I have never shirked from duty or service to the community. Service is at my core. As a young man working my way through college for years at night, I held down a full-time job and still found time to volunteer as a Fire Fighter for seven years in my hometown. My post graduate career brought me to San Francisco and simply said, in July 1981, Sonoma brought me to Sonoma. It was love at first sight. In 1992, after serving as President of Vintage Festival, I offered my time to the Sonoma Valley Health Care District, and was elected and served on the Board until 2008, by which time I wore many hats including Chair of the Finance Committee and later as Chairman of the Board.

This was my first foray into local politics: early in my tenure, I was instrumental in the acquisition of the Community Health Center, which was a struggling private venture. The District pumped needed capital into the business, keeping it afloat and when Federal law made it advantageous to allow the Health Center to evolve into a Federally Qualified Health Center with improved Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, we struggled to assure that the Health Center met all of the new standards and relinquished governing control to a new diverse community Board of Directors, forgiving our capital investment in the Center and allowing them to continue to serve our community, which they have done superbly. 

Bottom line, I have lived the theory of access to health care for all. And working with like-minded individuals, we have succeeded in preserving first class health care access for our community…

as I reflect on my triumphs and the few inevitable disasters during that time, I think of our Hospital, lights on doors open every day of the year; that access to care is without a doubt my proudest public achievement – in this era of COVID and the danger of fire sweeping across our communities, I feel I can hit the ground running and bring a unique understanding of both public health and of fire service to the City Council.

I am committed to bringing a steady hand and years of experience to the City Council. I will bring an open mind and an inquiring intellect to the issues brought before us. I will seek compromise and if it is not readily available, I will negotiate tirelessly and in good faith. I will do all that I can so that when my time is done, God willing, Sonoma will be an even better place.