TORRANCE TRIBUNE May 8, 2014 Page 5 ELECTION 2014 City Council Candidates ` from page 4 See City Council Candidates, page 6 Vistage. Not a group of Yes Men Actual Vistage Members Imagine a room full of experienced CEOs all focusing on your company’s challenges, and not a yes-person among them. Be our guest on Tuesday, June 3. vistage.com/southbayleaders in building consensus and family unity. It helped my family resolve issue and move forward. These leadership traits and skills are now ingrain in me and have assisted me throughout my entire career on the police department and what I bring with me as a councilman. I take the time to investigate and research the issues, solicit input from stakeholders to look for workable solutions and identify unintended consequences, and build consensus among the parties. Once solutions are implemented I follow-up to ensure a successful outcome. I understand that bringing people together, addressing issues, finding solutions, and building consensus requires diplomacy and decisiveness and the ability to recognize which approach to use in a given circumstance. These are the leadership skills and traits that I possess that will aid me in getting things done for the citizens of Torrance. Alex M. See: Answer not submitted by deadline. Norm “Opa” Segal: I was the General Manager of a 200+ employee manufacturing company located in El Segundo. The company was Tetrafluor, Inc. which was purchased by Coors Ceramics just prior to my retirement. As General Manager I was involved with every aspect of the Company’s operations such as business development, purchasing, manufacturing, employee benefits and retention, customer service, finance, product engineering, facilities and profitability. The principal thing that I have learned from a career in the private sector is to lead by example. I believe in treating everyone with respect, dignity and honesty. The results you get are directly proportional to what you put out. I believe in letting each employee do their jobs with minimal interferance. I also believe in following up on the work performed by employees to assure that they understand their assignments and are competant to do their jobs. A leader is responsible for the results required and also must build a team that could operate without him (her). Directing this toward the City: I think that the Councilmembers have the obligation to assure that the various City Managers and Chiefs are performing competantly and assessing their employees in the same manner. They should all be treating others with respect, dignity and honesty. Charlotte Ann Svolos: I have been a leader for a long time. As far back as high school, I was being put in charge of things. I was the stage manager for our productions then. Now, I have a variety of hats that I wear. I am the chair of the School Site Committee at Hickory. I am a Scholarship and Charity chair for Torrance Teachers. I am on the Stewardship committee for First Lutheran. I am assistant treasurer for the 66th assembly district central committee. I served as a statewide representative on the Early Childhood Education committee as secretary and written policy for CTA regarding Transitional Kindergarten. I lobby and donate along with a dozen things I am probably forgetting. But, where my skills are most often tested, are as a special education teacher. It takes a lot of organization and leadership to build an education plan for a child especially when sometimes our visions for the child do not agree. Ultimately, teamwork and sometimes compromise are needed to do what is right for the child. I know I can apply those same skills for the good of the city and its people. John Paul Tabakian: I do not sugarcoat issues for political gain. Leaders tell the truth, regardless if it upsets someone. I am a straight talking pragmatic person. Torrance political elites lie to voters about the economic health of our city, rising pension liabilities, and the threat of extremist anti-business organizations. I am the only candidate who has worked hard to inform voters that the city is planning to install parking meters in Old Torrance. I was the first candidate to warn voters of plans to install a .25% sales tax to fund rising pension obligations! This city has a spending problem. Torrance Police and Fire Department Unions are engaging in extortion by supporting candidates who push for higher and higher salaries and benefits to provide excellent service, which is their job! Torrance pays its police officers more than Secret Service officers who serve on President Barack Obama’s detail! Now ask yourself, “Which department gets sued the most? The United States Secret Service or the Torrance Police Department?” Kurt Weideman: There are many skills that combine to make what I would consider a Leader. A leader takes inputs from all sides of a question and decides how it all fits according to the vision. A leader sets an example. A leader must have a certain charisma - qualities that other people are drawn towards, trust, look up to, and feel comfortable with. I believe that I possess these skills and more: For example, I think that I display emotional maturity – not reacting to tough situations by displaying frustration or bursting out in anger. I believe that self-confidence is a sign of leadership that I display, as I do not require the approval of others for the decisions I take. A leadership skill that is particularly important is the capacity to work hard, with high levels of energy – something that anyone who has worked with me knows my capacity for hard work. One need only look at my record of service to the community to see