Candidate for
Council Member; City of Oakland; Council District 2

I am a fourth generation Oakland resident with deep roots in our incredible city.

My father graduated from McClymonds High School. My mother graduated from University High. I attended Crocker Highlands, Lakeview Elementary and McChesney Jr. High School. All three are right here in District 2.

Oakland is my home -- I have lived in District 2 for the past 47 years.

I want our City to reach its full potential. With hard work, we can build an Oakland that is safe and economically vibrant for everyone -- an Oakland in which current residents and newcomers coexist side by side.

As a former small business owner, I understand what is necessary for a full economic recovery: safer streets and better schools. To attract and retain stable jobs, we need to make our streets safer. That's the first step. To keep pace with our growing economy, we must graduate more students from our high schools, community colleges, and job training programs. With the proper support programs, Oakland will have highly educated and highly qualified workforce.

As someone who has helped shape policy for one of the nation's most important housing institutions, I know that an Oakland better for everyone starts with making sure our families can stay in their homes. A better Oakland is one in which the families living here now can afford to buy homes or rent quality housing. That's why I'll fight to make sure that all of Oakland's families have equal access to credit. That's why I'll fight mortgage fraud and predatory lending. That's why I'll make sure we have enough housing for Oakland's working and middle class families -- the backbone of this city.

As a volunteer in our community, coaching sports and helping city kids gain life skills and attend college, I understand that we must break the cycle of violence by intervening early and often to support every child. By creating safe pathways to school, safe and supportive homework centers, and combating gun violence, we will be able to keep the next generation on the right path + a path that will lead to a stronger economy, a safer city and an Oakland that's better for everyone. On the city council, I'll work to make sure Oakland does all it can to end the cycle of violence once and for all.

As the Bay Area economy grows, a better-run Oakland can harness this new economic energy to improve public safety, public schools and public services. But a key question remains -- as we work to make Oakland better, can we make it better for everyone? Can we make it better for the people who live here now, as well as for those who have recently been attracted to this dynamic, vibrant and incredibly diverse city we love? I believe we can!

Cities Can Work for Everyone Over the past 10 years working at the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, I have traveled throughout the nation and seen the best and worst of America's cities. I have seen how forward-thinking municipal leadership -- with a long view of economic development and a clear vision for the future -- has been able to transform cities from industrial-based manufacturing centers to reinvented economies ready to thrive in the information age.

I have also seen the impact that quality affordable housing developments can have on revitalizing neighborhoods; how thoughtful public transit planning can spur economic development; and how building walkable communities can improve the quality of life for residents. I believe in the value of connecting neighborhoods and building community.

I believe that working together, we can make Oakland better for everyone.