HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2512-5763CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
Monday, March 02, 2026
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
2.Review Applications and Select Candidates to Interview for the Historic Resources Board
(HRB), Human Relations Commission (HRC), Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC),
Stormwater Management Oversight Committee (SWMOC), and Utilities Advisory
Commission (UAC) Vacancies; CEQA Status - Not a Project At-Places Memo added,
Presentation
City Council
Staff Report
From: City Clerk
Report Type: SPECIAL ORDERS OF THE DAY
Lead Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: March 2, 2026
Report #:2512-5763
TITLE
Review Applications and Select Candidates to Interview for the Historic Resources Board (HRB),
Human Relations Commission (HRC), Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC), Stormwater
Management Oversight Committee (SWMOC), and Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC)
Vacancies; CEQA Status - Not a Project
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the City Council review applications and select the following number of
candidates to interview for each commission:
1. All 3 candidates for HRB (or direct staff to extend recruitment);
2. Up to 6 candidates to interview for HRC;
3. Up to 6 candidates to interview for PTC; and
4. Up to 8 candidates to interview for UAC.
In addition, staff recommends extending the recruitment for SWMOC as no applications were
received. Council may decide to extend any of the recruitments at their discretion.
BACKGROUND
Vacancies
Per Council direction1, recruitment for Boards, Commissions, and Committees (BCCs) is split into
fall and spring cycles. HRB, PTC, and UAC are included in the spring cycle. HRC and SWMOC are
typically in the fall cycle, however, these BCCs have been included in the spring recruitment cycle
to fill one unscheduled partial vacancy in each commission. HRC and SWMOC will have
unscheduled vacancies starting on 4/1/2026. More details on openings, eligibility requirements,
and term lengths for each vacancy are included in the analysis section below.
1 May 13, 2024, City Council Action Minutes, Agenda Item #12:
Interview and Appointment Process
3. Per the approved process, Councilmembers will vote on whom to
interview, with each Councilmember allotted twice as many votes as openings. Candidates must
receive a threshold of two votes to be interviewed4. The candidates receiving the top number of
votes are interviewed. The number of candidates interviewed is based on the number of
vacancies as follows:
Interview all candidates if there are 6 or fewer applicants
Interview up to 6 candidates when there are 1-2 openings
Interview up to 8 candidates when there are 3 openings
Interview up to 10 candidates when there are 4 openings
5.
ANALYSIS
3 City Council, May 5, 2025; Agenda Item #11, SR# 2504-
4537https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/Weblink/DocView.aspx?id=83381
4 October 6, 2025, City Council Action Minutes; Agenda Item #2
https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=83755&dbid=0&repo=PaloAlto
5 Ordinance 5643 https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=48323
Historic Resources Board (HRB)
Vacancies and
Term Dates
Seat Numbers Number of
Applicants
Number of
Candidates to
Interview
Number of Votes
per Councilmember
3 Full Terms
4/1/26 – 3/31/29
1, 2, 3 3 3 N/A – Interview all
candidates or
direct staff to
extend recruitment
HRB Eligibility Requirements9:
Palo Alto residency is not required
All members shall have demonstrated interest in and knowledge of history, architecture
or historic preservation.
Two members shall be professionals in the disciplines of architecture, architectural
history, planning, landscape architecture, or related disciplines, or pre-historic and
historic archeology, folklore, cultural anthropology, curation, or conservation.
o This requirement is currently fulfilled by three members of the commission, two
of which do not have expiring terms. Therefore, this requirement will remain
fulfilled regardless of applicant selection in this recruitment.
At least one member shall possess academic education or practical experience in history
or a related field such as American studies, American civilization, or cultural geography.
o This requirement is currently fulfilled by three members of the commission, and
all three have expiring terms in this recruitment. At least one new appointment
must meet this requirement.
Human Relations Commission (HRC)
Vacancies and
Term Dates
Seat Number Number of
Applicants
Number of
Candidates to
Interview
Number of
Votes per
Councilmember
1 Partial Term
4/1/26 – 10/31/26
4 9 Up to 6 2
HRC Eligibility Requirements10:
Palo Alto residency is required
9 Palo Alto Municipal Code 2.27.010 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-
61517
10 Palo Alto Municipal Code 2.22.010 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-
61312
Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC)
Vacancies and
Term Dates
Seat Numbers Number of
Applicants
Number of
Candidates to
Interview
Number of
Votes per
Councilmember
2 Full Terms
4/1/26 – 3/31/30
1, 4 11 Up to 6 4
PTC Eligibility Requirements13:
Palo Alto residency is required
Stormwater Management Oversight Commission (SWMOC)
Vacancies and
Term Dates
Seat Number Number of
Applicants
Number of
Candidates to
Interview
Number of
Votes per
Councilmember
1 Partial Term
4/1/26 – 10/31/26
4 0 N/A N/A
Staff recommends extending the recruitment for Stormwater Management Oversight
Committee, as no applications have been received.
SWMOC Eligibility Requirements14:
Each Committee member shall be a resident of Palo Alto, an employee of a business
located in Palo Alto or an owner of real property within the City.
13 Palo Alto Municipal Code 2.20.010 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-
61274
14 Resolution 9969 https://recordsportal.paloalto.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=61425&dbid=0&repo=PaloAlto
Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC)
Vacancies and
Term Dates
Seat Numbers Number of
Applicants
Number of
Candidates to
Interview
Number of
Votes per
Councilmember
3 Full Terms
4/1/26 – 3/31/29
3, 5, 6 10 Up to 8 6
UAC Eligibility Requirements17:
Each member shall be a utility customer or the authorized representative of a utility
customer.
6 members of the commission shall at all times be residents of the City.
o The 4 commission members whose terms are not expiring in this recruitment are
currently residents. Therefore, at least two Palo Alto residents must be appointed
in this recruitment to maintain this requirement.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
None.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT
City staff publicized the recruitment through the following methods:
Electronic distribution via the City’s Uplift Local community newsletter, City Clerk’s Office
newsletter, City’s website, and City’s social media channels;
Physical posting and distribution of flyers to 10 city locations including City Hall posting
boards and public meetings, libraries, and community centers;
Print and online ads in the Palo Alto Daily Post, as well as print ads in the Palo Alto Weekly;
Paid LinkedIn Advertisement; and
Outreach to previous applicants, community-based organizations, and businesses related
to the commissions’ purview.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
Council action on this item is not a project as defined by CEQA because it is an organizational or
administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the
environment. CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5).
17 Palo Alto Municipal Code 2.23.010 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/paloalto/latest/paloalto_ca/0-0-0-
61350
ATTACHMENTS
APPROVED BY:
Historic Resources Board Application
Submitted on 23 January 2026, 10:26am
Receipt number 17
Related form version 20
Name Alisa Eagleston-Cieslewicz
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94301
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Historic Resources
Board?
Other: Former Council Member
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Art Conservator
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
I have served as a member of Palo Alto’s HRB since January 2022 when I
filled a partial term. I have since served a full term, including two years as
chair.
I also have relevant professional experience from my career in art
conservation, where I work with the preservation of art and historical objects.
I am a Professional Member of the American Institute for Conservation and
my work includes documentation of art and historic works, understanding of
object life-cycles, and balancing trade-offs between object use and
preservation. I also have experience as a consultant on architectural projects,
where I have worked on items including original woodwork, built-in
furniture, and stonework. I have previously held positions at The Fine Arts
Museums of San Francisco and SFO Museum. I am currently an art
conservator in private practice in Palo Alto at Mayfield Art Conservation and
Consulting LLC.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
In addition to my previous service on the HRB (2022-present, with 2 years
as chair), I am a member of the board of the Bay Area Art Conservation Guild
and the board of a local independent school. I also write a regular regional
news column for the Western Association for Art Conservation newsletter.
Please select all that apply to you.I have demonstrated interest in and knowledge of history, architecture or
historic preservation
I am a professional in the discipline of architecture, architectural history,
planning, landscape architecture, or related disciplines, or pre-historic and
historic archeology, folklore, cultural anthropology, curation or conservation
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Historic Resources Board
and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in continuing to serve on the HRB because I think that the
HRB does important work in the community. Palo Alto has excellent historic
architectural resources and input from the HRB provides a valuable tool for
the preservation of Palo Alto’s heritage. I very much value the community
engagement aspect of the HRB, which serves to not only raise awareness of
historic preservation in the city, but also to connect with community
members who may have questions about how the principles of historic
preservation apply to their own properties. As a professional art conservator,
I understand and value historic preservation, and I am enthusiastic about
sharing this with the community.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Board that is
of particular interest to you and describe why you are interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
Recently the HRB has been working to establish a preservation awards
program. This has been an interesting process because it has required
discussion of what types of projects we would like to highlight to the
community as outstanding examples, how we structure the program to be
achievable for the HRB and staff, and how we avoid duplication or
redundancy with community groups that also give awards in this space. It
has been interesting to visit award candidate properties in person because
this allows me to see different approaches to projects such as renovations
and additions and it is always enjoyable to see historic properties in the city
that I was not familiar with previously. Historic preservation relies on
community engagement and support and I am excited to be developing an
HRB awards program as a way to connect with Palo Alto residents and
businesses.
Application Questions
2 of 3
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Historic
Resources Board achieve, and how would you help in the process?
I am very enthusiastic about the HRB awards program that is under
development and that I discussed in Question 2. I am currently supporting
this initiative by reviewing and visiting individual projects and properties.
I also think that the routine project reviews that the HRB does for historic
properties is important ongoing work. These reviews give property owners
important information and guidance about their proposed projects and help
maintain the character of historic properties, while also giving owners the
opportunity to make historic properties functional for modern needs. I look
forward to participating in this process and facilitating partnerships between
the City and property owners.
Finally, it would be wonderful to work with City Council to develop a pilot
program giving property owners access to the Mills Act. The Mills Act is an
important tool for encouraging historic preservation in California and it
would be wonderful to make it available in Palo Alto.
4. Historic Resources Board Members work with the documents listed
below. If you have experience with any of these documents, please
describe that experience. Experience with these documents is not
required for selection.
Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan Land Use Element (2017)
Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 16.49
Secretary of the Interiors Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (2017)
California Environmental Quality Act
The Professorville Historic District Design Guidelines (2016)
Other documents listed on this website as well.
I am a familiar with all of these documents through my previous work as a
member of the Historic Resources Board. I am particularly familiar with the
Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties
because these standards are often invoked for historic house museums. As
an owner and resident of a Category 2 historic home in Professorville, I am
also particularly familiar with the Professorville Historic District Design
Guidelines.
5. Please identify a project or projects that you find to be examples of
good historic architecture, and explain why. You may attach samples,
identify project addresses, or provide links.
One of the wonderful things about Palo Alto is the historic architecture that
is present throughout the city. It is hard to discuss architecture in Palo Alto
without mentioning the work of architect Birge Clark and developer Joseph
Eichler. The Norris House at 1247 Cowper St. is an outstanding example of
Birge Clark’s work in the Spanish Colonial Revival style. The ironwork and
light on the entrance gate are particularly striking and the PAST award that
the home won in 2004 is a testament to its thoughtful preservation. Its
history as the Newman Center also speaks to the often fascinating use
histories of significant buildings. The designation of the Greenmeadow
Eichler neighborhood on the National Register of Historic Places is a
wonderful acknowledgment of the contributions of mid-century architecture
to Palo Alto’s landscape. I also think that the Theophilus Allen House at 601
Melville Ave. is an outstanding example of Craftsman architecture in Palo
Alto.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Alisa Eagleston-Cieslewicz
Link to signature
Date Completed 01/23/2026
3 of 3
Historic Resources Board Application
Submitted on 17 February 2026, 7:51pm
Receipt number 19
Related form version 20
Name Nandini Ramamurthi
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City palo alto
Postal Code 94303
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
Yes
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Historic Resources
Board?
City Website
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Senior Designer, Arcanum Architecture
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
I have over twenty years of professional experience in architecture, focused
primarily on residential design, including custom single-family homes,
additions, remodels, and small multifamily projects. Since 2021, I have
practiced at Arcanum Architecture, managing projects through design,
permitting, and construction. Previously, I worked at several firms in Palo
Alto and the Bay Area, where I led residential projects and coordinated
closely with consultants, contractors, and local agencies. I also served as
Planning Staff for the City of Palo Alto, reviewing development applications
for zoning compliance and advising applicants on municipal codes and
procedures. This combination of private practice and public service has given
me a strong understanding of Palo Alto’s regulatory framework, residential
design standards, and neighborhood context. I hold a Master of Architecture
from University of Southern California.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Although I have not held formal positions in preservation-focused
organizations, I have been consistently engaged in the Palo Alto community
through both my professional work and prior public service. As an architect
practicing locally for many years, and as a former Planning Staff member for
the City of Palo Alto, I have participated in public hearings, Architectural
Review Board meetings, and neighborhood discussions concerning
residential development, zoning compliance, and neighborhood character.
My work frequently involves projects within established neighborhoods,
where sensitivity to scale, context, and architectural heritage is essential.
These experiences have deepened my appreciation for Palo Alto’s history
and the importance of preserving its urban fabric while allowing thoughtful
and well-considered change. I am motivated to contribute more directly to
the community through service on the Historic Resources Board.
Please select all that apply to you.I am a professional in the discipline of architecture, architectural history,
planning, landscape architecture, or related disciplines, or pre-historic and
historic archeology, folklore, cultural anthropology, curation or conservation
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Historic Resources Board
and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in serving on the Historic Resources Board because I care
deeply about Palo Alto’s architectural heritage and the role thoughtful
preservation plays in shaping the city’s identity. Having practiced
architecture in Palo Alto for many years, and having previously served as
Planning Staff for the City, I bring a unique vantage point: I understand both
the creative aspirations of designers and homeowners and the regulatory
constraints that guide development.
While I value maintaining and protecting the city’s historic fabric, I am also
interested in how the decisions we make today will become the history of
the future. This period of growth and change will ultimately define another
chapter of Palo Alto’s story. I believe the HRB has an important role in
establishing clear, thoughtful guidelines that not only preserve significant
resources but also ensure that new interventions contribute meaningfully to
the city’s evolving architectural narrative.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Board that is
of particular interest to you and describe why you are interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
I am interested in the HRB's role in reviewing and updating Palo Alto’s
historic inventory. A few cases that stood out to me are 1680 Bryant Street,
411 and 431 - 433 Kipling Street.
Most interestingly, I thought 261 Hamilton Avenue was a fantastic example
of a building worth preserving and an applicant pushing for stronger historic
Application Questions
2 of 3
protection which is not usually the case. It has turned out to be a fantastic
project!
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Historic
Resources Board achieve, and how would you help in the process?
I would like to see the HRB continue to advance its thoughtful stewardship
of the Professorville Historic District. Professorville represents an important
chapter in the city's early residential development, and its character
contributes significantly to the it’s identity.
At the same time, properties within the district face evolving needs. I believe
the Board can play a constructive role in clarifying guidelines that allow
sensitive, well-designed development while maintaining the district’s
defining features of scale, massing, materials, and streetscape rhythm.
I would contribute by bringing my experience designing residential projects
within Palo Alto’s regulatory framework, understanding both the constraints
property owners face and the importance of preserving neighborhood
character. My goal would be to help facilitate solutions that respect historic
context while acknowledging that careful change, when thoughtfully guided,
can strengthen the long-term vitality of the district.
4. Historic Resources Board Members work with the documents listed
below. If you have experience with any of these documents, please
describe that experience. Experience with these documents is not
required for selection.
Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan Land Use Element (2017)
Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 16.49
Secretary of the Interiors Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (2017)
California Environmental Quality Act
The Professorville Historic District Design Guidelines (2016)
Other documents listed on this website as well.
I am very well versed in Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 16.49 and The
Professorville Historic District Design Guidelines (2016).
My experience in the Planning Department has exposed me to several of
these documents.
