Candidate for
Mayor; City of Pleasanton

I am a native Californian and a 22 year Pleasanton resident. My husband, Michael, is a local attorney operating his own practice in downtown Pleasanton. We have been married since 1980. Our three daughters, Heather, Sarah, and Megan attended Pleasanton schools and have embarked on their college careers.

I am 52 years old and graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Bachelor's degree and from the John F. Kennedy School of Law with a Juris Doctorate. I enjoy outdoor activities, cooking, and spending time with my family when not participating in civic activities.

I have a long history of participating in the community. I have been a Girl Scout leader and a soccer coach. Prior to being elected to the City Council in 2002, I was Chair of the Bernal Property Task Force and a founding member of the City of Pleasanton Energy Committee. I was elected Mayor of Pleasanton in November of 2004, and was the first woman in the city's history to fill that office. I was re-elected Mayor in 2006.

• As Mayor, I have the responsibility to spearhead the update of our General Plan. This is a complex, time-consuming process, and it's my job to provide the leadership to tackle the tough issues and move this process through to its conclusion. I have brought many new ideas into this General Plan - the concept of a Sustainable Community (environmentally, economically, and socially), an Energy Element, and a Water Element, as well as offering creative solutions to age-old struggles of development vs. neighborhood impacts.

• I have forged meaningful relationships with the business community with regular meetings to ensure a positive environment for entrepreneurial enterprises. I have built a partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, and was instrumental in working with Oracle during the transition phase of their purchase of PeopleSoft in keeping Pleasanton as a major operation for that business.

• I have taken the lead on bringing the focus of county and regional transportation planning to bear on the traffic problems in Pleasanton and the Tri Valley. Working with our neighboring Mayors and our County Supervisor, I helped to prioritize solutions and funding for our Valley's traffic problems.

• As a member of the Association of Bay Area Government (ABAG) Regional Planning Committee, I have helped to explore policies that balance the critical need for affordable housing in our community with maintaining local control of land use decisions.

• I have taken the lead on working with developers and neighborhoods to facilitate agreements for proposed development in the Southeast Hills that would minimize neighborhood and environmental impacts, maximize public open space in perpetuity, and strengthen our Urban Growth Boundary.

• I have demonstrated a commitment to environmental awareness and protection, leading to the establishment of the free annual E-Waste Day. As a Board member of the Local Government Commission, I have brought a focus on sustainable water use and alternative energy policies to Pleasanton.

• Participating with the leadership of the US Conference of Mayor's, and other organizations, I have worked to raise awareness of the importance of local action on such issues as global warming, world peace, nuclear proliferation, and community energy.

-Alameda County Congestion Management Agency (AC CMA)
-Alameda County Mayor's Conference
-ABAG Regional Planning Committee
-ABAG Housing Methodologies Committee
-Committee of Valley Water Retailers (CoVWR)
-Alameda County Economic Development Alliance for Business (EDAB)
-Tri-Valley Transportation Triangle Policy Advisory Committee
-City of Pleasanton Audit Committee
-Dublin Liaison Committee
-Dublin San Ramon Services District Liaison Committee
-Fire JPA Committee
-Livermore Liaison Committee
-Zone 7 Liaison Committee
-U.S. Conference of Mayors + Energy Committee, Urban Water Forum, Climate Protection Committee