LWV League of Women Voters of California
Contra Costa County, CA November 7, 2000 Election
Smart Voter Full Biography for Ralph Hoffmann

Candidate for
Director; San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District

[photo]
This information is provided by the candidate

I am 58 years old, married to my wife Betsy for 35 years. We have 2 sons in their 30's, Carl who is married and living and working in Silicon Valley. and Eric who is single and working for an e-business consulting firm in New York City.

I was born in Brooklyn, NY and have lived in 8 states, the longest in California. My full career was spent with 4 Chemical or Petroleum Corporations with the titles of Engineer or Management Scientist with various prefix titles such as Senior, Production, Project, or Process. I retain my Registered Professional Engineering Licence with the State of Texas.

Neither myself or any member of my family have ever been accused or tried of even a misdemeanor.

I was selected to serve on the Contra Costa Grand Jury, 2000-2001 Term, but decided to resign in June of this year to run for this office.

My principal local service has been my 14 year membership on the Greenbrook Board of Directors and have served in various offices, including President for 5 terms.

My wife and I contribute to several local non-profit organizations including Friends of the Library, The Museum of the San Ramon Valley, Role Players Ensemble, California NOW, Planned Parenthood-Shasta-Diablo, and the San Ramon Discovery Councelling Center

I have been appointed by the Danville Town Council to various study groups including the South Danville Traffic Traffic Advisory Committee and the Creeks Subcommittee.

I have been appointed and reappointed by several of the County Supervisors from this Contra Costa County District as the consumer representative to the Contra Costa County Mental Health Commission and have served as the Commission Chair for two one year terms.

In my early career at a petrochemical plant, I Chaired numerous Accident Investigation Committees comprised of both wage and salaried personnel. In my first instructions to each committee, I made it clear that we would NOT begin with the assumption that the cause of the accident was human error and work backwards. I gained the respect of both Labor and Management. which is why I assumed I was chosen to chair these Committees and given assignments to work inside the plants, even though these were the most hazardous jobs.

Other local non-profits my wife and I contribute to, which I failed to mention above include KCSM, Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa, and Community Assistance for the Retarded and Handicapped.

Our personal financial philosophy has been to retain a much larger than average portion of our income for saving and investment. This has allowed me to retire early and use my free time in service to my family and to my fellow man.

I am a member of the Danville Area Chamber of Commerce. I am a member of the Board of Directors of Mental Health Consumer Concerns, a non-profit agency to whom contibutions of food, furniture and money are tax deductable as personal or business charitible contributions, and whose mission is to educate the community and client population and advocacy for the rights of mental health patients and mental health concerns. My wife and I are members of the Eugene O'Neill Foundation.

I have lived in the SRVFPD over 15 years, including the drought years of the mid 1980's. This is 5 times longer than one of the incumbents.

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