Kids & Family
Los Altos Candidates In Their Own Words: Anabel Pelham
City Council candidates, adhering to a strict time schedule, had a chance to address the Los Altos Rotary last Thursday. Anabel Pelhm said she had real world, practical experience with large budgets and was no 'ivory tower' academic.
Editor's note: Los Altos Patch is running the full remarks of the six candidates who addressed the Los Altos Rotary Club on Sept. 20. We will run them in the order we receive them from council candidates. Patch invites all candidates to send in their remarks made last Thursday.
Pelham made her remarks from this outline of talking points, and not a written speech.
Find out what's happening in Los Altoswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The session was a private forum, but there is a public
Find out what's happening in Los Altoswith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Professional
• Professor, SFSU, Social Scientist, Gerontologist
• Department Head and Program Director for 25 years
o This is a leadership role that daily provides me the appropriate experience that can be applied to problem solving and managing the issues facing our community as well as working with the other Council members and city employees to achieve best practices and optimum performance
o In this regard, I have decades of experience in management/administration including budgets, personnel, strategic planning and assessments
Brought scores of grants and contracts to university
Wide range, small to hundreds of thousand so I know how to bring in and manage in a variety of government and private foundation grants and contracts that may offer external funding to projects in Los Altos President of Professional State Association
o This taught me about managing organizations, working with many varied interests across the state and engaging everyone to create a unified vision and effectively achieve identified goals
Macro studies of community, cities and social policy
o This expertise will benefit Los Altos and will provide Council with a skillset not only currently lacking but necessary to serving the community fully into the future
Past 10 years taught in Europe every summer and studied Age-Friendly communities and cities
o I have a global, international perspective on government policies, local governance and the wide variety of ways to solve local problems and build healthy, sustainable and interactive communities
Expertise in Healthy Communities, Civic Engagement, Social Participation
o I can promote health and wellness and civic engagement
Published a book related to Wellness in Underserved Communities
o I understand the important role of community-based health and human services for diverse populations and ethnic and cultural competency
Not ivory tower academic
o I have experience in the practical side of Age-Friendly Cites and I can make this know-how a tool for better Council decision-making and community leadership
Los Altos
• Member of Senior Commission
o This serves to define and direct how our seniors are treated by and included in our community
o Promotes the benefits of multi and intergenerational life
• Led Age-Friendly Cities Designation, a complex and successful 2-year project
o I believe a community is a tapestry of many ages and generations which should be leveraged to enrich us all
o A-F means forward looking and attracts external funding of projects
• Faith Community, Los Altos United Methodist Church
Helps to keep me grounded in values and a compassionate perspective on life’s challenges
President of National Association for Professional Gerontologists in Los Altos 2005
o I have first-hand knowledge of how to create and manage a first of its kind nationwide organization that credentials gerontologists
2012 LEAD Class Los Altos Community Foundation Graduate
o Here I learned a lot about city government, not-for-profit agencies and local businesses, history and challenges of Los Altos
Member, Chamber, LAVA and volunteer for Los Altos Forward and GreenTown
o It is imperative for council members to be partners with and active participantsin our business and civic organizations
Leadership
• Leadership roles for 30 years
o Provides the fundamental skillset necessary to effectively serve as a council member and the strategic vision necessary for guiding our community forward
Developed curriculum and taught leadership in gradate school SFSU
o I know the foundations for good decisions and well-reasoned policy making fororganizations and communities such as ours
• Leadership is: Values Driven problem solving
o Where the focus is on avoiding the quick fix or politically expedient solution
o Where the immediate impact and long-term effect of decisions and policies are uppermost
• Transparency=Trust
o The community must be communicated to truthfully, clearly and with transparency
o I want to provide an atmosphere of inclusiveness, welcoming community input; this must be established and maintained
o I believe the community should never feel they are secondary to the process ofcity politics and municipal machinations
• I Listen; Emotional Intelligence
o Listening respectfully, hearing what is said – and being attuned to what is notsaid
o Beyond just listening, I will empathize with and respect the person's opinions andthoughts, even if I don't agree with them
o Intelligence is a tool for understanding and communicating well; I respect views that are unwanted or uncomfortable
• I can make City Council a priority in my life
o I do not have family obligations that will impose on my time
o I have professional flex time to respond to the needs of our community, be present at business group meetings and events, and actively participate in our community, including the time spent on Council activities and making policy
o I can and I will make Council duties and serving our community a priority
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