Candidate for
Council Member; City of Hemet

Gary R Cook, Bio Campaign for Hemet City Council Oct. 14, 2012

http://www.HemetCityCouncil.com

Gary's Slogan: "Make Hemet Work"

Gary's Commitment: "I will not be satisfied until full employment at a living wage, for everyone who wants to work is reached!"

Experience: Licensed insurance and real estate sales in the State of California. Additional studies include public speaking, Japanese speaking, economics, fire science, criminology, real estate appraisal and property management. Gary has privately studied economic development.

Current Business Operations: General Insurance, Annuities, Real Estate Sales and the Executive Director of a nonprofit, called Homes for the Upwardly Mobile, Inc. H.U.M. offers a unique set of services, part public charity and social enterprise. Primarily focused on ensuring Transition Age Youth (Age 18-25), who emancipate from Foster Care, have on-the-job training, Living Wages, transitional housing and an opportunity to earn equity from the work they perform. Not unlike Habitat for Humanity, except it's designed to provide wages, where HfH uses volunteer labor. It is required to purchase supplies and vendor services, not like HfH, which utilizes donations. The organization is incorporating a subsidiary housing cooperative, which will give the first right of refusal to its workers to purchase shares in it, designed to provide equity for youth at an early point in their lives.

See http://www.HomeUp.org for more information.

(See Resume for previous work history. Note accomplishments and early work history including mainframe computer operations).

Gary's grandparents purchased commercial property in Hemet in the 1970's, thinking Hemet was going to grow rapidly and that it would be a good investment. After holding the property for a number of years, his grandparents divested it. Gary kept the memory of that transaction, and looking for a place to incorporate and develop his nonprofit housing organization, he and his partner Joe, who together had shared a household of 10 years, moved from Los Angeles to Hemet on July 4th weekend, 2011. They have no children.

In September 2011, the California Secretary of State approved the incorporation the nonprofit. The nonprofit had been incorporated nearly for a year, during which Gary had made strong attempts at fundraising. But raising funds for the nonprofit has proven difficult to this point. A fundraising event called Dog Days of Summer is planned for early November. Funds are required to purchase properties, provide wages for trained workers and supplies to begin renovations of blighted properties. Gary became frustrated as he watched hundreds of businesses in Hemet & San Jacinto go out of business.

On August 1, 2012, Gary began to think about making a difference that would improve business prospects for all of Hemet's residents, not just emancipated foster youth. On August 13th, Gary decided to fill in the paperwork to run for office. He filed it on August 20th with the Hemet City Clerk.

Resume Below Here

Qualifications: In August of 2005, I earned a Property & Casualty license, after study and testing for my State of California Insurance Sales License in 2004. I passed the state exam and qualified as a Life Agent. I have worked in the consumer-direct personal lines insurance carrier sales market. CA insurance sales Licenses valid through 2012. I studied at East LA College: Real Estate Principles, Practice, Appraisal and Property Mangement and was designated a Dean's Honor Student for the combination of course hours and high grades.

Demonstrated expertise in Executive Management, Sales Business Development, Marketing, International Business-to-Business Networking, Teaching, Speaking and Public Service. I am qualified by years of experience wherein I worked for others and my own businesses, and: Performed market research, analyzing competition & sources of potential revenue; Reoriented market position and image; Devised business development activities; Designed marketing plans & materials; Quickly found creative solutions for multiple problems; Gained influential supporters; Provided a confidential ear to all; Intuitively understand the needs and motivations of others; Know how to lead others to new possibilities; Raised donations of goods, consulting, services, and training materials.

Achievements 2004-06 Originated business plan for solution to the affordable housing crisis for middle class and lower income persons in Santa Barbara and published my findings at http://www.ProspectiveHomeowners.com. Developed three fledgling businesses for a non-profit serving vocational rehab of US Veterans Drafted outline for a business plan that raised the most capital in the history of NASDAQ through 1984. Closed sale to Houston Light & Power Company for two million dollars worth of IBM PCs in 1981

Singularly and successfully lobbied for funding to create the Department of Economic Development for Santa Barbara County and introduced its first Director to all decision makers for inauguration

Top Salesman nationally with Heath/Zenith, while I created a co-promotion relationship with Charles Schwab to sell Zenith computers to their customers nationwide and their software to our clients.