5. Please identify a project or projects that you find to be examples of
good historic architecture, and explain why. You may attach samples,
identify project addresses, or provide links.
Ramona Street is one of the most charming and architecturally cohesive
blocks in the City. The courtyard typology makes Ramona Street naturally
suited to restaurants and street life.
The Lucie Stern Community Center, designed by Birge Clark, exemplifies
Palo Alto's civic identity through its Spanish Colonial Revival architecture.
Unlike many civic buildings that outlive their original purpose, I love how
Lucie Stern was designed for community life in all its variety and it shows in
how naturally it still functions today.
The Eichler neighbohoods also represent a very unique and significant
architectural chapter.
And finally the Palo Alto Post Office! It will be interesting to see what the
future holds for this building!
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: nandini ramamurthi
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/17/2026
3 of 3
Historic Resources Board Application
Submitted on 13 February 2026, 1:06am
Receipt number 18
Related form version 20
Name Ronald Katz
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94301
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Historic Resources
Board?
Palo Alto Weekly
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Author
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
B.A. NYU (history major)
M.A. Oxford University (Politics, Philosophy & Economics)
J.D. Harvard Law School
Retired Member of the California Bar
Author, Sport, Ethics and Leadership (Routledge, 2017, with 2d edition in
process)
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Board member, Association of American Rhodes Scholars, 2018-2026
Board Vice-Chair, Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice, 2023-
present
Please select all that apply to you.I possess academic education or practical experience in history or a related
field such as American studies, American civilization, or cultural geography
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Historic Resources Board
and what experience would you bring to the position?
I would like to serve my community in an area in which historical knowledge
is important
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Board that is
of particular interest to you and describe why you are interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
I’m interested in the process of categorizing homes as historically significant.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Historic
Resources Board achieve, and how would you help in the process?
Preserving what is historically significant without stifling progress or unfairly
penalizing owners of historic properties.
4. Historic Resources Board Members work with the documents listed
below. If you have experience with any of these documents, please
describe that experience. Experience with these documents is not
required for selection.
Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan Land Use Element (2017)
Palo Alto Municipal Code Chapter 16.49
Secretary of the Interiors Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties (2017)
California Environmental Quality Act
The Professorville Historic District Design Guidelines (2016)
Other documents listed on this website as well.
I have no experience with these documents, but I believe that I could come
up to speed on them in relatively short order.
5. Please identify a project or projects that you find to be examples of
good historic architecture, and explain why. You may attach samples,
identify project addresses, or provide links.
Many homes in old Palo Alto are good examples of historic architecture, in
part because they were designed by distinguished architects like Pedro de
Lemos.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature
Application Questions
2 of 3
Name of signatory: Ronald S. Katz
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/13/2026
3 of 3
Human Relations Commission Application
Submitted on 7 February 2026, 10:01pm
Receipt number 71
Related form version 16
Name Anne-Marie Duliege
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94303
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Human Relations
Commission?
Email from the City
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Physician. Board Member. Chief Medical Officer in a Biotechnology Company
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Education includes an MD (Paris Medical School), MS in Epidemiology
(Harvard School of Public Health), and MS in Biostatistics (Paris Medical
School). I hold medical licenses in California and France, am board-certified
in pediatrics (France), and completed a pediatrics residency at UCSF. I am an
Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor at Stanford/Lucile Packard Children’s
Hospital.
I bring 30+ years of executive and board leadership in biopharma and
nonprofit health organizations. As Board Director, California Institute for
Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), I serve on the Application Review, Finance,
IP/Industry, and Governance committees and help guide $5.5B in public
funding, evaluating and awarding grants to research institutions and
companies advancing stem cell therapies. As Deputy Director, Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation, I managed investment portfolios across drugs, vaccines,
and diagnostics. Additional roles include Chief Medical Officer, Board Chair,
FE Pharmaceuticals.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I have a long record of service on nonprofit, advocacy, and professional
boards. I have served as a Board Member of the California Institute for
Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) since 2012, including committee service on
Application Review, Finance, IP/Industry, and Governance, helping guide
public research funding for the benefit of Californians. I have been a Board
Member (and Chairperson, 2015–2019) of Global Strategies for HIV
Prevention since 2010. I served on the Board of the AIDS Vaccine Advocacy
Coalition (AVAC) from 2005–2023 and continue as a strategic advisor
(2024–present). I am a member of Women In Bio (EWIB), How Women Lead
(Board Readiness Workshop, 2022), Stanford Women on Boards, and
Women Corporate Directors.
In addition, I volunteer with the Ravenswood Classroom Partners/Costano
elementary school in East Palo Alto, helping young children overcome
challenges with their reading skills.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Human Relations
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in serving on the Human Relations Commission because I
value inclusive communities where all residents feel respected, heard, and
supported. As a long-time Palo Alto resident and nonprofit board member, I
am motivated to contribute my experience in public service, community
engagement, and equitable decision-making to help strengthen dialogue
and understanding across diverse groups.
I bring more than 30 years of leadership in nonprofit, academic, and public-
benefit organizations, including service on the California Institute for
Regenerative Medicine, where I help oversee the allocation of public grant
funding. This work requires fairness, transparency, and sensitivity to
community impact. I also have extensive experience working with patient
advocacy groups,, and have served on committees focused on governance,
ethics, and inclusion. I would contribute collaborative leadership, thoughtful
listening, and a strong commitment to equity and community well-being.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
I am particularly interested in the Commission’s work addressing
discrimination, bias incidents, and community dialogue initiatives that
promote belonging and mutual respect. Efforts to support vulnerable
populations, encourage reporting of hate or bias-related incidents, and foster
constructive conversations across cultures are especially important in a
Application Questions
2 of 3
diverse city like Palo Alto.
My interest stems from a career spent working with diverse communities,
patient advocacy groups, and global partners where trust, inclusion, and
respectful engagement were essential to success. I have seen firsthand how
proactive education, outreach, and fair processes can strengthen
communities and improve outcomes. Supporting initiatives that promote
equity, understanding, and access to opportunities aligns closely with my
values and with my experience serving organizations focused on public
benefit and inclusive decision-making.
3. If you are appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the
Human Relations Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
If appointed, I would like to see the Human Relations Commission continue
strengthening trust, inclusion, and respectful dialogue across Palo Alto’s
diverse communities. Specific goals that resonate with me include expanding
community outreach and education on bias prevention, supporting initiatives
that give voice to underrepresented groups, and ensuring that
recommendations to City Council are grounded in fairness, transparency, and
measurable impact.
I would contribute by bringing experience in collaborative leadership,
consensus-building, and evaluation of programs and funding priorities.
Through my work on boards and grant review committees, I am accustomed
to listening to diverse perspectives, assessing needs, and helping guide
thoughtful, equitable decisions. I would work to support data-informed
initiatives, encourage partnerships with local organizations, and help the
Commission translate community input into practical, inclusive actions that
strengthen civic engagement.
4. Human Relations Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
Human Services Needs Assessment (2024)
Muni Code 9.72 – Mandatory Response Program
Community Services Element of the Comprehensive Plan (2017)
If appointed, I would like to see the Human Relations Commission continue
strengthening trust, inclusion, and respectful dialogue across Palo Alto’s
diverse communities. Specific goals that resonate with me include expanding
community outreach and education on bias prevention, supporting initiatives
that give voice to underrepresented groups, and ensuring that
recommendations to City Council are grounded in fairness, transparency, and
measurable impact.
I would contribute by bringing experience in collaborative leadership,
consensus-building, and evaluation of programs and funding priorities.
Through my work on boards and grant review committees, I am accustomed
to listening to diverse perspectives, assessing needs, and helping guide
thoughtful, equitable decisions. I would work to support data-informed
initiatives, encourage partnerships with local organizations, and help the
Commission translate community input into practical, inclusive actions that
strengthen civic engagement.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Anne-Marie Duliege
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/07/2026
3 of 3
Human Relations Commission Application
Submitted on 27 January 2026, 3:43pm
Receipt number 75
Related form version 16
Name Cynthia Wood
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Human Relations
Commission?
Email from the City
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Principal Data Scientist
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Rice University, Houston, TX
Ph.D., Computational & Applied Mathematics, November 2015
M.A., Computational & Applied Mathematics, August 2013
University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
B.S., Applied Mathematics, June 2010
Principal Data Scientist | Genentech, South San Francisco, CA | June 2022-
Present
Head of Data Science | Source Agent by SAP, Palo Alto, CA | May 2021-May
2022
Senior Data Scientist/Recommendations Team Lead | SAP Ariba, Palo
Alto,CA | January 2017-May 2021
Data Scientist | Coinalytics/Skry (Acquired by Bloq), Palo Alto, CA |
November 2015-December 2016
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Palo Alto Chamber of Commerce Senior Fellow | Palo Alto Chamber of
Commerce & Visitor Center,
Palo Alto, CA| August 2024-May 2025
- Actively engage as a leader to impact Palo Alto and the broader Silicon
Valley.
- Develop connections with community, government and business leaders.
Palo Alto Community Child Care Board of Directors| PACCC, Palo Alto, CA |
August 2022-Present
- Advocate for accessible childcare at the local, county and state levels.
- Board Development Committee Chair for the 2023- 2024 fiscal year . Led
Bylaws revision and Board approval.In addition, supported off-cycle and
regular recruiting process.
- Incoming Chair for 2025-2026 FY;
- Serve as Secretary and leader of the Audit Committee, providing financial
oversight for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Human Relations
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I have a deep interest on making an impact in my community. I envision Palo
Alto to continue fostering a culture of inclusivity and belonging. I believe this
is best achieved through listening to people needs.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
Youth Mental Health & Suicide Prevention. In 2015, I started working in Palo
Alto and commuting via Caltrain. Soon after, I noticed that sometimes my
commute was affected by Caltrain trespassers. What was shocking to me
was to learn they were high school students. While initially upset for the
delay in my commute, I found very sad to learn the much bigger issue that
caused it. As a parent who permanently move to Palo Alto in 2017, the
initial move seem scary. I care about supporting youth mental health for my
children, their friends and those I may not know that are part of this
community. I believe the city is partnering with the Jed Foundation and the
community already and would like to see this type of outcome driven
partnerships continue.
3. If you are appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the
Human Relations Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
The goal of promoting fair treatment of all residents especially those related
to vulnerable populations as well as safety in the community. To help in the
process I would start by informing myself on discussion topics, listen really
well to the community needs regarding the aforementioned topics to
understand the needs rather than my assumptions, and consider possible
solutions to provided well-rounded advice
Application Questions
2 of 3
4. Human Relations Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
Human Services Needs Assessment (2024)
Muni Code 9.72 – Mandatory Response Program
Community Services Element of the Comprehensive Plan (2017)
At the moment, I am not. However, I will start studying these documents
now.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Cynthia Wood
Uploaded signature image: Cynthia_Wood_Signature.png
Date Completed 01/26/2026
3 of 3
Human Relations Commission Application
Submitted on 18 February 2026, 12:21pm
Receipt number 79
Related form version 16
Name Deborah Goldeen
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Human Relations
Commission?
Email from the City
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 2
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Retired
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
See attached pdf
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
See attached pdf
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Human Relations
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
See attached pdf
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
Food insecurity - because I know of a program, which, if implemented, could
be a game changer for food closets.
3. If you are appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the
Human Relations Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
See attached pdf
4. Human Relations Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
Human Services Needs Assessment (2024)
Muni Code 9.72 – Mandatory Response Program
Community Services Element of the Comprehensive Plan (2017)
I've been working my way through these documents. They are fascinating.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Application for appointment to the partial term.pdf
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Deborah Goldeen
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/18/2026
Application Questions
2 of 2
Application for appointment to the partial term/vacancy on the Human Relations
Committee.
February 18th, 2026
The Human Relations Commission, at its best, serves at the conscience of Palo Alto. I
am that conscience.
The best candidates for council, committee and commissions can dexterously navigate
and negotiate policy. They are skilled at building consensus and measured diplomacy.
They also “bring strategic thinking to civic engagement “and “embrace diverse
perspectives while remaining practical and forward thinking.”
There is good reason for this. Governing boards need a majority of this particular
profile to function. The downside of the dominance of the “policy mind” is the
collective thinking process becomes so convoluted and internally referenced that the
most decisions end up being either performative or cowardly, which explains why Palo
Alto has a Human Relations Commission in the first place.
If Palo Alto was really concerned with “just and fair treatment” and “enhancing
inclusion,” it would have allowed this city to grow by a thousand residents a year for
the past forty years (to a population between 100 and 120K). But this is incompatible
with the blueprint for Palo Alto, which is that of a high end, speculative, real estate
venture. (It was one of Leland Stanford’s many businesses.) The speculators were/are
selling a fantasy, a life without discomfort and everything is pleasant. This fantasy
provides the illusion of individual wellbeing at the expense of a robust, healthy
community.
Instead of owning up to this discrepancy and taking decisive, but unpopular, action, the
council created the HRC. Most Palo Alto residents don’t know it exists, except in its
capacity as a launching pad for city council careers. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
The HRC could take practical, discrete actions like negotiating with the corporate
property owners to allow RV dwellers to park in some of the expansive, unused, private
parking lots. Or they could use the leverage of this commission to lobby for county
legislation that would result in redirecting 50,000 pounds of good quality, perishable
foods out of the landfill/compost and into local food bank distribution.
I do not know, should I be appointed to the HRC, whether I would be able to be
instrumental in initiating this type of action, but that is where my focus would be.
When it comes to lived experience and depth and breadth of knowledge and
understanding, I expect no applicant for the HRC can or has ever come close to the
shear volume of both that I have that is relevant to the work of the HRC.
Except for the five or six years when my children were littles, I have never given less
than forty hours a year of community service of one kind or another, often a lot more.
That experience runs the gamut from food rescue, to producing block parties, to art
center community activities, to clothing drives, to removing invasive plants from
Foothills Nature Preserve, to producing holiday decorations on Cal Ave . . . You name
it, I’ve done it.
Also, as a child, so poor we dumpster dived for food, in Palo Alto, where I grew up, I
was that “vulnerable community” that the HRC professes to have so much concern for.
That alone should qualify me for a position on the HRC.
Besides my conviction that the city needs a conscience, my other motivation for
applying to be on the HRC is the worrisome fact that committees and commissions of
this type are uniquely vulnerable to the chicanery of ideologues. Unable to gain political
power directly, they look for a backdoor like the HRC.
This phenomenon is not immediately in play in Palo Alto. But it is in full swing in the
County of Santa Clara governance, as evidenced by the month of February art
installation that is in the breezeway of the county governance center. The installation is
a commemoration of the “Children of Palestine who were killed”/” They deserve to
play.” Instead of using a kite or toys or dolls as commemoration, the chose to use the
Kalanit (a red anemone), which is the Israeli national flower, a flower chosen by the
Israeli people as a commemorative – used in thousands of exhibits worldwide – of the
1,200 killed in the Oct 7th Hamas attack. (We have Palo Alto’s own Samina Sundas to
thank for this.)
I’d like to say there are adequate protections in place already on the HRC and city
council, but even here there has been a serious oversight. I feel that going public with
this information, at this point, would cause unnecessary drama. But if anyone
reviewing this application wants to call me and talk with me, confidentially, about it, I
would share it.
As for the assertions that I am Islamaphobic, I do not have a beef with Vigil4Gaza. My
issue is the refusal of the city and of Town and Country management to enforce code
and private property rights violations. If the city enforced established boundaries, the
protests would continue, but they would do so in cooperation with the law. Because I
have been vocal about this, it means appointing me to the HRC is “not good optics.”
Optics, in my mind, are overrated. This is, of course, one of the reasons I am an
advocate not a politician.
Not only am I not Islamaphobic, but I am also anti-Islamaphobia. That is why I have a
hijab. My Muslim friend Lubna gave it to me when Trump was elected in 2016. I keep it
on hand in case I need to stand shoulder to shoulder with my Muslim friends should
their civil rights come under assault locally.
