Candidate for
Council Member; City of Willits

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, where I lived for 30 years, and then I moved to Pittsburgh, Pa, where I lived for another 28 years, finally moving to Willits in November, 1997. Before moving to Willits, I decided I would take an active role in the affairs of Willits and Mendocino county because I had never lived in a small town before and I believed I would be able to contribute to the welfare of my new town.

In 1998, when a seat on the City Council was vacated due to an incumbent being elected to the County Board of Supervisors, I applied to be appointed to fill the remainder of his term. I was one of four candidates for that position, and came in a close second. As a result, I decided to learn all I could about my new home, and how the city functioned, so I attended every city council meeting for the next four years. Finally, when I thought I was ready, I ran for city council, and was elected in 2002, where I served until 2006. I lost my bid for re-election in 2006, but ran again in 2010, and was elected to my second term.

Beginning in 1998, I have been involved in a variety of groups and activities:

• I served on the county Grand Jury for the 1999/2000 session.
• I was invited to work on a county-wide committee to create the Volunteer Center of Mendocino County that is still functioning today.
• I was one of the founders of the Willits Skate Park Association, serving as Vice-President and Treasurer and after 4 years, we had raised over $600,000 and built the first skate park in the county.
• I served on the board of EDFC (Economic Development Finance Corp.) for 6 years, and was chairman for 2 years.
• I served on the Revit-Ed Committee (Revitalization-Economic Development) of the city of Willits for six years, and was chairman for 4 years.
• As a City Council member, I served on the boards of MTA and Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority.
• I served on many Ad Hoc committees: the marijuana ordinance; the underage tobacco ordinance; the Caltrans ad hoc committee that was charged with negotiating the use of city streets by the bypass contractors; the committee to negotiate a new contract with the city's waste hauler; the committee to design and build solar panels at all city facilities; the task force to develop a sustainable water management plan for Little Lake Valley Aquifer; and the committee that oversees development at the Willits airport.
• I initiated and led the process to build a solar panel installation at the city water plant. To date, the solar array has produced over 4.8 million kW of electricity, the electrical equivalent of 12.5 million miles of automobile use, prevented the creation of 4.8 million pounds of CO2, and produced the equivalent of planting almost 164,000 trees.
• I initiated and am leading a new process to finish installing solar panels at all of the city properties, which should be twice as large.
• I was one of the earliest members of WELL, (Willits Economic LocaLization) serving on the Coordinating Committee.
• I helped to establish the Local First Committee that promotes local businesses.
• I worked on a project to grow the local livestock industry, to create jobs and locally raised, natural and safe meat products.
• I worked with a local industrial property owner to develop a business plan for an incubator, to help local entrepreneurs create businesses.
• I was appointed, and still serve, as a commissioner on the Mendocino County Civil Service Commission.
• I am a member of the board of Community Care of Mendocino County, a non-profit that provides in-home health care for county residents.
• I have served with the Community Foundation of Mendocino County for over eight years, working on the Program Committee that distributes $100,000 per year to local non-profits.
• And, in my spare time, I'm writing a book about the problems that small towns are dealing with, and steps to be taken to survive and thrive.