CIVIC EXPERIENCE
ELECTED to Arcata City Council and currently serving on it from December 2014. I was re-elected in 2016 and my term is up in November of 2020.
Currently, Chairman of the Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA).
Currently, City Representative on Humboldt County Local Area Formation Commission (LAFCO).
Currently, Representative for HTA to Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCOAG).
MEMBER of Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG) Social Services Technical Advisory Committee, 2009 through 2014.
ELECTED to and served on, Arcata City Council from 2004 to 2008
Former MEMBER of Humboldt Transit Authority (HTA), 2004 to 2008
REPRESENTATIVE for HTA to Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCOAG), 2004 to 2008
Former MEMBER of The City of Arcata Transportation Safety Committee 1997 to 2004
PRECINCT INSPECTOR for Humboldt County Elections, 2000 to 2014
Former MEMBER of the City of Ukiah Solar Access Committee
UNION LEADER of the Teamsters Local 624, at the Masonite Corporation in Ukiah, CA., 1979 to 1989. I have experience with contract negotiation, filing grievances and the arbitration process.
WORK HISTORY
SELF-EMPLOYED LANDSCAPER, 1993 to present
SPANISH TEACHER at Pacific Union School, 6th, 7th and 8 grades, 1993 to 2000
SUBSTITUTE TEACHER AND TEACHER'S AID 1992 to 1993
MILLWRIGHT at Masonite Corporation 1979 to 1989
PROJECT MANAGER for control systems in high rise buildings and large complexes such as hospitals, schools, hotels, including the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. I worked for Robert Shaw Controls Company 1973 to 1979.
SALES ENGINEER-MARKETING DIRECTOR for small optical and electro-optical companies 1972 to 1973
RESTAURANT MANAGER
DELICATESSEN WORKER
FACTORY WORKER
LABORER
SERVED in the U.S. Army 1963 to 1966
EDUCATION
B.S. in ENGINEERING from CAL STATE LA, 1972
BILINGUAL TEACHING CREDENTIAL from CAL STATE LA, 1992
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.”
COMMUNITY ACTIVISM
In 1993 when I was volunteering at Pacific Union School I saw that Spear Avenue had a dangerous curve near the school without any sidewalk. I advocated to have the City of Arcata correct this problem, which it eventually did.
In 1996 I was a founding member of a grassroots movement that was successful in helping to prevent Janes Creek West from being built. Janes Creek West was a proposed residential development of 900 homes in the Arcata Bottom.
When I ran for City Council in 2004 my campaign platform included building a public restroom in downtown Arcata. I advocated for the bathroom while on the council and during the ensuing years off council until the completion of it in December of 2014.
Public transportation is an important issue to me. Since 2004 I have been involved in improving bus service in the county. I was instrumental in establishing Sunday bus service in November 2012.
Through my membership on the Arcata Transportation Safety Committee I helped to bring roundabouts and other traffic calming measures to Arcata.
In July 2012, I became a member of the Senior Action Coalition (SAC) and worked on the In Home Support Services (IHSS) worker’s contract with Humboldt County. In 2013 SAC began working on traffic calming and safety in Eureka. In March 2014 SAC hosted a Traffic Safety Summit focusing on Highway 101 through Eureka.
I have been advocating for upgrades to my neighborhood park (Rotary Park), since 2005. Rotary Park is one of the small neighborhood parks identified as a priority in the City of Arcata Parks Master Plan. The completion of the remodeling of Rotary Park was in May of 2015.
In April of 2014 I came into contact with residents of Arcata who are interested in creating a Dog Park. Now we have a core group working to bring a "premier destination" Dog Park to Arcata.