Candidate for
Board Member; Menlo Park Fire Protection District

Based on the needs and challenges affecting the MP Fire District, I bring the following relevant experience and perspective to compliment other members of the Fire Board:

1. Dealing with complex financial and strategic issues affecting both short and long term planning and decision making.

2. Managing multiple constituents with diverse points of view and gaining consensus through collaboration.

3. Understanding and appreciating the difference between providing direction vs. counsel to CEO's and management teams and when it is appropriate to provide each.

4. Managing in extremely challenging budgetary and economic conditions that require setting well grounded priorities and making difficult tradeoffs based on facts-analysis as well as pragmatic judgment.

5. Understanding the pros, cons and pitfalls of outsourcing and when/how/if to outsource for success.

6. Understanding and appreciating the value, capabilities and expertise of the District's organization without conflicts or personal bias.

My professional career spans more than 30 years with a wide variety of businesses in a diversity of executive management roles in and out of the USA including Kraft, PepsiCo, Philip Morris and eBay. I've helped lead several companies, both public and private, as CEO/President and have been on the board of six corporations, two local volunteer organizations and a homeowners association. I am currently Board Chairman of a privately held health food company and a board director of two other specialty food businesses. I hold an MBA from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

I have a keen interest in emergency preparedness. I am currently an active member and officer of the Atherton Disaster and Preparedness Team (A.D.A.P.T.), a volunteer 501(c)(3) organization helping Atherton households and neighborhoods become better prepared for disasters, especially earthquakes - http://www.getreadyatherton.org. I am the Neighborhood Coordinator for the Menlo Park Fire Protection District Area #8, a CERT member and a licensed ham radio operator. I have participated in San Mateo County's "Silver Dragon", a county-wide exercise that tests the Health System's ability to partner with local cities, law enforcement, fire departments, MRC, and CERT teams and to distribute medicine and medical supplies from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). I have worked closely with members of Menlo Fire and Atherton Police to conduct and coordinate local neighborhood emergency drills.

My family and I have been residents of Atherton since 1999. I have served as an elected a member of our neighborhood association's board twice, including its Treasurer. As part of my community involvement I volunteered for and was selected to be a member of a citizens group in 2011 that helped Atherton to choose its current City Attorney. I have been a member of the Menlo-Atherton Little League Board for the last seven years chairing its sportsmanship initiative as well as being a division commissioner and coach.