“Democracy cannot succeed unless those who express their choice are prepared to choose wisely. The real safeguard of democracy, therefore, is education.”
Municipal Election to Elect Two City Council Members coming on November 3, 2020
There are five candidates running for two seats (in alphabetical order):
Gayne Brenneman
Positioning Statement:
I love Southern California. I grew up here, and have spent 20 of my 40+ years of married life here, in PVE, raising 2 kids, and working full-time, as a cardiac anesthesiologist.
We are in desperate need of help, to solve the city’s chronic problems, overspending and ignoring the major issues:
BUDGET | ENCROACHMENTS | ENFORCEMENT | PARKLANDS | TAXES | TRAFFIC | VIEWS
My goals are to address, our major problems, put them ‘on the table’, and get input from the community, in addition to being ‘more 'proactive’ in finding solutions to personalizing our governance, our community, and our lives.
When elected, I will be honored to continue my community service by contributing to Olmsted’s vision:
PRESERVE, INCREASE, ENHANCE, PROTECT
Bio
I have been in private practice, as a cardiac anesthesiologist, in Texas, San Diego, Virginia, and HMO practice at Kaiser Sunset, until retiring in 2016.
I am currently a freelance anesthesiologist on a part-time basis for local hospitals.
Relevant Experience:
As President, of my HOA in Idaho, for 27 years, I have successfully fought against raising fees and high density re-zoning, supported sunlight and view protections, and improved "digitalized" communication and "CC&R's adherence and enforcement".
Class Agent for my medical school class, for the past 37 years
California Society of Anesthesiologists ‘elected’ representative, District #13, from 1999 – 2002, and Alternate Delegate from 2002 – 2005
Additional Accomplishments:
Editor – Kaiser Permanente Journal 2004-2014, ‘cardiac anesthesia’
Who’s Who of American Women, 1996 and 2019
American Medical Association’s Physician’s Recognition Award 1985, 88, 97, 00, 02
Who’s Who in American Business, 1998
America’s Top Physicians, Consumer Affairs 2005
U.S. News & World Reports ‘TOP DOCTOR’S”2015
Contributor, and featured on the cover of 'The Battle Buddy Diet' on nutrition
Education:
University of California, Santa Barbara, Bachelors degree in Political Science, 1973
Medical school, internship, and residency, at University of Texas Health Science Center, 1977-1984
Fellowship at University of Alabama, Birmingham in 1988
Harvard Business School, graduate courses on “Changing the game: Negotiation and Competitive Decision Making” (2013) and “Strategic Negotiations: Dealmaking for the Long Term (2014)
Sanford Davidson (incumbent)
POSITIONING STATEMENT:
Councilmember Davidson declined to supply a positioning statement.
BIO
Councilmember Davidson declined to supply a bio
Dawn Murdock
POSITIONING STATEMENT:
Residents need a Council committed to working together to solve issues effectively and with resident and staff input.
Police: I will fight to keep our police and work with Council, officers, and residents to build a sustainable, affordable solution with manageable pension costs, so we do not keep revisiting this issue every couple of years.
Financials: We need to address our rising costs, deferred maintenance on infrastructure and city scapes, and our escalating pension debt. We need to seek new revenue sources, starting with non-tax options.
Parklands: I will protect our parklands, push to improve fire abatement to reduce our fire risk, and consistently enforce removal of encroachments.
Forced Density: I will fight for local control to protect our city character, views, and quality of life. I support joining other city councils in building a coalition to fight the elimination of local zoning and environmental protections.
Transparency: I will ensure residents and staff have full transparency regarding the issues facing our city, solutions, and progress relative to goals.
Community Engagement: Our residents deserve a voice, especially on major solutions such as safety and taxation. We must conduct surveys and town halls to provide information and solicit resident input.
I will engage ALL residents respectfully rather than divide and dictate.
We need to bring our community together – I will build that bridge.
We need to fix our problems – I will ensure residents have a voice.
BIO
My husband Bob and I have lived in PVE for over 22 years. We are the proud parents of four - a recent graduate from UC Berkeley, a junior at UCLA, and twins in 8th grade at PVIS.
I have a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA. With 17 years in strategy and business operations consulting at Accenture and elsewhere, I bring strong fiscal acumen, problem solving, and collaboration skills to the Council.
I have worked with executive teams to:
Develop strategic plans with clear priorities and goals,
Improve operations to improve quality and employee satisfaction, and keep costs down,
Identify problems, find root causes, develop solutions, and drive change in collaboration with a broad set of stakeholders,
Complete projects on a timeline with clearly set milestones.
I have been active in the community –
PV Juniors,
Girl Scout Leader,
AYSO referee,
Treasurer and Advisory Board member of The Palos Verdes Assembly,
PVIS Cotillion Chair,
PVIS Booster Club Board member, and
PVE Pension Ad-Hoc Committee member.
I am a listener, someone who welcomes opinions from all perspectives.
I am an analytical thinker, someone who uses data and facts to drive my decisions.