If you are not going to appoint me to the HRC, at the very least stop appointing people
to the HRC who should really be running for council and make sure your appointees
aren’t idealogues.
Thank you for considering – Deb
Human Relations Commission Application
Submitted on 17 February 2026, 3:33pm
Receipt number 78
Related form version 16
Name Ellen Bob
Cell Phone Number 6508678048
Home Phone Number
Email Address esbob@aol.com
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address 3296 Emerson Street
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Human Relations
Commission?
Palo Alto Weekly
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the
attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and
understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may
revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo
Alto City Clerk.
Occupation Retired
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
I have lived in the area most of my life. I am a graduate of Los Altos High,
where I demonstrated my interest in everyone getting along in student
government leadership and Model UN. I was the editor of the Palo Alto Co-
op News which focused on consumer rights, green belt preservation, and
healthy food habits. I owned a small business called bob and bob in Palo
Alto for 25 years and then managed a small community non-profit as
Executive Director, Congregation Etz Chayim for 15. During that time, I
worked to lease part of our space to Spark Church, creating a unique model
in Palo Alto for interfaith cooperation. I hold a 40-hour certificate in
Mediation. I also hold certificates in suicide prevention, mental health first
aid, and gun violence prevention.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I was a part of the Palo Alto Mediation Program in 2010-11.
I served on the committee in 2020 to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the
City of Palo Alto, organizing different faith communities and student musical
groups to participate.
I hosted and supported legal training for Palo Alto houses of worship about
their rights and responsibilities when interfacing with immigration
enforcement in 2025.
For the last 5 years or so, I supported St. Andrews Church in hosting a food
giveaway which served approximately 400 households weekly.
When my 3 children were students at Gunn High School, 1998-2009, I was
active in the Choir and Theater Boosters..
I was a Theaterworks volunteer usher 2009-11.
I served on the Board and as President of the Mid-Peninsula Jewish
Community Day School (now Hausner) 1991-2001. I worked with neighbors
of the site when we built our building on Arastradero Road to be sure their
concerns were met. I served on the Board of Kehillah Jewish High School
2005-2008.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Human Relations
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
Among the things that attracted me to move to Palo Alto in 1990 was the
diversity of the community. Our new block included people with deep roots
in Palo Alto who remembered the Duvenecks when they were teen-agers,
as well as immigrants from Germany, Israel, Mexico, and China. I have seen,
however, how some Palo Altans have struggled over the years with the
changing demographics of our community, including the growth of unhoused
neighbors. Whenever I've been invited to participate in a talent show, I
wonder how I could bring my strong skills in getting a group of people to
consensus, to help people understand that what we have in common far
exceeds what keeps us apart, and to encourage us to remember that each
human being is of infinite worth and deserves respect because of that. While
I typically end up telling jokes or singing a song for the show, I believe my
commitment to respectful dialog and open communication would serve our
community well as we confront our challenges.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
I am motivated to apply for the HRC now because I am impressed by the
recently adopted workplan for the coming year. I think it accurately reflects
the challenges our community faces right now. Paying attentions to housing
equity and renters' protections makes sure that Palo Alto continues to be a
community that is accessible to as broad a demographic as possible and is
consciously paying attention to some of the less wealthy members of the
Application Questions
2 of 3
community. Youth mental health is clearly something that cannot be
emphasized enough. My daughters were at Gunn during a suicide cluster
and it was terrifying to all parents. I live near a RR crossing. How we use AI
in our community to make us safer without threatening our civil rights needs
serious attention and we are in a unique place to be on the vanguard of that.
Finally, community safety is the heart of all of this. We need to pay attention
to every resident, regardless of background, to be sure they are not afraid to
walk our streets.
3. If you are appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the
Human Relations Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
My goals are both global and narrow. I want Palo Alto to be a place where
everyone is safe and feels respected. This is can be achieved through a
number of avenues which include active listening to a variety of residents,
strategic thinking, and tactical implementation. An example of programming
like this is the meeting between police top brass and faith leaders last year.
No formal resolutions came out of that meeting, but I saw the Police
Department become more proactive in responding to antisemitic activities
and I knew whom to call when I was something of concern. I would like to
see more meetings like this between communities or entities who are in
tension with each other so that we become aware of each other as
individuals, not threats, and can figure out how we can support each other to
make this a safer community. As a mediator and community worker I have
developed skills to listen to what is really important to people so we can
build on our shared interests.
4. Human Relations Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
Human Services Needs Assessment (2024)
Muni Code 9.72 – Mandatory Response Program
Community Services Element of the Comprehensive Plan (2017)
I think I responded to the survey about the Human Services Needs
assessment, but I am not really sure if it was that survey or another one on a
similar topic.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Ellen Bob
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/17/2026
3 of 3
Human Relations Commission Application
Submitted on 25 January 2026, 11:26pm
Receipt number 73
Related form version 16
Name Haylea Hannah
Cell Phone Number 9193321074
Home Phone Number
Email Address drhayleahannah@gmail.com
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address 116 Colorado Ave
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94301
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Human Relations
Commission?
City Website
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the
attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and
understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may
revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo
Alto City Clerk.
Occupation Senior Epidemiologist
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
PhD-trained epidemiologist working for California Mental Health Services
Authority where I support County Behavioral Health Departments in delivery
of specialty behavioral health services to people who are uninsured or
enrolled in Medi-Cal. I previously worked for Marin County Health & Human
Services where I led wastewater and substance use surveillance,
community-wide surveys, and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic,
including producing weekly maps to guide equitable vaccine distribution.
I have a passion for integrating perspectives of people impacted by policies
and programs in their design, implementation, and evaluation. My
dissertation project, funded by a grant from the National Institute of Justice,
evaluated the impact of jail-based opioid use disorder treatment policies in
California. I interviewed people who were formerly incarcerated and living
with a substance use disorder and evaluated how offering opioid agonists in
jail influenced county-wide death and arrest rates.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
In Marin County, I supported many community-based organizations serving
underserved communities. I provided technical support to OD Free Marin, a
community collaborative working to prevent overdoses. I facilitated
community conversations about strategies at OD Free Marin's annual events.
I collaborated with SUD treatment and harm reduction providers to conduct
interviews with people who use drugs to integrate their preferences into
overdose prevention and treatment programs. I also volunteer for Seeds of
Hope (2022 to date), a community-led event providing services to people
experiencing homelessness. I served as Event Co-Chair of UNC-Chapel Hill
Relay for Life (2011-12), a Vice position to Executive Director. I supervised
the work of 3 sub-committee chairs and liaised directly with the American
Cancer Society to meet targets. I also was Co-Chair of the Entertainment
Committee (2010-11), which was responsible for securing entertainment for
annual and routine fundraising events.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Human Relations
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I’m passionate about addressing structural forces that drive how people
experience the world. I’m excited for the opportunity to influence equity in
my community. I have spent my career providing data to drive equitable
delivery of services. During COVID-19, I provided equity-based prioritization
maps to community-based organizations for vaccine delivery. I have a wealth
of personal and professional experience supporting people living with
mental health and substance use disorders, and returning to the community
from incarceration, including studying how these conditions affect
marginalized groups (e.g., people experiencing homelessness or living with
disabilities, BIPOC, immigrants). I hope to bring these experiences to the
HRC by uplifting the voices of these groups, offering expertise in translating
scientific evidence to drive evidence-based decision making, and ensuring
the committee has optimal infrastructure to engage all community members.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
Increasing responsiveness to mental health crises is of particular interest to
me. I have family members who have benefited from emergency mental
health aid during crises. At work, I advocate for and study the most effective
prevention and treatment resources for people living with behavioral health
conditions with Medi-Cal or who are uninsured. I’ve seen firsthand how
mental health and substance use are intertwined – open community
conversations support those who are struggling. Family and friends need the
Application Questions
2 of 3
right tools to facilitate their loved ones’ getting the help they need to change
the trajectory of their lives. Suicide has resulted in the loss of too many Palo
Alto residents, and HRC has a unique role to empower residents to save
each other.
I also appreciated the discussion of HRCs role in housing equity. Housing is a
human right--research shows that addressing homelessness impacts so
many things affecting our community, including public health, suicide and
substance use.
3. If you are appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the
Human Relations Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
Palo Alto has one of the lowest overdose rates in Santa Clara, and one of
the highest non-fatal overdose rates. This suggests that we have resources
to respond to overdoses when they occur, yet there is a gap in safe
substance use. Some of this gap might be driven by Palo Alto’s high suicide
rate, and substance use that is related to underlying mental health
conditions. The HRC can facilitate conversations to reduce stigma for mental
health and substance use disorders and treatment, and advocate for
culturally competent programs in underserved communities with higher risk.
I have experience integrating voices of affected communities in local policy
development, and interviewing people who use drugs, are unhoused, or
those who were incarcerated. The HRC has a unique position to facilitate
conversations with underserved and overlooked communities. These
structured conversations can result in targeted recommendations to the
Board of Supervisors to uplift community ideas and concerns.
4. Human Relations Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
Human Services Needs Assessment (2024)
Muni Code 9.72 – Mandatory Response Program
Community Services Element of the Comprehensive Plan (2017)
I supported Marin County’s Community Needs Assessment, including
obtaining data and producing visuals for public-facing reports to meet Public
Health Accreditation requirements. As a Palo Alto resident, I participated in
the HSNA last year at Safeway! I participated in several rounds of Strategic
Planning in Marin County, so have experience with gathering information to
support data-driven comprehensive community planning. As former
colleagues, I’m also well positioned to support close partnerships with Santa
Clara’s Public Health Department to advance HRCs goals. I have been a
renter for over 16 years in many rental markets (CA, WA, GA, NC), and have
been in positions where I was in unsuitable rental conditions that involved
me personally resolving conflicts with the landlord. As a current renter in
Palo Alto, I am well positioned to recognize power imbalances between
renters and landlords, and advocate for equitable policies to support rights
of all Palo Alto residents.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Haylea_Hannah_CV_2025.pdf
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Haylea Hannah
Link to signature
Date Completed 01/25/2026
3 of 3
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Haylea Hannah, PhD, MSPH
116 Colorado Ave Phone: (919) 332-1074
Palo Alto, CA 94301 E-mail: haylea.hannah@calmhsa.org
OVERVIEW
PhD-trained Epidemiologist with extensive experience in public health research, epidemiology, and program
evaluation, specializing in substance use, policy analysis , and behavioral health epidemiology. My work spans
government agencies, academia, and research institutions, where I have led innovative projects, secured federal,
state, and local grant funding, and conducted complex epidemiologic analyses. With a strong background in
teaching, mentorship, and applied research, I have contributed to public health advancements through
interdisciplinary collaborations and data-driven policy and practice recommendations.
Key Skills: Epidemiology; policy analysis; mixed methods; quasi-experimental research designs; Academic-
Public partnerships
EDUCATION
School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA Aug 2022
Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology (Cumulative GPA: 3.93)
Dissertation: Enhancing public health and public safety: informing policies to increase access to medications for opioid
use disorder treatment in the criminal legal system
Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA May 2015
Master of Science in Public Health in Epidemiology (Cumulative GPA: 3.94)
Thesis: Socio-demographic and clinical risk factors associated with TB mortality in the United States, 2009 -2013
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC May 2013
Bachelor of Science in Biology, Minor in Chemistry (Cumulative GPA: 3.20)
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
California Mental Health Services Authority, Sacramento, CA Jan 2024-Present
Senior Epidemiologist
• Lead analyses of data from a semi-statewide electronic health record for delivering public behavioral health
services using SQL and R
• Conduct studies and evaluations to assess how changes in behavioral health policies and initiatives will impact
county behavioral health plans using quasi-experimental methods and other advanced statistical models
• Lead a team of 3-5 analysts in developing a suite of PowerBI dashboards to share insights with county
stakeholders to improve behavioral healthcare delivery and practice
• Design and execute a copula-based simulation model and Bayesian hierarchical model to estimate the number
of people with clinical need for evidence-based practices that was used by the California Department of Health
Care Services to provide official estimates to all county behavioral health plans in California
• Design webinars and trainings for county behavioral health plan leaders and staff on data principles and
statewide policies
Marin County Department of Health and Human Services, San Rafael, CA
Senior Department Analyst Sept 2022-Dec 2024
• Coordinated pilots and research projects to test implementation of innovations, including a pilot using
wastewater for overdose prevention which received national attention from the CDC and media and was
funded by two innovation grant awards I wrote and administered
2
• Supported evidence-based policy and program development, implementation, and evaluation in collaboration
with subject matter experts and leadership through leading evidence-based reviews and conducting complex
epidemiologic analyses
• Built research capacity throughout the Division of Public Health through academic partnerships and
supporting development of research projects from inception to publication
• Managed substance use and wastewater surveillance programs, including reporting, research, and evaluation of
surveillance systems (e.g., conducted an evaluation and implemented a refined protocol for non -fatal opioid
overdose 911 call surveillance definition)
Department Analyst II/Contractor Apr 2017-Aug 2022
• Managed an Emergency Medical Services-based referral program aimed at identifying and connecting people
who experience non-fatal drug overdoses to a telemedicine substance use disorder treatment provider
• Evaluated programs and policies by conducting analyses using various statewide data sources (hospital, death
records, prescription drug monitoring program) and internal databases (911 call response records)
• Managed internal and external geographic data on Coronavirus Disease 2019 cases and vaccine distribution to
inform community outreach and equity-based vaccine distribution in 2021-2022
• Provided technical expertise in applying advanced epidemiologic and statistical methods
CDC/CSTE Applied Epidemiology Fellow Jul 2015-Apr 2017
• Served as California’s local health department representative at the CDC’s Zika Action Plan Summit
• Provided epidemiologic support to community programs, including creating maps using ArcGIS to prioritize
areas to implement a pilot to improve housing conditions and routinely presenting substance use surveillance
data to a community collaborative (RxSafe Marin, now OD Free Marin)
• Conducted a county-wide vaccine beliefs survey among parents of kindergarteners to inform local
immunization program outreach in midst of a new statewide vaccination policy (SB277)
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
Study Coordinator Aug 2019-Feb 2020
• Set agendas and lead meetings for members of a multi-national study team across the United States and South
Africa for the Prospective Evaluation of Novel Diagnostics for Tuberculosis (PROVE TB) study
• Oversee creation and maintenance of study-related standard operation procedures, consent documents, and
informational materials
• Coordinate specimen transfers between academic and industry partners to advance the evaluation and
development of novel TB diagnostics
Research and Teaching Assistant Sept 2017-Aug 2019
• Managed a graduate-level training program to provide students with experience in applied epidemiology
through methods training and field assignments at state and local health departments
• Organized department-wide communication and speaker materials for the Epidemiology Department seminar
series (EPI 583)
• Authored National Institute of Health (R21 and R25) and internal grants to advance connections between
public health practice agencies and academia
National Institute of Justice Fellow in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Feb 2020-Sept 2022
• Designed and conducted a study to evaluate the individual and population -level impact of medications for the
treatment of opioid use disorder delivered in county jails in California
• Authored and served as Principal Investigator for a National Institute of Justice grant, including study
protocols, IRB submissions to California and University of Washington, data requests, and all data collection
and analysis related to the project
• Led data request process for data requests from multiple California agencies for all arrests, convictions,
emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths statewide -Conducted in-depth interviews with
stakeholders in 26 counties in California to characterize their jail-based medication for opioid use disorder
treatment policies
• Conducted a quasi-experimental multi-county study using mixed effects modeling to test the impact of jail -
based MOUD policies on county-level arrest and public health outcomes.
