wellman Award for his work promoting a conservation first water strategy for MMWD. He also received MCL's Marin Green Award for help advocating that the County should create a Bayland Corridor to increase protections for bayside wetlands. He also co-chaired Lagunitas School District's successful bond campaign in 1995, authored a winning Healthy Start grant that funded school-based health and support services for students and families, and coached on his son's Little League baseball team.

Steve's unique district includes almost 2/3 of Marin County land area, including all of West Marin, Corte Madera, Homestead Valley, San Quentin Village, and parts of San Rafael, Larkspur, and west Novato. Given the expansive and diverse nature of his district, Steve has been fully engaged in a broad range of interests that affect his constituents.

SOUND FISCAL MANAGEMENT Steve has worked with his colleagues to keep Marin County's fiscal ratings the highest of any public agency in the state. By beginning a five year budget re-structuring before the financial collapse of 2008, the Board has avoided work furloughs or deep cuts to services experienced in many communities. As State and federal support has shrunk, the Board has made difficult decisions, including reorganization of several departments and reducing the workforce by 10% in order to maintain a balanced budget every year.

While historic labor agreements and market forces have created a formidable pension and benefit shortfall, Steve and his colleagues are recognized leaders in pension reform,including being the only County to actively support the Governor's 12 point pension reform plan.

SUCCESSFUL TRANSPORTATION LEADERSHIP During thirteen years as Chair of Marin's Transportation Authority and Congestion Management Agency, Steve led Marin's efforts to improve mobility along the 101 corridor and throughout his district. Drawing on his consensus-building skills, Steve's work resulted in voter-approval of two measures that currently provide over $22M annually. He also secured $75M in bridge toll revenues for highway improvements in the Twin Cities area, and extending the SMART train to the ferry.

Steve currently chairs the Marin County Transit District. He is a strong proponent of expanded bus and rail transit, along with orienting infill development around transit hubs to protect exisitng neighborhood character and make transit more cost-effective. He led efforts in 2002 that resulted in creation of the Stagecoach, the first permanent transit services for West Marin. He also worked in partnership with the late Charles McGlashan to fund and operate the wildly popular Muir Woods Shuttle.

In 2008, Steve addressed Corte Madera's concerns about changes to the highway by preventing closure of the Madera Avenue exit. He also secured County funds to study the Tamalpais Avenue bridge over 101 that recommended significant safety improvements. He is currently working to insure that 101 improvements in the Twin Cities are designed to the satisfaction of local residents.

Steve is especially proud of his work to establish Marin as a national leader in biking and walking, including Safe Routes to School, the Bay Area Ridge Trail, and the federally funded $25M Non-Motorized Pilot Project. In 2002, he received the Marin County Bicycle Coalition's Bicycle Superhero Award. In 2011, Steve was one of two Californians to receive a Rail/Trail Champion Award from the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy for his leadership.

Steve is currently guiding the County's preparation of a science-based Trail Management Plan that will serve as a blueprint for protecting and restoring open space lands while also improving trail connections and choices for all user groups. He was the Board's leader guiding completion of the 3.2 mile long 680 Trail on Loma Alta Mountain.

COASTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION Given that Marin County has such an impressive coastal shoreline and numerous coastal communities, Steve pays close attention to land use practices and policies affecting his constituents and natural resources. In 2007, he drew upon his professional training to successfully shape County General Plan revisions that reduced development potential on environmentally sensitive lands by over 800 units.

In 2011, Steve was appointed by the California Senate to a four year term on the California Coastal Commission. Steve has been recognized on numerous occasions for his leadership and effectiveness. In 1998, he founded the Fishery Network of the Central California Coastal Counties (FishNet4C) to protect and restore endangered Salmon. He still chairs the organization and has successfully implemented a watershed-based approach in both the Community Development and Public Works departments at the County. FishNet's groundbreaking work was awarded the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award in 2001.

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE Agriculture is one of five industries that the Board of Supervisors has targeted for active support and Steve is the Board's leader on matters related to expanding Marin's supply of fresh, healthy, local food. He has served since 1997 on the Marin Agricultural Land Trust (MALT) board, helping to permanently protect over 45,000 acres of prime agricultural lands. After organizing a strategic plan to support ranching businesses, Steve was awarded the Marin County Farm Bureau's Friend of Agriculture Award in 2004. In recognition of his support for agricultural education, Steve was awarded the Slide Ranch Silver Trowel Award in 2011. He has championed farmer market expansions in Point Reyes and at the Civic Center, and helped in the campaign that banned the use of GMOs in the County. He is currently working to require labeling of GMO ingredients, and is helping Marin Organic advocate for healthier school lunches.

CLIMATE CHANGE Steve believes that a major responsibility of government is to prepare our community's response to the effects of Climate Change. He has been a steadfast supporter of renewable energy programs such as Marin Clean Energy since the idea was introduced in 2004, and he currently serves as the co-chair of the Bay Area's Electric Vehicle Strategic Council. He is working to insure that Marin is prepared for sea level rise in coastal and bayside communities, and he continues to advocate for strong water conservation practices, such as gray water systems and low-flow septic system alternatives.

PRIORITIZING SAFETY NET SERVICES Steve has always focused on the needs of our community's most vulnerable. He was a founding member of Marin's First Five Commission, helping shape an investment strategy to improve health, school readiness, and support for at-risk families. He led efforts that resulted in the County's multi-service Wellness Campus and worked to improve community clinics in east and west Marin. Steve believes all persons should have an equal opportunity to access housing. In 2001, Steve's efforts were recognized when he received Fair Housing of Marin's Fair Housing Leadership Award. Recently, he set up the County's $2M partnership with the Marin community Foundation to fund Ag Worker housing. Steve led the Board's adoption of a Living Wage Ordinance in 2001 and later led revisions to insure In-Home Support Service workers are treated equally. He continues to work closely with communities of color and Marin's disabled population to reduce barriers through education, access to housing, and job training. He is the only Supervisor in Marin County to have a bilingual, bi-cultural aide to assist in addressing the needs of District residents.

COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION Presently, Steve is the President of the Marin County Board of Supervisors and its most senior member. During his time on the Board, he has brought about changes that have expanded resident's ability to actively participate in governmental decisions, through live webcasting of Board sessions, archived online minutes, a vastly improved website, increased online permitting, a more transparent and readable annual budget report, and biennial community surveys to measure opportunities for further progress. Steve recently led a 16 hour public review of the County 2012-13 budget, participated in the County forum on Pensions, and established the County's Labor Management Council to cooperatively address critical workplace polcies and trends.