Candidate for
Council Member; Town of San Anselmo

Ford Greene's no stranger to Marin County or to politics. The eldest of four, Ford attended Ross Elementary School from kindergarten through 8th Grade, where he was elected Vice-President of the School in 1966. He grew up in the Winship Park neighborhood, and his father served on the Ross School District Board of Trustees from 1963-1971. Ford attended Redwood High School in the late `60's and grew up in a home filled with political. Diverse and free-wheeling dialogue, including dinners with Gloria Steinhem and Alan Alda, author Rollo May, Episcopal Bishop C. Kilmer Myers and Roman Catholic Archbishop Joseph T. McGucken together for a religious "summit," world-renowned architect, Louis Kahn, Congressman William Maillard, Senator James James L. Buckley (Ford's godfather), New York Mayor John Lindsey, and Transportation Secretary Malcolm Baldridge, among others. His roots in our community run deep, and his desire to continue to serve San Anselmo as a member of its Town Council is rooted in his passion to preserve this beautiful place his family has called home for four generations. Ross' Natalie Coffin Greene Park at the base of Phoenix Lake is named after Ford's paternal grandmother. Ford spoke as a valedictorian at his graduation from the New College School of Law in 1982. He began his law practice in 1983 under the wing of legendary San Anselmo public interest attorney Carl Shapiro, and he has practiced law in San Anselmo ever since.

Ford's entire 28-year legal career has focused on seeking justice for others. He was selected as a finalist for the nationally prestigious Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Trial Lawyer of the Year award in 2003 for his precedent-setting case in Molko v. Holy Spirit Association, where he prevailed before the California Supreme Court. Ford Greene essentially created an entire field of case law that holds destructive cults accountable for their deceptive, humanly exploitative ways. He has won numerous multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements against cults such as the Church of Scientology, the Ananda Church of Self-Realization and the Moonies, among others. In addition to his anti-cult legal practice, Ford currently practices personal injury liability law and serves as a conflicts public defender in the Marin County Superior Court.

Many know about Ford because of his successful battle in 2003 with the Town of San Anselmo over his right to express his political views on his Hub Law Office building's sign. This struggle arose out of Ford's fierce commitment to free speech and democracy. Ford also almost single-handedly litigated a lawsuit against the County of Marin for electoral irregularities and constitutional violations during the 2007 Ross Valley Flood Fee election. Initially, he obtained a unanimous, published decision from the First District Court of Appeal annulling the election for "a widespread violation of voters' rights." The California Supreme Court, however, granted discretionary review, and re-instated the election. In a demonstration of his characteristic good sportsmanship, at San Anselmo's Country Fair Day in 2010, Ford was the sole dunkee in a dunk tank bannered "Water Under The Bridge" that was sponsored by the Flood Mitigation League of the Ross Valley, an opponent in the Flood Fee litigation. His passion to preserve democracy is what inspires this, his legal casework and his past four years of successful service on the San Anselmo Town Council.

Ford ran for the San Anselmo Town Council in 2005 and missed being the top vote getter by 23 votes. He has served as mayor for the past year and runs meetings characterized by efficiency, respect, warmth and humor. He does not unfairly limit the right of citizens to fully express themselves on issues about which they care. As a councilmember, Ford currently serves on the Transportation Authority of Marin, Marin Telecommunications Agency, Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers Ad Hoc Committee for Pension Reform and as an alternate for the Marin Clean Energy Authority.