3
• Led and conducted a qualitative study including semi-structured interviews with 22 individuals who were
formerly incarcerated and with a history of substance use in Marin County, California to understand
experiences with and perceptions towards jail-based treatment policies
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, SEOIB, DTBE, Atlanta, GA
Graduate Research Assistant Oct 2013-May 2015
• Developed a database for the National Surveillance of Severe Adverse Events for LTBI treatment regimens
• Conducted a systematic review of the FDA Adverse Event Report System database to assess the reported
burden of severe adverse drug reactions due to LTBI treatment
• Updated surveillance materials for public dissemination through data cleaning and analysis using SAS 9.4
(Cary, NC)
The Aurum Institute, Johannesburg, South Africa
CAPRISA Fellow May – Aug 2014
• Co-designed, co-authored, and served as Principal Investigator of a research protocol for a cross -sectional
research study to assess women’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding medical male circumcision
• Conducted, designed, and authored a research protocol for a retrospective analysis to determine how young
men’s perceptions of cultural gender roles, HIV, and gender-based violence relate to sexual risk behaviors
• Developed and conducted an evaluation of an electronic appointment system in a medical male circumcision
clinic
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
University of Washington, Seattle, WA Sept 2018-Aug 2022
Teaching Assistant
• Developed a global health surveillance module (5 1-hour lectures) and refined course content describing
introductory epidemiology methods for a virtual, international course (Introduction to Epidemiology for
Global Health)
• Lectured about communications, outbreak investigations, data safety, and interviewing for case investigations
in a Field Epidemiology course (EPI 594: Field Epidemiology)
• Guest lectured annually for graduate courses in Disaster Epidemiology (ENVH 506: Disasters in Public
Health)
• Developed an interactive lecture about quantitative bias analysis, held office hours, and graded course content
(EPI 515: Advanced Epidemiologic Methods)
Tutor Sept 2018-Jun 2021
• Tutored PhD and MPH students in epidemiologic methods and introductory biostatistics
Dominican University, San Rafael, CA Jan 2016-Present
Adjunct Faculty (Jan-May 2016) and Guest Lecturer (Present)
• Designed an undergraduate course in Global Health (PH3100): authoring a syllabus, lectures, and assignments
• Served as a co-instructor for an undergraduate course in Global Health (PH3100)
• Guest lecture for several undergraduate courses in Epidemiology and Public Health
Touro University, Vallejo, CA Jun 2016, Sept 2023
Invited guest lecturer in a graduate-level Program Evaluation and Needs Assessment and Health Policy and Management course
Emory University, Epidemiology Department, Atlanta, GA
Graduate Teaching Assistant for Epidemiologic Methods II (EPI 534) Jan-Apr 2015
• Taught a weekly laboratory session for 26 graduate students on the statistical foundations of epidemiology
• Developed and graded course materials in collaboration with a team of 6 graduate students and 3 professors
Graduate Teaching Assistant for Case Studies in Infectious Diseases (EPI 540) Aug-Dec 2014
• Provided academic and lecturing assistance to students in RSPH’s largest elective course with around 150
graduate students enrolled
ACADEMIC SERVICE
University of Washington, Curriculum Development Committee, Seattle, WA Dec 2020-Apr 2022
• Reviewed anti-racism course development plans and syllabi for Epidemiology courses each quarter
4
University of Washington, Exploration Seminar Development, Sendai, Japan Jul-Dec 2019
• Served as a student representative for the School of Public Health for development of a study abroad
exploration seminar on the health impacts of the Great East Japan Earthquake as part of a multi -national
collaboration with Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan
• Completed Tohoku University’s APRU-IRIDeS Summer Program with a focus on working with multi-
disciplinary, international stakeholders to develop Disaster Risk Reduction plans
• Met with research and educational partners at Tohoku University to discuss opportunities for international
collaborations and student research projects
University of Washington, Public Health Practice Fellowship Panel, Seattle, WA. Sept 2017-Dec 2019
• Arranged several public health practice fellowship panels for undergraduate and graduate students interested
in pursuing careers in applied public health
• Routinely meet with students interested in applied epidemiology to provide mentorship
Emory University, Student Outbreak and Response Team (SORT), Atlanta, GA Dec 2013-Dec 2014
• Acted as first point-of-contact for partnerships with the CDC Emergency Operations Center, Center for
Emergency Preparedness and Response, and the DeKalb County Board of Health
• Organized events related to emergency preparedness and outbreak response for the Rollins School of Public
Health and the Emory community
• Assisted the CDC Emergency Operations Center during outbreak responses by conducting phone interviews,
risk assessments, data entry, and data cleaning
• Co-wrote and led an interactive tabletop exercise about emergency response to a snowstorm in Atlanta for 40
participants
SELECTED FUNDING HISTORY
Enhancing Public Health and Public Safety: Informing Policies and Programs to Increase Access to Medications for Opioid Use
Disorder Treatment in the Criminal Justice System
Principal Investigator: Haylea Hannah; Mentor: Ali Rowhani -Rahbar
Role: Principal Investigator [50% FTE]
Funding Source: National Institutes of Justice Dissertation Fellowship in the Social and Behavioral Sciences
[2019R2-CX-0006]
Total Direct Costs: $145,611
Project Date: 01/01/2020-09/15/2022
Goal: Evaluate the individual and population -level impact of medications for the treatment of opioid use
disorder delivered in county jails in California
WePrOTECT (Wastewater-based Epidemiology for the Prevention of Overdoses through Timely, Evidence-based Community action &
Treatment
Project Lead: Haylea Hannah
Role: Principal Investigator and Project Lead
Funding Source: County of Marin Innovation Grant
Total Costs: $16,000
Project Date: 02/01/2023-07/31/2023
Goal: Evaluate the utility of wastewater data for overdose prevention and assess perceptions towards
wastewater surveillance of high -risk substances among people who use drugs, including if and how they
would like information shared
Assessment of correlations between levels of substance use disorder treatment medications in wastewater and treatment encount ers in Marin
County, California
Project Lead: Haylea Hannah
Role: Project Lead
Funding Source: PHI County Overdose Prevention Network
Total Costs: $32,000
Project Date: 07/01/2024-09/15/2024
5
Goal: Evaluate the utility of wastewater monitoring for substance use disorder treatment and prevention by
testing banked wastewater samples for medications for opioid use disorder treatment and naloxone and their
metabolites and examining their correlations with treatment encounters
HONORS AND AWARDS
• County of Marin Innovation Grant (2023)
• Magnuson Scholarship, University of Washington (2020 -2021)
• National Institutes of Justice, Graduate Research Fellowship in the Social and Behavioral Sciences (2019 -
2022)
• Exceptional Student Award, Washington State Public Health Association (2019)
• Competitively selected to participate in Yale University’s Innovation to Impact program (2021)
• Honorable Mention for Outstanding Student or Post -Degree Abstract at the International Society of Disease
Surveillance 2019 Annual Conference (2019)
• Top Scholar Award at the University of Washington (2017 -2018)
• Outstanding Team of the Quarter from the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services (2017)
• Finalist - APHA Aging and Public Health Section’s James G. Zimmer New Investigator Research Award
(2016)
• Phi Chapter of the Delta Omega Honorary Society (2015)
• CAPRISA Fellowship (2014)
• Lettie P. Whitehead Scholarship at Emory University (2014, 2015)
• Selected as a participant for the Clinic on the Meaningful Modeling of Epidemiologic Data (2015)
• Honors Commendation in Biology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2013)
MEDIA
CBS News Bay Area, The Washington Post, KQED, SF Standard, Drug Topics Magazine, GovTech, University of
Washington School of Public Health
ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS
Haylea Hannah, Lee Ann Prebil, Catherine Condon, Jeffrey DeVido, Fay Zenoff, Matthew Willis. Correlations
between wastewater levels of naloxone and medications for substance use disorder treatment with treatment
encounters and overdoses – Marin County, California, USA March 2023 -June 2024. Public Health, Volume 246, 2025,
105823, ISSN 0033-3506, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2025.105823.
Haylea Hannah, Sophie Zhu, Zerleen S. Quader, Souci Louis, Priyanka Thatipamala, Lee Ann Prebil, Megan Bias,
Carly Adams, Heather E. Reese, Jessica Ricaldi, Scott Santibañez, Jonathan Yoder, Jean Ko, Alana Vivolo -Kantor,
Matthew Willis. The Potential Role of Wastewater Surveillance Signals and Overdose Alerts for Opioid Overdose
Prevention in Marin County, California, February 2023–June 2024. Submitted to Water Research.
Ali Rowhani-Rahbar and Haylea Hannah (2024, January 30). Epidemiological criminology. In Oxford Research
Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.847
Haylea Hannah, Danielle Russell, Caleb J. Banta-Green, Matthew Willis, Janet Baseman, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar.
"You're not treated like a person, you're a number": Experiences with stigma and service preferences among people
with an opioid use disorder who were incarcerated in Marin County, California. Journal of Substance Use & Addiction
Treatment. In Process.
Jasmine Soriano, Lee Ann Prebil, Haylea Hannah, Pooja Mhatre, Lisa Santora, Matthew Willis. Life Expectancy and
Causes of Premature Death by Subgroup for Commu nity-Based Action in Marin County, California, 2017 -2021. 29
December 2023. Cureus 15(12): e51300. 10.7759/cureus.51300
6
Jasmine Soriano, Haylea Hannah, Karina Arambula, Tyler Evans, Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis
COVID-19 Vaccine Perceptions Survey for Real-Time Vaccine Outreach in Marin County, California.
23 March 2023. Cureus 15(3): e36583. doi:10.7759/cureus.36583
Allyson O’Connor and Haylea Hannah*, Elisabeth Burnor, Kai Fukutaki, Troy Peterson, Dustin W. Ballard,
Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis, Orvalho Augusto, Bradley H. Wagenaar. Emergency Medical Service Utilization
and Response Following COVID-19 Emergency and Stay-at-Home Policies: An Interrupted Time-Series Analysis.
Cureus 2021 Nov. 13(11): e19794. doi:10.7759/cureus.19794. *Shared first authorship
Haylea Hannah, Audrey Brezak, Audrey Hu, Simbarashe Chiwanda, Tsitsi Juru, Maayan Simckes, Mufuta
Tshimanga, Gerald Shambira, Joseph Mberikunashe, Notion Gombe, Janet Baseman. A Framework for Conducting
International Field-based Surveillance System Evaluations. SAGE Research Methods Cases: Medicine & Health. 2020.
SAGE Publications Ltd: London. Online ISBN: 9781529741018. doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781529741018
Haylea Hannah, Audrey Brezak, Audrey Hu, Simbarashe Chiwanda, Maayan Simckes, Debra Revere, Gerald
Shambira, Mufuta Tshimanga, Joseph Mberikunashe, Tsitsi Juru, Notion Gombe, Danuta Kasprzyk, Daniel
Montano, Janet Baseman. Field-based Evaluation of Malaria Outbreak Detection and Response in Mudzi and
Goromonzi Districts, Zimbabwe – 2017. Glob Public Health. 2019 Dec;14(12):1898-1910. doi:
10.1080/17441692.2019.1642367. Epub 2019 Jul 15. PubMed PMID: 31303135.
Paul K Drain, Jennifer Gardiner, Haylea Hannah, Tobias Broger, Keertan Dheda, Katherine Fielding, Gerhard
Walzl, Myrsini Kaforou, Claudia M. Denkinger, Katharina Kranzer, Simone A. Joosten, and Samuel Schumacher.
Guidance for Studies Evaluating the Accuracy of Biomarker-based Non-sputum Tests to Diagnose Tuberculosis. J
Infect Dis. 2019 Oct 8;220(Supplement_3):S108 -S115. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiz356. PubMed PMID: 31593598.
Stephanie Mathews, Haylea Hannah, Hillary Samagaio, Camille Martin, Eleanor Rodriguez -Rassi, and Ann
Matthysse. Glycoside Hydrolase Genes are Required for Virulence of Agrobacterium tumefaciens on Bryophyllum
daigremontiana and Tomato. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2019 Aug 1;85(15). doi: 10.1128/AEM.00603 -19. Print 2019 Aug 1.
PubMed PMID: 31126942; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6643255.
Haylea Hannah, Roque Miramontes, and Neel R. Gandhi. Socio -demographic and clinical risk factors associated
with TB mortality in the United States, 2009-2013. Public Health Reports. 2017; 132(3): 366-375.
Haylea Hannah, Karina Arambula, Rochelle Ereman, Darrell Harris, Alexandra Torres, Matthew Willis. Using
Local Toxicology Data for Drug Overdose Mortality Surveillance. Online Journal of Public Health Informatics. 2017; 9(1):
e143.
SELECTED CONFERENCE AND SYMPOSIA PRESENTATIONS
Kiley Doherty*, Haylea Hannah, Lee Ann Prebil. Evolving Relationship between Wastewater Levels of SARs -CoV-2
and COVID-19 Hospitalizations in Marin County, California. Oral Presentation. CSTE 2024 Annual Conference, June
9-13, 2024. Pittsburgh, PA *Served as scientific mentor on the p roject
Haylea Hannah, Lee Ann Prebil, Priyanka Thatipamala, Alex Buben, Ou Suk Kwon, Anita Renzetti, Matthew Willis .
Wastewater-Based Epidemiology for Preventing Overdoses through Timely, Evidence -Based Community Action and
Treatment: A Pilot & Feasibility Project. Oral Presentation. CSTE 2024 Annual Conference, June 9 -13, 2024,
Pittsburgh, PA.
Haylea Hannah, Ou Suk Andrew Kwon, Lee Ann Prebil, Troy Peterson, Dustin Ballard, Jocelyn Chung, Kiley
Doherty, Matthew Willis. Enhancing nonfatal overdose surveillance using Emergency Medical Services records: A
comparison of 2022 CSTE guidance and a local probabilisti c algorithm. CSTE 2024 Annual Conference, June 9-13,
2024, Pittsburgh, PA.
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Haylea Hannah, Danielle Russell, Caleb J. Banta-Green, Jacqueline van Wormer, Janet Baseman, Matthew Willis,
Ali Rowhani-Rahbar. "You're not treated like a person, you're a number": Experiences with stigma and policy
preferences among people with an opioid use disorder who were incarcerated. Oral Presentation. American Public
Health Association 2022 Conference. November 6 -9, 2022. Boston, MA.
Haylea Hannah, Pooja Mhatre, LeeAnn Prebil, Bethany Dominik, Maura Nakahata, Alana McGrath, Dana
Armanino, Jasmine Soriano, Karina Arambula, Tracy Lam -Hine, Ou Suk Andrew Kwon, Lisa Santora, Matthew
Willis, Rochelle Ereman. Surveillance infrastructure and epidemiologic capacity building among Epidemiologists
during a pandemic in Marin County, California. CSTE 2022 Annual Conference. Poster. Virtual. June 19 -23, 2022.
Tracy Lam-Hine*, Haylea Hannah, Rose Kantor, Sasha Harris -Lovett, Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis, and Kara
Nelson. Confirmed COVID-19 case counts increase with increasing SARS-CoV-2 wastewater concentrations: a
meta-analysis from community wastewater surveillance in Marin County, CA. APHA 2021 Annual Conference.
Poster. Virtual. October 23 -27, 2021. *Served as scientific mentor on the project
COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Differs by Racial and Ethnic Subgroups in Marin County, California . Jasmine Soriano,
Karina Arambula, Haylea Hannah, Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis, and Tyler Evans. APHA 2021 Annual
Conference. Poster. Virtual. October 23 -27, 2021.
Tracy Lam-Hine*, Haylea Hannah, Rose Kantor, Sasha Harris -Lovett, Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis, and Kara
Nelson. Association between trends in community COVID-19 wastewater surveillance and confirmed cases in Marin
County, CA. CSTE 2021 Annual Conference. Virtual. June 13 -17, 2021. *Served as scientific mentor on the project
Haylea Hannah and Ali Rowhani-Rahbar. Exposure to direct victimization or witnessed violence and development
of alcohol and drug dependence among adolescents adjudicated for serious offenses. APHA 2020 Annual
Conference. Oral. Virtual. October 24-28, 2020.
Karina Arambula, Haylea Hannah, Andrew Patton, Bethany Dominik, Matthew Willis, and Rochelle Ereman.