I am a doer, someone who rolls up their sleeves and does whatever it takes to get the job done.
I am ready to roll up my sleeves to support and complete the good work of this Council.
POSITIONING STATEMENT:
I am running for City Council to keep our City the safest and most beautiful place in California.
I SUPPORT:
Keeping our PVE Police Department as the best way to secure our safety and maintain local control
Community policing to promote a culture of service, safety, and respect for civil rights
Balanced budgets that account for the full cost of employee pensions and work towards paying down our unfunded pension liability
Faithful application of our Neighborhood Compatibility Ordinance to preserve views and privacy
Protecting our Parklands and the legacy of our City founders
I OPPOSE:
Eliminating our PVE Police Department and contracting with an outside agency that would hold our city hostage to ever increasing costs
Participation in any CalPERS program that would reduce our flexibility or imperil our City's cash flow
New taxes directed at addressing the City’s pension UAL without regard to market conditions
Forced densification mandates that will change the character of our neighborhoods and increase traffic and fire risk
Any attempt to sell Parklands
BIO
I am a husband, a father of two rambunctious boys (ages 6 and 8), and a technology executive. I am also a passionate advocate for our community. I attended SMU in Dallas, Texas where I earned a bachelors degree from the Lyle School of Engineering and an MBA from the Cox School of Business. For 16 years I have assumed increasing levels of responsibility at major tech firms including Microsoft, Symantec, and Broadcom.
When I am not leading an engineering group, I am a volunteer board member for the Lunada Bay Homeowners Association. I also serve the residents of Palos Verdes Estates as a Planning Commissioner. In that role, I have sought to balance the interests of property owners and their neighbors, ensure our Neighborhood Compatibility Ordinance is faithfully applied, and advocated for local control in development.
Prior to my involvement with the Planning Commission, I was the Chair of the City’s Technology Advisory Committee where I was involved in efforts to modernize the City’s software systems and to develop policies around the deployment of 5G technology.
I believe we all expect the same things from local government: We expect our leaders to ensure public safety and preserve the character of our City while remaining fiscally responsible. I look forward to the opportunity to serve those goals as a member of your City Council.
For Jim Roos’s website, click here.
Bill Sewell
POSITIONING STATEMENT:
I’m Bill Sewell and I’ve lived in Palos Verdes Estates for nearly 11 years. I’m running to represent you on the Palos Verdes Estates City Council. I grew up in a town very much like PV Estates: small, rural, open. My wife, Nancy, and I cherish our city's character. My desire to serve is rooted in a growing concern around keeping Palos Verdes Estates special. We must retain the unique qualities of our neighborhood by supporting our residents, solving our financial challenges, and preserving our peace and safety. My experience brings unique qualities to contribute and represent you. After a 50-year career, I am the only candidate with direct experience in municipal infrastructure engineering, billion-dollar program management, and public safety, all skills our city needs today and skills that no other candidate offers. I will apply these skills to:
Ensure our Financial Stability
Make our Police Department affordable
Fight state mandated densities
Preserve our parklands and our city’s character
Ensure simple, ethical, and transparent governance
I believe strongly in community involvement, hearing diverse points of view on every issue, and then making decisions based on verifiable facts. I bring a global perspective beyond our peninsula. During my career I lived and worked all over the US and in 22 different countries. I also have local experience as a volunteer in the PVE Police Department, Redondo Beach Police Department, and the PVE District Disaster Preparedness Team. I am a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy and served on the board of the FBI Citizens Academy Alumni Association. I am also a graduate of the U.S. DEA Citizens Academy. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you. Be sure to vote on November 3rd. Thank you for entrusting me to represent your interests!
BIO
Recently, while talking with a former PVE mayor about running for Council I was asked why I want a full-time job that pays nothing. To me, the answer was immediately apparent: My Dad was a Federal Probation Officer, my Mom a health worker, one grandfather was a minister and the other, a pharmacist, ran a city dispensary for low income people. Service to the community is in my DNA. I was raised out East in a town a little smaller than PVE among thousands of acres of fields and woodlands. Living in this environment, I gained a deep appreciation of nature and our place in it. I love the rural character of our City.
I served in the Air Force in Viet Nam. I worked for the FAA, U.S. Intelligence, and ended up working 20 years for AECOM, one of the world’s largest infrastructure companies where I led the Public Safety and Security Division. At AECOM I became Program Director for the $6.5 Billion school bond program for LA Community College District for three years. My unique experiences – infrastructure engineering, public safety, and large program management for cities, states, and national governments – make me the most qualified candidate for PVE City Council.
I moved to PVE almost 11 years ago. My wife, Nancy and I took a drive through PVE and decided on the spot that this is where we want to live. It was the rural feel, the relaxed atmosphere, and remembrance of the woodlands of my youth.
I am a PVE Police volunteer, a District Disaster Preparedness volunteer, a Community Emergency Response Team member and a graduate of the FBI and DEA Citizens Academies. I am best qualified to serve you.