that I possess the skills described above. I have served our community for many years in positions of leadership responsibility – I served 7 years on the Planning Commission, during my tenure, we passed the current General Plan while I was Chairman and my views on the Hillside Overlay and “Mansionization” are on the Public record. I served 10 years on the local Workforce Investment Board distributing Federal Funds to provide resources and train disadvantaged and dislocated workers, as well as the youth of our area. I was the first Chairman of the El Camino College Bond Oversight Committee reviewing and auditing the expenditure of $395 million of taxpayer approved Bonds. In addition, I have served 3 terms as President of the Torrance Historical Society, and 2 terms as President of the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation. How did you become interested in local politics? Heidi Ashcraft: My interest in politics evolved with my volunteering in Torrance, evidenced in question #1. I am proud to have been elected to the Torrance Board of Education. Torrance School District is recognized nationally for excellence with Blue Ribbon and California Distinguished Schools. The high school drop out rate in Torrance is lower than Manhattan Beach and Redondo Beach High Schools. Torrance Schools and safety are the main reasons people choose to live in Torrance, keeping real estate values consistently high. Tim Goodrich: Ten years ago, I wasn’t political at all. However, after three deployments to the Middle East and seeing real poverty and what life was like under dictatorship, I came home and resolved not to take life for granted. Ever since then, I’ve been involved in my community and have really enjoyed working with others to improve it. As I’ve worked in our city by serving as a Board Member of the Torrance Education Foundation, volunteering with the Police and Fire Departments, and serving as a Member of the School Bond Oversight Committee, I’ve learned a great deal more about the internal workings of Torrance. We’re at a critical junction right now as the economy improves and the revenues start to return. I hope to make a difference as a Councilmember by making sure that those revenues are directed to where it’s needed most: our roads and infrastructure, public safety, and ensuring open transparent, and efficient government. I believe this “Back to Basics” approach is what our City needs. Michael Griffiths: Since selling my business in 2000, I’ve become increasingly more involved in community service. I have volunteered for over 17 years with the Torrance-South Bay YMCA where I receive great personal satisfaction providing my time to help in whatever ways they needed. That led me to get more involved in this community that has been so good to me. I applied to, and was appointed to the Torrance Environmental Commission where I served 2 four-year terms. And I was then appointed by the City Council to the Torrance Planning Commission. All those positions have given me the introduction to local politics. Combining my business experience, community service experience, and my City Commission experience, I felt that I really do have right mix of experience and length of service, to serve our community as a City Councilmember. After living here in Torrance for 31 years, raising my family here, founding and growing my business here, I want to give back. Torrance has been a great City to live, and now I have the time, passion and experience to do that. Milton Herring: I come from a family whose members have been involved in local government for many years. Consequently, all of my adult life I have been interested in local politics and I have voted in almost every election. During my studies in college, I learned the importance of getting involved in local politics and have volunteered on a number of local campaigns. As a resident of Torrance for 24 years, I have watched our elected officials make important decisions affecting generations and have been concerned about the motivation for some of those decisions. Our City will only be as good as those leading our City. I believe it is essential for those serving the public to be people of integrity and high morals. As a commissioner, I consider it an honor to serve my City and I desire to serve in an even more responsive way as Councilman. Rahmat H. Khan: Answer not submitted by deadline. Leilani A. Kimmel-Dagostino: When I started my Financial Consulting business 10 years ago, I noticed the fraud that was being perpetrated on senior citizens in that they were being sold non-appropriate products for their age and income levels. I felt that there was a way to foster awareness in this area so I applied for a position on the Torrance Commission on Aging. While serving on the Commission I have been able to educate seniors through the “Seniors Don’t Be Scammed” seminars offered by the Torrance Police Department and also by bringing to light new scams and fraud activities. There is only so much that can be accomplished on a Commission level, however. Real change happens at the City Council level. With the big changeover in City Council leadership I thought this was my time to throw in my hat and continue the legacy of good governance and be a part of real change. Ryan H. Mand: Answer not submitted by deadline. Aurelio Mattucci: I grew up in a politically active household. Politics have been a common topic at the dinner table as far back as I can remember. As a child I always admired individuals that made things happen. My father is one of those people. Even though he is 76
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