As a Library Board Trustee, I have served as a passionate advocate for improving library facilities and services at the Sunnyvale Public Library. After listening to resident feedback, I initiated the elimination of the library's hold fee, which the Board of Trustees unanimously supported, and which the City Council approved as part of the 2008 budget process. I led the effort to upgrade the Library's automated check-in system, which will save the city in excess of $1 million over the life of the equipment, while increasing the availability of the Library's most popular items and decreasing the strain on our overworked library staff. As Board Legislative Representative, I have lobbied state lawmakers to protect and increase state library funding, such as the Public Library Fund (PLF) and transaction-based reimbursement (TBR) programs.

As a resident, I have appeared before Council to promote environmental issues and open government initiatives. I championed the hiring of a full-time city-wide sustainability coordinator. I advocated the passage of Sunnyvale's residential green building standards, the strictest in Santa Clara County. I served on SUNPAC, providing the business community with a resident's perspective while developing an understanding of business issues and concerns. I am an active member of the Morse Park Neighborhood Association, and I have been active in two Sunnyvale homeowners associations, founding one and serving as its president for eleven years. I was born and raised in the Bay Area, and I am a 20-year Sunnyvale resident.

As an engineer, I have spent 20 years developing effective solutions to difficult problems. I've developed technology at the core of applications and devices such as Google Maps and Yahoo! Maps, in-car navigation devices, hand-held GPS devices, and navigation services such as GM OnStar. My twelve years developing GIS-related technology gives me a unique perspective on urban transit options and traffic patterns.

 

As Sunnyvale's newest Councilmember, I will bring the following to the Sunnyvale City Council.

• A unique understanding of technology issues and the concerns of the high-tech community,
• A commitment to maintaining the high level of public safety that Sunnyvale supports and values,
• A commitment to protecting the environment and to ensuring that our precious natural resources will be available for our children, and
• A commitment to an open and responsive city government, one which places a premium on communicating with and listening to its residents, its business owners, and every City stakeholder.

Education

• B.A. in Mathematics Applied to Computer Science, U.C. Berkeley, 1989
• Graduate, Leadership Sunnyvale
• Graduate, Sunnyvale Neighborhoods Actively Prepare (SNAP) Program

Professional Standing

• Engineering Manager and Lead Engineer at deCarta, the leader in location-based services and digital mapping technology.

Public Service*

• Member, Sunnyvale Board of Library Trustees, 2004-present (2nd term)
  • Board Chair, 2005-present
  • Board Legislative Representative, 2004-2009
• Sunnyvale Representative to, and Vice-Chair of the System Advisory Board of the Silicon Valley Library System, 2008-present
• Member, 2008 Sunnyvale City Manager Selection Community Panel
• Member, 2009 Sunnyvale Library Director Selection Panel
• Member of the Board of Directors, Silicon Valley Leadership, 2008-present
• Trustee, SUNPAC, 2007-2008
• Chairperson and founder, 2007 Build The Library, Yes on B campaign committee
• Boardmember, Danbury Place Homeowners Association, 2009-present
• Founding President, Sutton Place Homeowners Association, 1997-2008

Affiliations*

• Member, Morse Park Neighborhood Association
• Member, Sunnyvale Historical Society
• Member, Friends of the Western Philatelic Library
• Member, California Library Association
• Member, California Association of Library Trustees and Commissioners
• Member, Danbury Place Homeowners Association
• Volunteer, Friends of the Sunnyvale Public Library

* Names of organizations do not imply endorsement.