Candidate for
Council Member; City of Martinez

Lara DeLaney was born in southern California in 1967. Lara (of "Doctor Zhivago" derivation) is the redhead in the variety pack of three daughters.

After a two-year stint in southern California, Lara moved to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with her family. Although the road was initially rocky--with Lara being confiscated by the authorities in Beirut because they wanted to show her off to curious on-lookers--the DeLaney family settled down to "compound" life in Jeddah. Her mother taught kindergarten. Her father, Larry, was in charge of the aircraft fleet for Saudia, the Saudi Arabian airlines. Her grandfather, Max, was employed by Aramco as the company representative to the King.

Lara spent her K-9 years at the Parents' Cooperative School, earning the "Salutatorian" title upon graduation. She was captain of the volleyball team and swim team and the second ranked women's tennis player in the city of Jeddah. After graduating from the 9th grade, she and her family returned to the States.

Lara finished her high school studies at Ashland Senior High, in Ashland, Oregon. She then attended college at U.C. Santa Cruz, studying Literature, playing tennis on the college team, and finishing with Honors in the Major. After college, Lara pursued a Master's degree in "Regulatory and Aggregate Policy" at the Harris School of Public Policy, University of Chicago, taking classes at the Law and Business Schools.

After earning her Master's degree, Lara began a career in government, working for the San Joaquin Council of Governments in Stockton, California. There she was employed as a Senior Regional Planner, involved in regional transportation and land use policy. After three years of living in Stockton, a beautiful Tudor home drew her to Martinez, so she braved the Highway 4 commute for two additional years. In 1998, Lara was fortunate to find employment with Contra Costa County, as a Senior Management Analyst.

In her position, Lara provided budgetary over-sight and department liaison duties for the Assessor, Auditor-Controller, Treasurer-Tax Collector, Building Inspection, Community Development, General Services, and the Public Works Department. She presently serves as the County's Legislative Coordinator and as a Senior Deputy County Administrator.

While tennis has remained a central activity in her life, having achieved a U.S.P.T.A. credential as a tennis professional and umpiring at the U.S. Open in 1997, Lara has also engaged in a variety of civic activities including involvement with the Kiwanis Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and Main Street Martinez.

When she's not at community meetings or City Council, you're most likely to find Lara on the tennis courts, jogging the streets of Martinez, reading books, or attending concerts with her fiancé Mark.