Characteristics of Emergency Medical Services Suspect Overdose Responses Associated with Opioids,
Methamphetamine, Alcohol, or Polysubstances in Marin County, California. APHA 2020 Annual Conference. Poster.
Virtual. October 24-28, 2020
Tracy Lam-Hine*, Haylea Hannah, Karina Arambula, Rochelle Ereman, Roger Fielding, and Matthew Willis.
Linking Toxicology Reports with Death Certificates to Improve Drug Overdose Mortality Surveillance. APHA 2020
Annual Conference. Poster. Virtual. October 24 -28, 2020
*Served as the student’s primary mentor
Haylea Hannah, Alana McGrath, Troy Peterson, Karina Arambula, Dustin Ballard, Rochelle Ereman, and Matthew
Willis. Utilization of Emergency Medical Services during an Extended Public Safety Power Shutoff in Marin County,
California - October 27-29, 2019. APHA 2020 Annual Conference. Oral. Virtual. October 24-28, 2020.
Alana McGrath, Haylea Hannah, Karina Arambula, Bethany Dominik, Matthew Willis, and Rochelle Ereman.
Assessing the Impact of a Public Safety Power Shutoff on Emergency Department Visits in Marin County,
California. APHA 2020 Annual Conference. Poster. Virtual. October 24 -28, 2020.
Haylea Hannah, Ross Matsueda, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar. Applying Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) to Analytic
Criminology: A Framework for Causal Inference. SER 2020 Annual Conference. Boston, MA. December 15 -18,
2020.
Karina Arambula. Haylea Hannah, Andrew Patton, Jeffrey DeVido, Matthew Willis, Rochelle Ereman . Preventing
the Next Overdose: An Emergency Medical Services -Based Non-Fatal Opioid Overdose Surveillance and Telephone
Outreach Pilot Program. CSTE 2019 Annual Conference. Raleigh, NC. June 2 -6, 2019. Oral.
8
Haylea Hannah, Karina Arambula, Andrew Patton, Jeffrey DeVido, Matthew Willis, Rochelle Ereman. Cost-
Effectiveness of Offering Treatment to Non-Fatal Opioid Overdoses Encountered by Emergency Medical Services
in Marin County, California. CSTE 2019 Annual Conference. Raleigh, NC. June 2 -6, 2019. Lightening (Oral).
Haylea Hannah, Bradley G. Wagner, Stewart Change, Paul K. Drain. Optimizing Diagnostic Algorithms for
Tuberculosis Integrated with HIV Testing in South Africa: A Mathematical Modeling Analysis. Institute for Disease
Modeling 2019 Symposium. April 15-17, 2019. Oral.
Haylea Hannah, Bradley G. Wagner, Stewart Change, Paul K. Drain. Optimizing Diagnostic Algorithms for Active
Pulmonary Tuberculosis in HIV Clinics. CROI 2019 Annual Conference. March 4 -7, 2019. Poster.
Haylea Hannah, Audrey Brezak, Audrey Hu, Simbarashe Chiwanda, Maayan Simckes, Debra Revere, Gerald
Shambira, Mufuta Tshimanga, Joseph Mberikunashe, Tsitsi Juru, Notion Gombe, Danuta Kasprzyk, Daniel
Montano, Janet Baseman.
Field-based Evaluation of Malaria Outbreak Detection and Response in Mudzi and Goromonzi Districts, Zimbabwe,
2017.
ISDS 2019 Annual Conference. January 30 -February 1, 2019. Poster. Honorable Mention for Outstanding Student or Post-
Degree Abstract
Andrew Patton, Rochelle Ereman, Matt Willis, Haylea Hannah, Karina Arambula. Development of Text-Based
Algorithm for Opioid Overdose Identification in EMS Data. ISDS 2019 Annual Conference. January 30 -February 1,
2019. Oral.
Haylea Hannah, Carmen R. Nevarez, Amy Max, Matthew Willis, Karina Arambula, Rochelle Ereman. Tackling an
Epidemic: Evidence of the Coalition Approach to Opioid Safety. APHA 2018. November 10 -14, 2018. Oral.
Haylea Hannah, Karina Arambula, Jessica Cunningham-Krahl, Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis. Opioid and
Benzodiazepine
Prescribing Patterns and Presence in Fatal Drug Overdoses − Marin County, California, 2012-2015. CSTE 2017
Annual Conference. June 4-8, 2017. Poster.
Haylea Hannah, Danielle Hiser, Jessica Cunningham-Krahl, Karina Arambula, Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis.
A
Comparison of Vaccine Beliefs between English and Spanish -speaking Parents of Kindergarteners – Marin County,
California, 2016. CSTE Annual Conference. June 4 -8, 2017. Oral.
Haylea Hannah, Danielle Hiser, Jessica Cunningham-Krahl, Karina Arambula, Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis.
Perceptions towards California’s Elimination of Personal Belief Exemptions in a Community with High Personal
Belief Exemption Rates – Marin County, California, 2015-2017. CSTE 2017 Annual Conference. June 4 -8, 2017.
Oral.
Jessica Cunningham-Krahl, Haylea Hannah, Karina Arambula, Matthew Willis, Rochelle Ereman. Utilization of a
Real-time, Data Visualization Tool to Inform service provision in a local health and human services clinic. California
Conference of Local Health Data Managers and Epidemiologists 2017 Annu al Conference. Oral.
Haylea Hannah, Danielle Hiser, Jessica Cunningham-Krahl, Karina Arambula, Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis.
Vaccine Behaviors and Lessons Learned from a Survey of Spanish -Speaking Parents of Kindergartners – Marin
County, California, 2016. California Immunization Coalition 2017. April 3 -4, 2017. Oral.
9
Haylea Hannah, Karina Arambula, Jessica Cunningham-Krahl, Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis. Practices
among Primary Care Providers Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Non -Cancer Pain – Marin County, CA, 2015.
CSTE 2016 Annual Conference. June 19 -22, 2016. Oral.
Haylea Hannah, Karina Arambula, Jessica Cunningham-Krahl, Rochelle Ereman, Matthew Willis. An Evaluation of
Drug Poisoning Mortality Surveillance – Marin County, CA, 2007-2013. CSTE 2016 Annual Conference. June 19 -22,
2016. Poster.
Haylea Hannah, Angela Chu, Amy Dietz, Rochelle Ereman, Jessica Cunningham -Krahl, Karina Arambula,
Matthew Willis. Food insecurity among older adults living at or below versus above the Elder Economic Security
Index – results from a community survey in Marin County, CA. APHA 2016 Annual Meeting. Oct 29-Nov 2, 2016.
Oral. Finalist for the James G. Zimmer New Investigator Research Award.
Haylea Hannah. Zika Action Plan Summit: The Local Perspective. California Coalition of Local Health Officers
Semi-Annual Meeting, Spring 2016. Oral.
Maureen De Nieva, Karina Arambula, and Haylea Hannah (Co-Presenters). Using Local data to Mobilize a
Community to Address Prescription Drug Abuse – Marin County, California. Health and Human Services Bay Area
Open DataFest III. February 12, 2015. Oral.
Haylea Hannah, Refilwe Mophosho, Michelle Leisner, Laura Podewils, Salome Charalambous, Mpho Maraisane,
Candice M. Chetty-Makkan. Knowledge and perception assessment of gender -based violence and cultural roles on
sexual risk behaviours among South African youth. 7 th Annual South African HIV/AIDS Conference. June 9 -12,
2015. Poster.
Human Relations Commission Application
Submitted on 21 February 2025, 5:17pm
Receipt number 48
Related form version 12
Name Jonake Bose
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94303
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?
(Partial Term expiring October 31, 2025)
Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Human Relations
Commission?
Community Group
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Applying for partial term ending 10/31/2026
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Independent College Consultant
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
I have been an independent college counselor (paid and probono practice)
since 2020. My college counseling website is www.jonakebose.com
I am a professional member of the IECA (College Counseling prof.
organization)
I received my College Counseling Certificate from UC Berkeley in 2020
I was the Executive Director and served on the Board of Dream Catchers
2018-2020
I received my MA in International Relations & Economics from U of S.
Carolina
Served on Site Council for Ohlone Elementary, JLS Middle School, Palo Alto
High School
For additional information related to my professional career in banking
please view my LinkedIn profile: www.linkedin.com/in/jonakebose/
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I was the Board member on Youth Community Service 2014-2016
Board member and Finance Comm. Chair for Sage - Education travel
organization
Vestry member St. Marks - 2 terms - most recent term started in 2024
Board member of Woodstock School - Oldest international residential
school in the Himalayas - since 2020. Chair of Audit and Advancement
committee
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Human Relations
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
Having come to the US on a full scholarship and benefited tremendously
from that opportunity, I have always volunteered striving to pay it forward to
those who are marginalized and don't have access to the resources many in
this community do. As the executive director of a small non-profit serving
low income middle school students in Palo Alto, I realized that many in this
community are not aware that there are people living among us struggling to
make ends meet. I would like to serve in a way so as to bring more equity to
this disenfranchised group and increase awareness among Palo Alto
residents so that we listen and learn from each other. I believe my
experience working closely with this marginalized community has increased
my awareness and understanding which will allow me to contribute
positively to the work of this commission.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
There are two issues that I believe came up before HRC that are interest to
me:
1. Providing assistance to support the unhoused community members - (RV
dwellers, those living in the cars).. I have learned about this as I have
engaged through our church with Life Moves and Hotel de Zink. I have had a
chance to see how hard working these people are and would like to support
them in finding more stability and ways for them to connect with the
community they work in.
2. The other issue that is close to me is mental health issues affecting the
youth in our community. With the increased proliferation of screen usage,
there is a lot more anxiety and loneliness among our youth. I believe the
HRC could work on recommendations to support our youth in ways they can
connect with each other and have a sense of belonging within the
community thereby feeling less lonely and less anxious.
3. If you are appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the
Human Relations Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
I do not have specific goals that I would like to see the HRC achieve, but I
would like to actively support the goals the committee has put forward
Application Questions
2 of 3
process?making sure we are listening to all stakeholder voices and being as inclusive
as possible. Residents should feel safe and know that their voices are heard.
There might be new issues that surface given the current political climate. It
is important that we listen as issues arise and adapt accordingly if necessary.
4. Human Relations Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
Human Services Needs Assessment (2020)
Muni Code 9.72 – Mandatory Response Program
Community Services Element of the Comprehensive Plan (2017)
I do not have any particular experience with any of the above mentioned
documents.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Ms. Jonake Bose
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/21/2025
3 of 3
Human Relations Commission Application
Submitted on 15 February 2026, 12:47pm
Receipt number 76
Related form version 16
Name Raizel Rosenberg
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Human Relations
Commission?
Email from the City
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Manager, NPI Engineering
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Manager, NPI Engineering at Veev by Lennar – Lead engineering team in
launching new prefabricated housing models.
Relief Engineer & Educator, World Ocean School (nonprofit) – Served as
relief engineer, medical officer, and deckhand/educator.
Technical Program Manager, Tesla – Directed new product introduction (NPI)
programs; led launches involving 70+ coordinated parts and managed 200+
change actions across Interiors, Low/High Voltage Distribution, and
Electronics systems.
B.S. Mechanical Engineering – Dean’s List; Honors Mechanical Engineering
Fraternity Pi Tau Sigma
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
World Ocean School (3 months) – Volunteer relief engineer, medical officer,
deckhand/educator; supported STEM education, community values, and first
aid/mental health for at-risk youth, new immigrants, and students from over
9 countries; fluent in Spanish.
Community Cornerstone Kitchen - Weekly service sorting donations,
organizing community dinners, leading holiday drive (100+ gifts for families);
designed logos for easier distribution and provided English–Spanish
translation.
Second Harvest (2 years) - Ongoing volunteer with food distribution and
packaging; assisted with donation sorting and community events addressing
food insecurity.
SF Parks Alliance (last year) – Hands-on trail maintenance and public space
improvements, supporting environmental stewardship and community
access to outdoor areas.
ReHomed, NC (prev. summers) – Assisted with housing rehabilitation and
placement for underserved families; supported repairs, logistics, and client
outreach for stable housing.
HSSV foster
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Human Relations
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in serving on the HRC to advance conversations around
technology safety and its impact on mental health and well-being. I am
passionate about partnering with HRC collaborators such as Palo Alto
libraries to host community education on technology safety, mental health,
and responsible AI use. As a Spanish speaker, I can help fill a gap the
Commission has faced, particularly in childcare and “know your rights”
sessions. Being of Mexican-American heritage, culturally Jewish and
Christian leaning gives me a unique perspective on inclusion and
representation. Through service with World Ocean School, Community
Cornerstone Kitchen, Second Harvest, SF Parks Alliance, HSSV, and
ReHomed, I’ve gained insight into the realities of nonprofit partners. In my
current role, I have seen the challenges that will grow as affordable housing
funds decline. I want to support the Commission as a strong advocate for
residents' well being using my technical expertise and varied experience.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
Having kept up with the 2025 and 2026 HRC meetings and agendas, I am
particularly interested in the Commission’s recent listening sessions on
childcare access and alternative pathways to homeownership for tenants
and communities that might otherwise not have a clear route. As with many
of the Commission’s listening sessions, it was clear these need to remain
ongoing discussions.
In the homeownership session, it was noted that with affordable housing
funds set to decline over the next two years, there is an opportunity to
Application Questions
2 of 3
partner with the Planning and Transportation Commission on joint education
sessions. These could highlight innovative pathways to affordable
homeownership and explore how childcare spaces—such as those at
Cubberly—can be better integrated into community planning.
I am also especially interested in the RV Dwellers Subcommittee’s work and
contributing to expanding safe parking options, which directly supports
some of our most vulnerable community members.
3. If you are appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the
Human Relations Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
If appointed, I'd love to see the Commission achieve its goal of hosting a City
LGBT+ Pride event, building on the new sponsorship process of the
Commission and support from the City event staff. Pride is highly valued by
our youth and strengthens our community’s commitment to inclusion.
I would also like to host a community education session with the Palo Alto
libraries and other stakeholders on technology safety, responsible AI use,
and their connection to both mental health and well-being.
Beyond these, I am committed to advancing the Commission’s work on
childcare access and alternative paths to homeownership with the PTC. I'd
also contribute to the RV Dwellers Subcommittee’s efforts in expanding safe
parking, and strengthening outreach by serving as a Spanish-speaking
commissioner where language access is essential.
I would help the Commission achieve these goals through collaborative
partnerships and hands-on community engagement using my technical and
nonprofit experience.
4. Human Relations Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
Human Services Needs Assessment (2024)
Muni Code 9.72 – Mandatory Response Program
Community Services Element of the Comprehensive Plan (2017)
I do not have prior experience working directly with these documents.
However, I have reviewed their purpose and relevance:
Human Services Needs Assessment: A citywide study identifying top
community needs- such as affordable housing and service improvements for
folks with disabilities—as well as barriers like cost, access, and
transportation.
Municipal Code 9.72 (Mandatory Response Program): A local law requiring
landlords and tenants to participate in mediation for rental housing disputes,
with protections against retaliation and required notices of tenant rights. (I
am aware one of HRC's key partners is the Palo Alto Mediation Program. As
a renter in Palo Alto, I experience firsthand the importance of policies and
services that promote housing stability and community well-being.)
Community Services Element of the Comprehensive Plan: A long-range
planning framework guiding how the City delivers parks, recreation, libraries,
childcare, and human services to ensure equity and access.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Raizel Rosenberg
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/15/2026
3 of 3
Human Relations Commission Application
Submitted on 18 February 2026, 11:43pm
Receipt number 80
Related form version 16
Name Raymond Goins
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo alto
Postal Code 94301
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Human Relations
Commission?
