Lifelong Wiseburn Community Member | Parent | Trustee

Lifelong Connection to Wiseburn

My connection to Wiseburn began long before I became a School Board member.

I grew up here and attended Wiseburn schools, promoting from Anza Elementary School and Dana Middle School. I had wonderful teachers, attended great neighborhood schools and grew up with a real sense of community. I graduated from Hawthorne High School and went on to the University of California, Santa Barbara. When I graduated from UCSB, I returned home to Del Aire and worked next door in the Environmental Engineering Department for Los Angeles Air Force Base.

I remembered the education I received, the wonderful teachers who had an impact on my life, and the close-knit neighborhood schools that made Wiseburn such a special place. As a result, my wife, Helen and I bought our first home in Del Aire so we could eventually raise our family in this wonderful community. I continued to work in facilities and transitioned my career to school construction. When an opportunity arose to join the board, I immediately wanted to give back to the community that gave me so much. The new Anza has just been completed, and future facility projects were in the works, so I wanted to lend my experience in school construction for all the other upcoming projects.

It has been wonderful raising our two sons here. I had the opportunity to coach AYSO, and Aviation & Wiseburn Little Leagues. Our boys attended Wiseburn schools and recently graduated from the DaVinci Schools. Our boys are currently atttending San Jose State and Syracuse University, thanks to the amazing education they have received in our community. This community has been the backbone of my entire life.

That personal connection is one of the reasons serving Wiseburn has meant so much to me.

Professionally, I have spent more than 30 years working with California school districts and community colleges to plan, build and improve educational facilities. I currently serve as Executive Vice President of Element Consulting, Inc., a program, project and construction management firm specializing in educational facilities. Throughout my career, I have worked alongside school districts, colleges, architects, engineers and construction professionals on complex public education programs throughout California. My experience includes:

• Long-range facilities planning

• Educational construction and modernization

• Capital improvement and bond programs

• Program, project and construction management

• Budget and schedule oversight

• Responsible stewardship of public resources

That experience gives me a practical understanding of the issues that come before a school board involving facilities, budgets, capital programs and long-term planning.

Master of Science, Environmental Science
California State University, Northridge

Bachelor of Arts, Environmental Studies
University of California, Santa Barbara

Certified Construction Manager — CCM

LEED Accredited Professional — LEED AP BD+C

Some of the most meaningful opportunities I have had to work with young people have happened outside the Board room. For many years, I volunteered as a youth coach, including:

• Aviation Little League

• Wiseburn Little League

• AYSO Youth Soccer

• Redondo Beach Youth Basketball

I have also served as Clerk of the Local Classroom Funding Authority and as a Governing Board Member of the Local Public Schools Funding Authority.

Whether serving on the Board, working professionally or coaching a youth team, the same principles have guided me: preparation, teamwork, accountability, perseverance and service to others.