Experience Matters!

I firmly believe that to be an effective leader experience matters, especially with the current economic challenges we all face.

Over the past 12 years, I have gained a wealth of practical experience and understanding of how city government works and what can be improved to better serve the citizens of Ventura.





As an advocate of sustainability and environmental responsibility I initiated numerous programs including:

• Green Building Initiative that fast-tracks and provides financial incentives for those who incorporate sustainable building practices in their projects.

• Green Streets Initiative to comply with state-mandated handling of storm water runoff  to prevent ocean pollution. I was instrumental in securing a $1 million grant for this purpose.

• Waste-to-Energy, an award-winning project at our landfill and Off-the-Grid Initiative that enabled the city’s public works yard to install renewable solar energy.

• Lifetime advocate of preserving our open spaces and Ventura’s hillsides. I helped secure grant funding for the Surfers’ Point managed retreat project.

• Tripled the size of community gardens and reduced pesticide use throughout the city.

• Voted to add six new police officers that restored resource officers to our schools and three new fire fighter positions to decrease emergency response times.

• Instrumental in incorporating “smart growth’ principles in the City’s General  Plan to create a sustainable economy with walkable communities, transportation improvements, affordable housing, and attracting green industry entrepreneurs.

• Personally recruited iCEL Technologies who are opening a renewable energy research lab in the City of Ventura which will employ 40 skilled professionals.

• Instrumental in forging policy for the revitalization of our historic downtown.