Email from the City
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Community Health Worker III
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
I am a community health worker for BAY AREA COMMUNITY HEALTH, who
is the program coordinator for a Grant which we have with the County of
Santa Clara County in Partnership with Public Health. In my role I work
specifically with the incarcerated population in receiving Hep C treatment, as
well as other resources to help with their reintegration back into society, so
their health outcome helps them and the community they will return too. I
attended De Anza College in which I received a Certificate in Leadership and
Social Change, and was awarded Recognition as being a Leader in my class
for the work I did outside of it to bring change in the community. I also have
an unique lived experience in which I use to advocate to assist those in the
community that often feel as if they are voiceless, and try to use that
education through my lived experience to bring humanity back to those often
left behind.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
My involvement in Community Activities include volunteering in several
areas around social Justice reform, Advocacy for the un-housed, as well as
Advocacy for Healthcare for the marginalized population here in Santa Clara
County. I have worked on the Campaign for Measure A which was passed,
As well in my role as in the NAAACP worked on a campaign to get a raciest
mural covered in the Palo Alto Court House. I have wrote several articles
that where published by Silicon Valley DeBug in regards issues around
reentry, the death penalty , as well as Juvinile Justice. I have worked with the
Coalition for Justice and Acountability to advocate against the Santa Clara
County Sheriff Department to stop them from a county wide deployment of
tasers, which we where successful at doing. I am on the Executive
Committee of Afro Upris which is the Black Santa Clara County Dem club,
and have passed resolutions for equity within the party.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Human Relations
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in serving on the Human Relations Commission because I
believe in bringing change that will help others live a life they can thrive in. I
believe in the power of people, and its my lived experience of going through
the school to prison pipeline, spending decades in an oppressive
environment where content reminders of dehumanization where actions that
where felt physically, mentally, and emotionally on a daily basis. That allows
me to have a perspective of what inequality feels like that I don't want
nobody else too feel. I have experienced homelessness, and have been
fortunate enough to lift myself out of such state with the support of others. It
is that support that I want to bring into my role on the Human Rights
Commission, to be a voice for those who didn't know that their voice held
power to bring change for a better community for all.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
One recent issue that stood out to me is the Commission’s discussion of
homelessness and RV dwellers as a housing and economic‑justice concern,
not just a parking problem. I was especially struck by the acknowledgment
of large clusters of RVs in specific neighborhoods and the need for outreach
and services to the people living in them. For me, those RVs are a visible sign
of a deeper moral failure in a city shaped by extreme wealth, where
billionaire compounds and tech fortunes exist alongside families who must
live in vehicles to stay near their work and schools. I am interested in this
issue because I believe those who profit most from our local economy should
be required to contribute more through targeted taxes or similar mechanisms
to fund deeply affordable housing, safe RV programs, and supportive
services so that every resident, regardless of income, has a real chance at
Application Questions
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stability and dignity.
3. If you are appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the
Human Relations Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
One recent issue that stood out to me is the Commission’s discussion of
homelessness and RV dwellers as a housing and economic‑justice concern,
not just a parking problem. I was especially struck by the acknowledgment
of large clusters of RVs in specific neighborhoods and the need for outreach
and services to the people living in them. For me, those RVs are a visible sign
of a deeper moral failure in a city shaped by extreme wealth, where
billionaire compounds and tech fortunes exist alongside families who must
live in vehicles to stay near their work and schools. I am interested in this
issue because I believe those who profit most from our local economy should
be required to contribute more through targeted taxes or similar mechanisms
to fund deeply affordable housing, safe RV programs, and supportive
services so that every resident, regardless of income, has a real chance at
stability and dignity.
4. Human Relations Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
Human Services Needs Assessment (2024)
Muni Code 9.72 – Mandatory Response Program
Community Services Element of the Comprehensive Plan (2017)
I do not have the experience, but I am a quick learner
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Raymond Goins
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/18/2026
3 of 3
Human Relations Commission Application
Submitted on 16 February 2026, 3:55pm
Receipt number 77
Related form version 16
Name Rona Hu
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94301
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Human Relations
Commission?
Other: Rowena Chiu
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Psychiatrist and Stanford Professor
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
MD 1990 UCSF
Psychiatry residency 1990-1994 UCSF
Postdoctoral Fellow National institutes of Health 1994-1998
Lieutenant Commander US Public Health Service 1994-1998
Stanford Department of Psychiatry 1998-ongoing (Clinical professor since
2019)
Associate Dean, Stanford University School of Medicine 2020-2022
Licensed Medical Board of California 1992 ongoing
Diplomate National Board of Medical Examiners 1991
Board certification, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology 1995-
ongoing
American College of Psychiatrists 2022- ongoing
American Psychiatric Association 1991- ongoing
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
APA: Council on Research 1991-1994
National Minority Mentors Network 1998- ongoing
APA Kun-Po Soo Award 2021
Stanford department of psychiatry Community Engagement award 2017
Stanford University Asian American Faculty Award 2017
Nominee, Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Conmunity Hero 2017
Northern California Psychiatric Society: council member 2012-2015, ongoing
roles as Awards Committee Chair, Ethics committee member and Asian
American Committee member
Founder and Director: Stanford CHIPAO (Communication Health Interactives
for Parents of Adolescents and Others) 2016- ongoing
NCPS Exemplary Community Service Award 2023 for helping the Half Moon
Bay mass shooting victims
Half Moon Bay city council award 2024
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Human Relations
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I’m interested in HRC both personally and professionally.
I joined Stanford as full time faculty in 1998 and moved from campus to Palo
Alto in 2005 when my daughter was 3. Her whole life has been here, and
she attended PAUSD schools including Paly. My husband has worked as a
teachers aide for special needs students at Cubberley and Gunn, and he and
I both volunteered for Duveneck and Paly, including chaperoning the choir in
Italy when they sang at the Vatican. The entire family danced the Nutcracker
for years at Dance Connection and sold Girl Scout cookies up until the
pandemic. This is our community and our home.
On a professional level, I have cared for tens of thousands of patients in the
hospital and clinic, many struggling with suicidal thoughts and behavior.
Young, old, marginally housed or affluent, immigrant families or otherwise
marginalized: our community includes many who need help. I’m privileged to
help directly with people 1:1 every day, but I’d also like to do more.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
The ongoing crisis in mental health: I watched the February meeting on video
and I’m impressed with the commitment to do something. The meeting
mentioned my longtime friends and colleague Dr. Shashank Joshi but when I
asked if he’d apply for this role he declined and urged me to. Although I’m
not a child psychiatrist I have been recognized internationally for my work
helping parents to understand and communicate better with their children. I
see mental health as a multifactorial issue, not zero sum, that includes and
interfaces with many other issues.
Application Questions
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3. If you are appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the
Human Relations Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
I have more than one issue I’d like to help with and I think one way I can help
is by listening. Obviously mental health is my top priority but helping this
will benefit from a host of solutions, including means restriction (NCPS was
crucial in the Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier), bullying prevention,
support for marginalized youth including LGBTQ, addressing school
stressors, housing, media and social media use, healthcare and human rights
in general. I’ve tried to do as much as I can as a psychiatrist, educator and
parent, but I hope to help in additional ways as a member of the commission.
4. Human Relations Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
Human Services Needs Assessment (2024)
Muni Code 9.72 – Mandatory Response Program
Community Services Element of the Comprehensive Plan (2017)
I have not yet worked with these documents but I pledge to do so. I
understand this application is due in 2 days so I’m prioritizing “done is better
than perfect”! But yes, if chosen I agree to read these documents before
starting on the commission.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Rona Hu
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/16/2026
3 of 3
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 17 February 2026, 2:52pm
Receipt number 92
Related form version 18
Name Bobi Adle
Cell Phone Number 3232537495
Home Phone Number
Email Address muranowine@mac.com
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address 291 Carolina lane
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
Other: I have applied a few times
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the
attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and
understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may
revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo
Alto City Clerk.
Occupation Director Of Operations
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Project Management training; Certified Sommelier (Court of Master
Sommeliers); CPR Certified; former Investment Banker with experience in
financial analysis and risk assessment.
Multi-Unit Regional Leader, Compass Group (Mountain View, CA, 2019–
2025): Full P&L oversight across multiple accounts; budgeting, forecasting,
compliance, contract support, and executive-level stakeholder engagement.
Area Manager, Bon Appétit @ Google (Palo Alto, CA, 2014–2019): Managed
10 locations; oversaw operations, regulatory compliance, staffing, and cost
controls.
General Manager, Wayfare Tavern (San Francisco) and Manresa (Los Gatos):
Led financial performance, operational compliance, and long-term business
planning.
20+ years leading complex, multi-site operations with financial, regulatory,
and strategic oversight experience.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Architectural Review Board Member, (Current): Review residential
improvement proposals for consistency with neighborhood standards and
community character; evaluate design, scale, and compliance considerations.
PTA Member (Current): Support school initiatives, fundraising, and parent
engagement activities.
Little League Coach (past): Volunteer youth coach focused on mentorship,
teamwork, and community building.
Community Volunteer (Ongoing): Participate in local events and service
initiatives supporting neighborhood engagement and youth development.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Planning & Transportation
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in serving on the Planning & Transportation Commission
because land use and transportation decisions shape Palo Alto’s long-term
vitality, fiscal health, and quality of life. As the City addresses housing
mandates, mobility improvements, and neighborhood preservation,
balanced, data-driven decision-making is critical.
I bring over 20 years of executive leadership experience with full P&L
oversight, budgeting, forecasting, regulatory compliance, and contract
analysis. As a Multi-Unit Regional Leader for Compass Group and former
Area Manager for Bon Appétit @ Google in Palo Alto, I managed complex
operations requiring stakeholder engagement and long-term planning. I also
serve on my neighborhood’s Architectural Review Board, reviewing projects
for design consistency and compliance. I would bring disciplined analysis,
independence, and a commitment to thoughtful public process.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
A recent issue before the Commission is the review of the proposed bike and
pedestrian transportation improvements and connectivity projects in south
Palo Alto, including options for bicycle/pedestrian tunnels across the
Caltrain corridor and safety enhancements for multimodal travel. The
Application Questions
2 of 3
Commission discussed multiple alternatives, separated tunnel crossings and
improved bike/pedestrian facilities, balancing safety, right-of-way
constraints, investment priorities, and neighborhood impacts before moving
the project forward for staff refinement and future council decisions.
I am interested in this issue because enhancing safe, accessible
transportation options is essential for a more equitable, sustainable, and
healthy community. Decisions like this require careful analysis of mobility
needs, fiscal impacts, land use implications, and community feedback, all
areas where I can contribute through disciplined evaluation and stakeholder
engagement.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Planning
and Transportation Commission achieve, and how would you help in
the process?
If appointed, I would like the Commission to focus on achieving balanced,
data-driven outcomes in housing, transportation, and neighborhood
preservation. Key goals include supporting sustainable housing development
that aligns with infrastructure capacity, enhancing safe and equitable
multimodal transportation options, and ensuring that land use decisions
respect community character while meeting state requirements. I would
contribute by applying my experience in financial analysis, regulatory
compliance, and multi-stakeholder decision-making, and by bringing a
disciplined, methodical approach to reviewing proposals, evaluating long-
term impacts, and engaging with community input to support transparent,
well-informed recommendations to the City Council.
4. Planning and Transportation Commission Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these
documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these
documents is not required for selection.
Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2017)
Zoning Code
City Charter
California Environmental Quality Act
El Camino Real Design Guidelines
El Camino Real Master Plan Study (2007)
Area Plans such as the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) I (2000) and II (2003) Plans
Baylands Master Plan (2008)
While I have not formally worked with all of these Palo Alto planning
documents, my professional experience has provided extensive exposure to
regulatory frameworks, policy review, and compliance standards. As a Multi-
Unit Regional Leader and Area Manager in Palo Alto, I regularly reviewed
contracts, operational guidelines, and compliance requirements, evaluating
proposals for financial, operational, and regulatory impacts. Additionally, my
service on my neighborhood Architectural Review Board involves reviewing
development and design proposals for consistency with local standards,
community character, and code compliance. These experiences have
prepared me to analyze planning documents, evaluate land use proposals,
and make informed recommendations aligned with city policies and goals.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Bobi Adle
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/17/2026
3 of 3
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 18 February 2026, 10:49pm
Receipt number 84
Related form version 18
Name Bryna Chang
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
Other: I am a current PTC commissioner reapplying for a second term
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Retired
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
MBA 2003, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford University
BS Biology, 1997, Stanford University
I have strong skills in strategy, operations, and teamwork. Most recently, I
lectured at the Stanford Graduate School of Business on “Innovation and
Problem Solving” and “Critical Analytical Thinking.” Prior to that, I ran the
MBA Program Office at Stanford, where I was responsible for the strategy
and operations of one of the top MBA programs in the US; I also spent time
directing the Stanford Public Management Program. Finally, I have past
experience in internet product management (Campus Pipeline) and
management consulting (The Boston Consulting Group), global
environmental consulting (Conservation Strategy Fund), and developmental
neurobiology (Stanford University).
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Commissions/advisory groups:
Palo Alto PTC, 2021-present, Chair 1x, Vice-chair 2x
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District, Hawthorns Area Public Access
Working Group, 2023-25
PAUSD Volunteer:
- Gunn High School Site Council, 2020-22
- JLS Middle School Site Council, 2018-21, Chair one year
- JLS Middle School PTA Executive Board: Auditor, 2021-23; VP Community
Service, 2019-21; VP Membership, 2017-19
- PAUSD Elementary Report Card/Progress Report Committee, 2013-15
- Hoover Elementary Site Council, 2011-13, 2014-16, Chair 2x
- Hoover Elementary Green Team parent leader, 2014-19
- Hoover Elementary Room Parent, 2010-19
- Hoover Elementary Project Cornerstone ABC Reader, 2014-18
Additional community leadership/volunteering:
- Silicon Valley Boychoir Board of Directors, 2015-21 (Treasurer, 2018-21;
President 2016-18, Secretary 2015-16)
- Greenmeadow Community Association swim team head data committee,
2020-present
- Palo Alto Little League team manager/coach, 2014
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Planning & Transportation
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I’ve seen Palo Alto change over the last 45 years, for the better and also in
ways I wish were different. I grew up here, attending Nixon, JLS, and Gunn.
Twenty years ago, I moved back to Palo Alto for the community character
and city services that make our city different from others and a wonderful
place to live.
I first started learning about transportation and city planning when I
witnessed daily close calls between kids and commuters while on traffic
duty at Hoover school. I participated in Charleston corridor planning
meetings and learned our city’s population doubles during the day due to the
jobs/housing imbalance, which we inadvertently created over many years.
I have served on the PTC for the last five years and would like to continue
my service. Since most new housing for the 6th Housing Element cycle is
planned for the southern half of Palo Alto, I’m particularly interested in
representing south Palo Alto neighborhoods as we work on addressing
housing and other issues.
Application Questions
2 of 3
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
There are so many, including the South Palo Alto Bike/Ped grade crossing,
Dark Skies Ordinance, 660 University, 70 Encina, 3265 El Camino Real ad
2100-2400 Geng Road, but I will focus on the ECR Retail nodes. I want a
liveable Palo Alto for current and future residents, and to avoid the type of
long-term oversight that led to our jobs-housing imbalance. We have zoned
for housing but neglected retail, particularly in south Palo Alto. Strong
communities and “walkable” cities also need healthy retail so our residents
have places to get what they need. Our retail must survive despite pressures
from housing development and the new ECR bike lanes. Without it, we leave
multiple Palo Alto neighborhoods and Gunn and Fletcher almost completely
unserved. Analysis I did showed that our smallest housing element
opportunity sites on ECR generate only ~100 units of housing but could
wipe out ECR retail by not requiring retail be replaced. The nodes are a start
to helping ECR retail survive.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Planning
and Transportation Commission achieve, and how would you help in
the process?