Envisioned and designed an Internet-based venture for International Business Networking, before existence of the World Wide Web, to which the IBM Company loaned hardware and software to foster its development. Spent two years marketing the concept in 1989 to the public, business associations and consul generals and embassies. Received commendations and awards in writing from then Senator Pete Wilson, the mayor of San Francisco and others. Keynote speaker at the annual dinner of the Asian Business League, where I was pronounced Entrepreneur of The Year 1989

Insurance Agent 1/04-3/10 Various Companies + Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles Counties, CA I have worked with a number of insurance companies in a short period of time, trying to identify one company with a marketing plan and mix of products that fit me. Have marketed: Supplemental health & critical illness plans, Health insurance plans, automobile and homeowners insurance. Familiar with many other types of plans; see GaryRCook.com

Seasonal Campaign Executive 7/03-11/03 United Way - Santa Barbara, CA Helped with seasonal fund-raising campaign. In less than 4 months, we raised 2.1 million committed dollars. I performed stand-up speaking presentations to business audiences asking employees to allow payroll deductions. I cold-called businesses and set up appointments for management presentations and requested company leadership to make larger donations than the employees, as each could afford. I made over 60 presentations to small and large groups of employees within 60 days.

General Manager 5/02-3/03 Gulf of Mexico Cafe - Torrance, CA Purchased and turned a failed cafe profitable; Sold café after building up the business and attracting investors Increased café sales by 337% by our second month in business Gained a highly positive review of the cafe in local paper Acclaimed by food industry peers as a success in concept development

Business Manager 6/00-2/02 New Directions, Inc. - Los Angeles, CA A non-profit organization, supporting the Los Angeles Veterans Regional Opportunity Center Executive Management, advisor to the Executive Director and responsibility for over 45 employees Business development & oversight of construction, food service and janitorial businesses Cold-called prospects, created marketing plans, designed brochures, created & maintained Website Reoriented businesses by establishing recognized and professional standards and procedures Reorganized office procedures, increased labor rates, reduced costs and doubled sales

General Manager 1/98-5/00 Cook Information Technologies - Lompoc, CA A Web-based sales organization, offering software publisher's programs to Human Resource departments Designed marketing materials for four company Websites: E-Hire, NewHires, CookIT and Cook-E Negotiated vendor relationships, cold-called prospects, closed sales, co-created business plan Created partnerships and creative marketing arrangements Taught the business community about the Internet, as a marketing & PR tool through SCORE

Senior Sales Representative 9/95-1/98 Benefit Software, Inc. - Santa Barbara, CA A software publisher, at the time selling DOS software to a market already converted to Windows 95. Tele-marketed to leads, educated prospects, closed sales, taught new employees how to sell One of three top salespersons in company Wrote marketing plan, implemented marketing campaign, created literature and original Website Through the above, I effectively pulled BSI out of a slump, increasing sales by over 50%. The company has since gone on to greater successes by utilizing the Internet to allow customers access to its software.

General Manager 8/88-4/95 Cook International Business Network, Inc.; AKA Pacific Rim Trade Specialists San Francisco and Lompoc, CA Introduced utilization of Internet for business-to-business international networking across the Pacific Rim Spoke publicly at personally arranged seminars, as well as at public events and to business associations Networked during visits with the offices of Consul Generals and Ambassadors' around San Francisco Received letters of commendation from San Francisco Mayor's office, Senator Pete Wilson, and others Wrote letters to American Embassies and Consulates around the world promoting the concept Conducted strategic negotiations with database publishers and press release companies Named "1989 Entrepreneur of the Year" by the Asian Business League of San Francisco

Public Service Past President, Elected to office in 1994, Lompoc Valley Business Association Wrote campaign for Lompoc city councilman who was elected using it, and then re-elected Author/Editor/Publisher of the free Journal of Economic Development for Santa Barbara County Past Corporate Secretary of the Golden Gate Business Association Successfully Lobbied Santa Barbara Chamber of Commerce for official non-support of State ballot measure 2007 Membership Director, Mid-Valley Chamber of Commerce, Van Nuys, CA

Formal Education

San Francisco City College (1974-1976; 1991) - Varied coursework included Spoken Japanese and

Control Data Institute (1979) - Programming Principles & Computer Operations

Insurance Training & Sales Experience CA License #0E33723 (Life/Health & Property/Casualty and Disability Certificate) Current through Feb. 2008. 53 CE Credits: for Long Term Care, Pension Solutions, Charitable Trusts, Financial Planning & Annuities. Life - whole & term, fixed Annuities; Final expense funds; Disability - long or short term; Umbrella policies; Supplemental/critical illness policies; Health insurance, fire & liability; Auto, Home, Business, Landlords. The kinds of insurance marketing I have done in the past includes: Contact existing customers to cross-sell products, Contact previous customers and invite them back, Cold call out of phone directory and knocking doors, Cold call to follow up mailing to homeowners & renters, Cold call visits to businesses (retail, office, industrial) and contacting lists of people I know.

Computer Experience Over 20 years of experience operating computers and Microsoft Programs including Internet Explorer, FrontPage, Word, Excel, Outlook, Outlook Express, as well as many other programs such as ACT and more. Earlier positions included Wholesale & Retail computer products sales, as well as manufacturers representation. I also have been responsible for mainframe computer operations rooms for a wholesale auto business, a doctor & dentist medical billing company and a regional credit bureau.