Candidate for
Mayor; City of Garden Grove

BIOGRAPHY -- Garden Grove City Councilman MARK LEYES for MAYOR

Mark Leyes was elected to the City Council in 1990 and re-elected in 1994, 1998 and 2002.

Mark Leyes was born and raised in Garden Grove. Mark attended local public schools and earned a Bachelors and Masters degree in Economics from California State University, Fullerton. Mark and his wife Wanda have been married for 17 years, own their home and are active in their neighborhood and church.

Mark has been active as a Boy Scout troop leader, a founding board member of the Garden Grove Community Foundation, a member of the Garden Grove Historical Society, and a member of the Garden Grove Chamber of Commerce for more than ten years. Mark also served on the California Council for Criminal Justice.

Mark's top priority is to keep our streets, schools, and neighborhoods safe. Since Mark was elected, the crime rate in Garden Grove has dropped more than 50 percent. Mark was instrumental in establishing the citywide Megan's Law database and, as Mayor, he will work to restore the D.A.R.E. program, to keep our children safe from gangs, drugs and sex offenders.

Mark Leyes has also represented Garden Grove as:

• Board Member of the Orange County Sanitation District;

• Chairman of the Orange County Regional Airport Authority;

• Chairman of the Agency for Community Development (9 yrs);

• Chairman of Cable Television Corporation;

• Chairman of Industrial Development Authority;

• Chairman of Garden Grove Housing Authority;

• Garden Grove Public Finance Authority;

• Vice Chairman, Garden Grove Community Foundation;

• West Orange County Water Board;

• Elected Board Member of the Municipal Water District of Orange County, Division 2;

• Orange County Transportation Authority Growth Management Area committee;

• Alternate delegate, Orange County Transportation Authority Elected Officials Roundtable for Central County Corridor Study.

Recently, Mark Leyes was invited to represent the City of Garden Grove at a meeting at the White House with President George W. Bush. Mark also worked on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's historic campaign for Governor, as a representative of Orange County taxpayers and small businesses.

In addition to his service on City Council, Mark owns and operates a small business in Garden Grove and is a legislative assistant to a California State Assemblyman.