I would like to reduce the delays and amount of churn we see between City
Council and the PTC to make projects and laws better, more quickly. As
Chair and Vice-chair I have been surfacing potential issues with staff in
advance of meetings so that staff can be prepared with the right information
and to reduce the likelihood that items are continued. I have also worked
with staff, the mayor, and individual councilmembers to ask the PTC liaison
to Council for input on items that move on to Council. This ensures nuances
that may not have been included in the staff report to Council are raised,
improving decision-making and preventing Council from sending items back
to PTC for issues we have already discussed. Finally, I have encouraged the
PTC to specify and document its recommendations in motions so that
information is accurately captured and easily implemented, rather than
relying on staff to digest hours of discussion into a coherent PTC intent.
4. Planning and Transportation Commission Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these
documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these
documents is not required for selection.
Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2017)
Zoning Code
City Charter
California Environmental Quality Act
El Camino Real Design Guidelines
El Camino Real Master Plan Study (2007)
Area Plans such as the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) I (2000) and II (2003) Plans
Baylands Master Plan (2008)
I have plenty of experience with all of the above; I have referenced them
before almost every PTC meeting over the last five years to be better
prepared. I refer to Title 18 (zoning) and the Comp Plan for almost every
PTC meeting and have voted to recommend changes to City Council for both
documents as part of many PTC legislative items. Furthermore, all quasi-
judicial PTC decisions must be made based on findings or guidelines
enumerated in the code. I have referenced other parts of PAMC as well, most
commonly Titles 8, 10 and 16 (trees, traffic, and building code).
For my recent work on the El Camino retail nodes and the retail ad hoc
committee of the PTC, I read the ECR master plan and ECR design guidelines
carefully since we seem to have forgotten the institutional memory recorded
in these documents. Similarly, I studied the SOFA plans while the PTC
worked on NVCAP, and the Baylands Master Plan for the 2100-2400 Geng
Road project that just came to the PTC in December.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Bryna Chang
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/18/2026
3 of 3
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 26 January 2026, 11:55pm
Receipt number 87
Related form version 18
Name Daniel Phillip Benas
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
Daily Post
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Corporate Finance
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Education--BS Business-UC Berkeley; MBA-UCLA. CPA-California (active);
Texas. I have 45 years of experience in Finance and Accounting primarily in
Technology Companies. I have spent the last 30 years in Senior
Management positions. I have worked in Public Accounting, F-500 such as
Occidental Petroleum, Xerox and Currently Head of Finance (VP Level) for
Business Wire-A Berkshire Hathaway Company. I have worked in the
Semiconductor industry with13 years at Cypress Semiconductor, 3 years at
Monolithic Power. and 5 years at Pre-IPO Silego which was acquired by
Dialog Semiconductor. I have also worked in the Networking, Software, and
Life Sciences industries.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I am currently on the Board of Directors of the Portola Castle Rock
Foundation, a small NFP that supports infrastructure improvement and
educational programs at Portola and Castle Rock State Parks. I am also a
docent at Big Basin Redwoods primarily working on Roving/Wilderness
Patrol. Prior to moving to Palo Alto in 1995, I was Treasurer of Peninsula
Temple Sinai in Foster City.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Planning & Transportation
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
Proper planning and transportation is crucial to maintaining Palo Alto as a
desirable place to live and work. Much of Palo Alto has become too
congested and the economic ecosystem is crowding out core businesses and
start-up accessibility. Even for certain basic services, one must leave Palo
Alto as it has become unaffordable to provide them here. Affordability has
become a mantra across the country, and this is certainly relevant in Palo
Alto. I have extensive experience with companies that are known for cost
control which is a crucial component of affordability.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
Although not the most important item in the scheme of things, one recent
topic is very relevant for me which is the Pedestrian plan. I do a great deal of
walking here in Palo Alto and I don't believe pedestrians have a voice or a
high priority. Bicyclists, yes; pedestrians no. I have been nearly run over
multitudes of times on the sidewalks by bicycles while bike lanes service
many of the same streets.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Planning
and Transportation Commission achieve, and how would you help in
the process?
1. Make Palo Alto a desirable and affordable place to set up business.
2. Maintain the residential and suburban nature of Palo Alto.
3. Have traffic that flows efficiently and enough Parking to support business'
without disturbing the suburban feel.
4. We are blessed to live in a city where we can walk anytime of the day or
night without fear except for being plowed over by bicycles on the sidewalk.
I would like to revisit the balance between walking, bicycling, and motorized
vehicles. Also, the new e-bikes are causing havoc on sidewalks and bike
lanes as they are ostensibly motorcycles. I believe this is a particular danger
for adolescents/teenagers and others that is not being addressed.
4. Planning and Transportation Commission Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these
documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these
documents is not required for selection.
Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2017)
Zoning Code
City Charter
California Environmental Quality Act
NA
Application Questions
2 of 3
El Camino Real Design Guidelines
El Camino Real Master Plan Study (2007)
Area Plans such as the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) I (2000) and II (2003) Plans
Baylands Master Plan (2008)
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Daniel Benas Resume.11.03.25.doc
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Daniel P Benas
Link to signature
Date Completed 01/26/2026
3 of 3
DANIEL BENAS, CPA (active)
• Palo Alto, CA 94306
Highly accomplished & results-driven, 30+ years of experience in scaling, ramping and monetizing companies, developing motivated
finance teams, spearheading finance-related practices along with verifiable success in streamlining operations. Organizational scope
includes Fortune 500, Controllership of three public companies and successful pre-IPO companies.
Core Competencies include: Technical Accounting (US GAAP, SEC Reporting & Revenue recognition); ASC 606 Implementation; IPO
Experience; Collaborative Leadership; Effective Recruiter, Talent Development and Mentoring, Building organizational capability;
Financial Planning and Analysis; Scaling and Ramping Operations; M&A Diligence & Integration; Sarbanes-Oxley/ Processes and
Procedures; ERP Implementation; Treasury & Bank Relationships; Successful leadership through public company restatements and
SOX remediation; Legal Relationships; Multi-Disciplined Manager of: Human Resources, IT, Facilities and Production Control Depts.
EXPERIENCE
BUSINESS WIRE-A BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY COMPANY- Vice President-Finance 2020-Present
• Finance Head reporting to CEO. Leading Finance portion of operational turn-around of media-tech company acquired by BRK
• Responsible for Corporate and Operational Accounting, FP and A and systems enhancements within Finance
• Reduced close by one week; numbers to management Day 3. Streamlined accounting processes; rebuilt accounting team
• OTC process reengineering and automation. Implemented Esker OTC system and customer portal. DSO improved by 45 days.
• Implemented AP Express-routing and approval SW; executed a 10- year catch-up upgrade of Oracle.
• Facilitated 22% YoY revenue growth. Increased dividend cash flow to BRK by over 30%. Manage team of 46
PULMONX CORPORATION (LUNG), Redwood City, CA-Vice President-Controller 2019-2020
• Hired by late-stage pulmonary device manufacturer to lead company through S-1 process & to be public company Controller
• Hired and built public company accounting team; took close from annual hindsight to 7 day monthly close in 6 months
• First S-1 filing done within 5 months of hire and 2019 FY filing done in 54 days with public flip on February 28, 2020
• Minimal SOX deficiencies (non-reportable); IPO placed on hold due to COVID-19
• Developed full absorption cost accounting system for company’s Redwood City manufacturing plant
SILEGO TECHNOLOGY (SLGO), Santa Clara, CA Vice President – Corporate Controller 2014- 2019
• Led late-stage semiconductor company through restatement process to complete confidential S-1 filing
• Cured 18 MW over 18 months allowing Silego to file with zero MW’s
• Led effort to early adapt Topic 606, Revenue Recognition within S-1 filing process; prepared road-show and IB packages
• Drove implementation of Microsoft Dynamics AX ERP system
• Built multinational finance team of 12 in the US, Taiwan, Ukraine and PRC; set up offshore tax structure (ETR 5%)
• Developed audit worthy cost accounting reporting process, timely close and budgeting processes
• Sale to Dialog Semi. (DLG.DE) for $300M; retained for integration as Top 25 performer. Achieved 99% of deal potential
• Retained by Dialog to lead Finance for their World-Wide Operations Group (Manufacturing, IT, Quality, Procurement.)
SOAProjects, Mountain View, CA; Technical Accounting Consultant (before/after Callidus) 2011- 2014
Positions included: 1) supporting a Singapore IPO IFRS filing for a US based Medical Device Firm; 2) supporting acquisition of two
public company REIT’s with $18B market cap; 3) Interim Controller position supporting a QAD ERP installation and UK product
launch for a pre-IPO medical device co; 4) Interim Controller for a public military contractor; 5) SEC filings for a semiconductor firm
CALLIDUS CLOUD (CALD), Pleasanton, CA; Vice President – Corporate Controller 2011 – 2013
• Managed finance staff of 20 for an $100M+ public SaaS company directing all areas of accounting including revenue
recognition
• Performed financial due diligence and led integration for eight international acquisitions (combined purchase price of $40M+)
in Serbia, India, New Zealand, and the UK; set up 200 person “in-sourced” entity in India saving company $5M in OPEX
• Implemented financial segment of NetSuite ERP system
CORSAIR COMPONENTS (formerly CORSAIR MEMORY), Fremont, CA 2009-2010
Vice President – Corporate Controller
Recruited to restructure the worldwide financial organization of a $400M late-stage electronics company with sales in Europe,
U.S., Russia, and Latin America and manufacturing in Taiwan and China.
• Reduced audit costs by $1.1M (65%); Remediated four MW’s enabling Company to become IPO-ready
• Shortened close from sixteen to four days resulting in a streamlined process for reporting
• Rebuilt the financial staff through the recruitment of six key hires and termination of non-performers; managed a staff of
eighteen in four worldwide locations
• Coordinated the set up of the offshore trading company in Hong Kong and logistics center in South China
• Signed off as principal accounting officer on Company’s S-1 filings which were completed on schedule
• Revamped revenue process resulting in removal MW and an overall reduction in delinquent chargebacks of $2M
DANIEL BENAS Page Two
MONOLITHIC POWER SYSTEMS (MPWR), San Jose, CA; Vice President – Corporate Controller 2006 – 2009
Recruited to turn around the financial organization of a $180M publicly traded firm facing numerous legal challenges and de-
listment from NASDAQ.
• Directed the successful 3-year restatement within two months of hire which enabled the company to avoid being de-listed
• Successfully took company through Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) remediation curing five material weaknesses and established
normal financial operations with timely closes
• Rebuilt the financial staff with the recruitment of 8 key hires and termination of non-performers; managed WW staff of 20
• Set up operations and hired financial staff for new manufacturing facility in Chengdu
INFINERA CORPORATION (INFN), Sunnyvale, CA; Vice President – Finance/Corporate Controller 2001 – 2006
Employee number 37 in a telecom networking manufacturer utilizing proprietary semiconductor technology. Company created
the first digital optical network reducing product size by 2/3 and cost by 50%
• Secured a $30M debt package with Silicon Valley Bank. Package also contained working capital financing
• Created two asset-backed loan packages totaling $10M which reduced operating burn by 10%
• Raised $167M in Series B-E financing from venture, corporate, and international government investors
• Coordinated auction procurement tasks enabling Indium Phosphide Fab to be built for $15M
• Established an Indian subsidiary to perform software development saving $8M annually utilizing a government-sponsored tax
holiday program; led site selection in Bangalore
• Drove turnkey outsource-manufacturing process saving $10M+/yr.
• Involved in setting up initial $140M revenue transaction with Level 3 which led to IPO
• Led team that implemented Microsoft-Great Plains ERP system in preparation for IPO
• Managed Human Resources, IT and Facilities departments in 2003-2004
CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR (CY), San Jose, CA 1989 – 2001
Vice President – Corporate Finance (1999 – 2001)
Led a 42-person team in a $1.3B corporation. Managed Internal, External and SEC Reporting, Consolidations, Financial and
Strategic Planning, Shared Services and Financial IT Systems. Coordinated the annual audit as well as interfaced with audit
committee. Oversaw preparation for Board of Director’s meetings and analyst conferences.
• Led overhaul of capital acquisition & planning processes resulting in the successful completion of over $1B in capital projects
• Negotiated and integrated ten successful acquisitions (totaling $300M annual revenue)
• Implemented new versions of Oracle and Ariba Travel and Expense system
• Drove process improvements in finance transactional functions that enabled successful transfer to Cypress Philippines
Director – Worldwide Sales and Marketing Finance (1998 – 1999)
• Directed all financial planning and accounting activities in support of Sales & Marketing worldwide including revenue and
distributor accounting, commissions, and A/R
• Led multiple cross-functional process re-engineering teams including automating and streamlining the consignment process
which led to channel growth of $60M in one year
• Simplified and automated the Distributor Accounting system saving the Company $3M per year in false debits
Finance Director – Worldwide Manufacturing (1996 – 1998)
• Directed financial planning and accounting for all manufacturing entities- $16M improvement in profitability during tenure
• Set up Finance department for the first 100% Cypress-owned Asian plant in the Philippines; part of site development team
• Transferred most manufacturing, cost accounting, and transactional activities to the Philippines saving $400K/year
Controller, Production Control Manager and Business Unit Manager-Datacom Division (1989-1995)
• Member of management team that grew division from $6M to $250M becoming the most profitable in CY
• On team that did initial offshoring at CY moving to assembly and test facilities in Thailand dropping product costs over 50%
• Led production control team meeting or exceeding forecasts for eight consecutive quarters
• Ran EOL business unit, profitably harvesting end of life products
XEROX CORPORATION (XRX), Fremont and Santa Clara, CA 1982 – 1989
Senior Auditor /Manufacturing Financial Planning Manager/Memorywriter Controller
OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM (OXY), Houston, TX – Treasury 1981 – 1982
LAVENTHOL AND HORWATH CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS (Size-#10 worldwide) 1980 – 1981
EDUCATION / ACCREDITATIONS
UCLA – ANDERSON SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT, Los Angeles, CA, MBA – Finance
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA (HAAS), Berkeley, CA, B.S., Business Administration – Honors
CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT – California (active) and Texas (active)
PLATINA NETWORKS- Finance Technical Advisor- Santa Clara, CA-Series A networking company 2015-Present
ATLAS MAGNETICS- Finance Advising CFO—Reno NV, L’viv-Ukraine—Series A semiconductor company 2021-Present
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 26 August 2025, 1:56pm
Receipt number 78
Related form version 17
Name david wu
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City palo alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
Community Group
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
documents is not required for selection.
Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2017)
Zoning Code
City Charter
California Environmental Quality Act
El Camino Real Design Guidelines
El Camino Real Master Plan Study (2007)
Area Plans such as the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) I (2000) and II (2003) Plans
Baylands Master Plan (2008)
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: david wu
Link to signature
Date Completed 08/26/2025
3 of 3
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 15 February 2026, 11:34am
Receipt number 89
Related form version 18
Name Ellen Shay
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
Other: conversations with other residents
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Registered nurse, currently doing paperwork and collection for husband's
consulting business and our housefhold
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
I received a Bachelors of Science in Nursing at the University of Washing in
1979 and have been registered in Washington, New York, and California. I
worked in burns, cardiac, ICU, and psychiatry units in Seattle and the New
York area. I went to library school for one year at the University of
Washington. I published two short stories in Between the Heartbeats, a
collection of creative writing by nurses.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I volunteered at the Crisis Clinic in Seattle from about 1978 to 1982. I
volunteered for community outreach for the Burn Unit at Harborview
Hospital in Seattle. I was the recording secretary for the PTA for 3 years at a
middle school in Arlington, MA and am now for Chapter HV of P.E.O, since
2025. I volunteered in several capacities in all my children's schools during
all the years they were students, in Palo Alto and Arlington, MA, from 1995
to 2012. This included volunteering in the Science Lab at Gunn High School
for 3 years. I'm on the Communication Committee and the Grants Committee
for the Womans' Club of Palo Alto. I currently volunteer in a store that P.E.O.
uses to raise money for women's scholarships. I am the Palo Alto
Neighborhoods representative for Esther Clark Park, starting in fall of 2025.
I'm in three books, two of which I started. I monitor and assist my elderly
neighbors.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Planning & Transportation
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I'm interested in serving on the Planning and Transportation Commission
because I've seen recently how important it is in my own neighborhood and
interested in what's happening in other neighborhoods. I'm enjoying learning
about how my city works. I don't have experience as a public politician, but I
take charge when it's needed. I enjoy doing research and analysis. I'm
currently the recording secretary for one organization. I'm a good writer in
general and a slightly published short story writer. I feel I can express myself
effectively when speaking as well. Two of the things I learned as an RN are
the importance of teamwork, and also the importance of speaking up for
needed change.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
I became the PAN representative for Esther Clark Park in the Fall of 2025.
The residents have multiple concerns, especially the Stream Corridor
Protection Ordinance. This has taught me how important it is to be aware of
what's happening in City Hall and to help others know also. I've only been to
one City Council meeting and one Planning and Transportation Meeting so
far. I've watched parts of several PTC meetings. I've read the guidelines for
Meeting Participation and will study them more carefully. I'm reading my
Palo Alto Weekly more carefully and learning to use the City of Palo Alto
website.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Planning
and Transportation Commission achieve, and how would you help in
the process?
Contribute to Palo Alto Comprehensive Plan for 2040 in areas that affect
planning and transportation. Evaluate adequacy of current data-collecting by
consultants, city staff, and commissions, particulary as it affects planning
and transportation. Improve safety of crosswalks for roads with 35 MPH
speed limit, possibly by addition of pedestrian-activated flashing lights.
Explore communication about city issues with local news sources by meeting
reporting and editing staff of The Daily Post, Palo Alto online, the Palo Alto
Weekly, and Mayor Ed Laing. Learn more about Builders' Remedy and how
to increase density while minimizing negative impact on residents.
Application Questions
2 of 3
4. Planning and Transportation Commission Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these
documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these
documents is not required for selection.
Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2017)
Zoning Code
City Charter
California Environmental Quality Act
El Camino Real Design Guidelines
El Camino Real Master Plan Study (2007)
Area Plans such as the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) I (2000) and II (2003) Plans
Baylands Master Plan (2008)
I've read parts of the Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan, especially the
part in the Natural Environment section about stream setbacks which are
currently being discussed for consideration of the revision of the Stream
Corridor Protection Ordinance. I've looked at the next four documents but
need to read them more thoroughly. I'm a fast learner and rscanner of
written materials.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Ellen Shay
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/15/2026
3 of 3
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 18 February 2026, 9:01pm
Receipt number 93
Related form version 18
Name Forest Olaf Peterson
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
Other: Incumbent
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 4
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Engineer
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
At Palo Alto Data Group, I lead product development in labor standards
enforcement. At Stanford, I am a distinguished research affiliate and
consulting faculty member at CIFE. Prior to my engineering career, I built
hundreds of homes—including my own in the Sierras—before starting in
heavy construction as a concrete laborer.
My doctorate is a joint degree from Stanford Engineering and the Doerr
School of Sustainability with an emphasis in CS. This was after attending the
UNR Economics program.
I served a year of public service as the first investigator in the County's
Division of Equity and Social Justice, where I led COVID compliance efforts.
The doctorate requires an industry component, which I completed in
software at Cadwork Informatik in Basel and Rhumbix in San Francisco. Prior
to this, I was a design-build engineer on Reno's rail corridor. I paid for my
education by shoveling concrete.
See my professional and educational history linkedin.com/in/forest-peterson
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
During COVID-19, I co-led 501c3 Step Forward's outreach project,
encouraging the workforce to report concerns via social media.
I care about environmental sustainability: the Camp Fire destroyed my home
and community and took the lives of my neighbors.
I have three kids in public schools: Greene, Paly, and Foothill College.
I participate in council and board meetings across the County through
community groups:
2021-26 Chair, Valley Water, bond flood protection subcommittee
2021-26 Chair, National Academy Transportation Research Board, AI
subcommittee
2021-26 President, SV Working Blue Dem Club
2020-25 Director, SCC Construction Careers Association 501c3
My grandmothers were feminists, and I honor them by supporting women
through the League of Women Voters and Parents in Academia. I mentored
Dr. Montoya's thesis in feminism at UC Irvine, "Promoting Equitable
Pathways in Engineering and Career Technical Education."
See my volunteering history linkedin.com/in/forest-peterson
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Planning & Transportation
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
My perspective is common to Palo Alto, though underrepresented on the
PTC. I am a father of three, an apartment resident with a blue-collar
background, and a daily patron of public transportation. For the past decade,
I've walked 45 minutes to my lab at Stanford, and my family relies on a
network of walkways, rail, buses, air travel, and rideshare. We made the
carless leap and never looked back!
For thirty years, I've worked in the built environment. For the past few years,
I've volunteered with policy-focused groups. My expertise is in information
models, which will become a focus of regional planning through AI-based
visualizations across a range of 'what if' scenarios.
Application Questions
2 of 4
Policy Visions:
(1) Work with staff and the Commission on acceptable compromises.
(2) Define development agreements that include data-driven community
impact mitigations.
(3) Advocate for public transit networks linked to affordable housing, similar
to the excellent example of the teacher housing at 231 Grant.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
A riparian information model!
I enjoyed participating in the return of the proposed 18.4.140 stream
corridor. The current design flooded in '19 and 22. The proposal incorporates
the '07 water collab guideline. However, a complexity issue is at play: 2,600
scenarios across 3 segments, 3 types of channels, etc. -- required a
simplified approach, and I made a motion to split the proposal into separate
urban and rural measures.
During the discussion, staff explored my advocacy of bioswales to limit
runoff in the Stanford Community Plan (see Land Ch6). Unfortunately, there
is insufficient habitat to retain the cfm runoff from creeks draining Stanford
lands that have been deforested by grazing.
Again, I propose an info model visual of the complexity to highlight the 200
likely problem lots of 6,600, which Reckdahl (1:59:55), Summa (2:27:00),
and, to some degree, Hechtman (2:39:00) asked for.
Also, our Palo Alto rail corridor would be my third (Reno 2004 and High-
speed 2011).
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Planning
and Transportation Commission achieve, and how would you help in
the process?
My first priority is to continue the commission's focus on reducing staff time
demands by limiting ad hoc follow-ups and using clear priorities.
Second priority, we should increase the use of technology, particularly for
significant developments. I chair a Digital Twin subgroup (information
modeling and artificial intelligence) at the National Academy of Sciences'
Transportation Research Board. That method of modeling as part of
planning is not often used. I bring that focus to the Water District, where it
has understandably been a process as capabilities develop. The Palo Alto
planning and transportation departments could benefit from information
models.
And, Third, my priority is to balance short-term livability needs with long-
term sustainability goals, with respect to environmental and social
objectives.
4. Planning and Transportation Commission Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these
documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these
documents is not required for selection.
Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2017)
Zoning Code
City Charter
California Environmental Quality Act
El Camino Real Design Guidelines
El Camino Real Master Plan Study (2007)
Area Plans such as the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) I (2000) and II (2003) Plans
Baylands Master Plan (2008)
CEQA: I have a working knowledge of the California Environmental Quality
Act through my work on large public works projects. During the Stanford
General Use Permit (GUP), I successfully co-led a community organization in
what was then a controversial effort to include community impacts
mitigation in the CEQA public discussion, and I also acquired familiarity with
the County General Plan.
Baylands Master Plan: In my role as chair of the Water District bond flood
control subcommittee, I am familiar with the Baylands Plan within the San
Francisquito Creek JPA.
Comprehensive and El Camino Plans: Regarding the Comprehensive and El
Camino Corridor plans, I have general experience with similar corridor
documents throughout my thirty years in the built environment professions:
some of which I have taught at Stanford, and others I have worked
extensively with professionally.
3 of 4
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
cv_f_peterson.pdf
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Forest Olaf Peterson, PhD
Uploaded signature image: forest_peterson_signature5c1afcd2e1877.png
Date Completed 02/18/2026
4 of 4
Forest Olaf Peterson
BIOGRAPHICAL AND BIBLIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Forest Olaf Peterson
Stanford University, Doerr School of Sustainability,
and Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Center for Integrated Facility Engineering
The Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment and Energy Building
473 Via Ortega, Room 293, MC: 4020, Stanford, CA 94305-4020, USA
Currently: Staff Research Affiliate
ACADEMIC HISTORY
COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
Stanford University
Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering, emphasis in computer science , 2020
Dissertation: Communication to Align Ideal with Reality: A Contribution to Virtual Design and Construction
Theory for Infrastructure Projects
Committee: Martin Fischer (PI), Burcu Akinci, Michael Lepech, Rishee Jain, Terry Winograd, Stephen Luby M.D.
University of Nevada, Reno
Master of Science in Economics degree candidate
SCHOLARSHIPS AND HONORS
ECMCF Postdoctoral Fellow in Postsecondary Career Technical Education Research
The John F. P. Brahtz Fellow in Civil Engineering
Stanford University Clarkson Oglesby Graduate Fellow
Stanford University Homer Olsen Fellow
Stanford University Construction Engineering Management Fellow
Center for Integrated Facility Engineering Seed Award
Stanford University Dean E. Stephan / Charles Pankow Builders Stanford Fellow
RELEVANT COURSEWORK
Macro and Monetary Economics (6-semester units)
Real Analysis (3-semester units) and Linear Algebra (3-semester units)
Programming in C++ (Stanford CS 106 series)
ACADEMIC RESEARCH APPOINTMENT HISTORY
2023 to Present: Center for Integrated Facility Engineering, Stanford University School of Engineering
Staff Research Affiliate
Project: Ethnographies in Workforce Virtual Design and Construction
Sept 2020 to 2022: Joint North Carolina State University College of Education and the Center for
Integrated Facility Engineering, Stanford University School of Engineering
Postdoctoral Fellow
Project: Ethnographies in Workforce Virtual Design and Construction
Extension of doctoral thesis on the OARplan-based feedback-loop ontology for construction planning,
integrating change detection and human-in-the-loop models informed by Suchmanʼs situated action
framework. Through field experiments that incorporate crew perspectives into replanning for safety and
productivity, this research explores the applications of large language models and AI-based platforms to
engage the workforce in the project control and feedback cycle.
● Ontology-based AI passive detection of non-compliance with the US Davis-Bacon Act: Collaboration
with union-affiliated multiemployer pension and benefit funds that jointly finance retirement, healthcare,
and apprenticeship programs. These funds support workforce development, which directly influences
labor productivity, unit costs, and project outcomes.
Research (2020–2021): Full-time embedded ethnography with a government agency in a labor
standards investigator role and a machine learning pilot with DataKind SF in collaboration with the
U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division.
Validation (2021–2023): Contributions appear as the first ML-based enforcement prioritization tool in
loca policy settings.
Implementation (2023–present): Tech transfer with public policy legislation.
● Human–AI Interaction in a Workforce Education Project-based Learning Model: Advancement of
Applied STEM Career and Technical Education (AS-CTE) in Virtual Design and Construction through
mentorship of two doctoral researchers, in collaboration with union-affiliated multiemployer funds—joint
financiers of apprenticeship programs. This research develops a method to bridge the opportunity gaps
that limit workforce participation in project control and feedback loops as embedded agents within
adaptive, AI-enabled construction systems.
Research (2020–2024): Part-time embedded ethnography, workforce post-secondary educator with
regional CTE education centers in a faculty role
Validation (2020–2025): Additional full-time and part-time embedded ethnographies in collaboration
with Warschauerʼs UC Irvine Digital Learning Lab
Implementation (2024–present): Tech transfer with public education partners—the Workforce VDC PBL
curriculum is now used at all Silicon Valley region secondary and post-secondary CTE construction
programs at and has been adopted by several apprenticeship education centers.
● Socioeconomic Factors of the Workforce: Ethnographic col aboration required acknowledging tensions
in the target environment—including wage theft, labor standards compliance, and evolving models of
human capital—to meet ethical obligations to the workforce as action partners in the above focus areas.
To fulfill Industry Review Board requirements for adherence to cultural norms and collaborative
interpretation, this research addresses CTE issues such as opportunity gaps, traditional human capital
framings, and hegemonic masculinity in curricula.
2 of 14 1/16/2026–Peterson
June 2010 to Dec 2020: Center for Integrated Facility Engineering, Stanford University School of
Engineering
Doctoral Research Assistant—Civil rail/highway Virtual Design and Construction
Project: Ontology of Feedback Loops in Construction Planning
Research (2011–2012): Embedded Ethnography Journeyman “Virtual Technician” Laborer
Immersive fieldwork across the Laborersʼ International Union of North America (LiUNA), RGW Construction,
and DPR Construction as an embedded laborer to support advisory research on VDC implementation.
Findings contributed to construction feedback- oop ontology design for safe and adaptive replanning.
Hospital: Developed workforce VDC education curriculum in monthly one-week sprints as a subject matter
expert at the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, Las Vegas Training Center, concurrent with West Merced.
Rail: West Merced Overhead Project on State Route 99—10-0K0204, $33M—Civil Virtual Design and
Construction (VDC), RGW served as a proxy test platform, replicating the demographics of Granite
Construction regarding laborers and heavy equipment.
Validation (2013–2016): Supplemental policy review and quantitative analysis
Implementation (2017–2020): Tech transfer with industry partner cadwork Informatik AG, CH
Jan 2008 to June 2010: Center for Integrated Facility Engineering, Stanford University School of
Engineering
Graduate Research Assistant—BIM Engineer/VDC Engineer
Research (2008): Model-based Quantities Collection and Control (CIFE seed award)
Implementation (2010): Tech transfer with industry partner Stanford University Land, Buildings, and Real Estate
on the Stanford Law School William H. Neukom Building; Precast Concrete Institute PCI) Sustainable Design
Award and Best University Project (2012)—Unified BIM coordination of BIM process design, MEP-FS clash
detection, observation and documentation of processes I observed contractor aversion to electronic
scheduling, and a phenomenon of faking the BIM coordination
AWARDS AND CERTIFICATES
AWARDS
PBL Lab Mentor Appreciation, issued by Doer School of Sustainability, Dr. Renate Fruchter
Certificate of Reviewing by the Editors of Automation in Construction (Elsevier)
Stanford University GradEd Champion for Commitment to Graduate Students
Commendation by the City of San Jose: “Bringing Awareness of Wage Theft in the Construction Industry”
Certificate of Outstanding Contribution in Reviewing by the Editors of Automation in Construction (Elsevier)
Zero Waste—Swinerton Challenge: CIFE Project-based Learning AEC Global Teamwork (team owner)
Best Carbon Neutral Construction—Swinerton Challenge: CIFE Project-based Learning AEC Global Teamwork
California Construction Award of Merit: Green Building—Stanford Y2E2 Building
American Public Works Association (APWA) Public Works Project of the Year—ReTRAC
CERTIFICATES
Transportation Research Board, Highway Engineering Exchange Program (HEEP), and buildingSMARTUSA BIM
for Infrastructure—Using Model-Based Digital Delivery in Design and Construction; 2 hrs.
Autonomous Drone—Stanford Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Enthusiastic Engineers (SUAVE); 12 hrs.
CE News-Zweig White Designing with BIM on Large Transportation Projects; 2 hrs.
PCI Solutions advanced CPM scheduling with Primavera PM (P3); Inst. Charlie Jackson; 32 hrs.
3 of 14 1/16/2026–Peterson
SCHOLARLY PUBLICATIONS
ResearchGate: 216 Research Interest, 18 recommendations
Google Scholar: 340 citations, h-index 6
Scopus Author ID: 35099034000
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9694-8434
REFEREED PUBLICATIONS PUBLISHED
Montoya, J., Peterson, F., Kinslow II, A., and Bustamante, A. “Fiddlers Green College: Looking for Equitable
Workforce Pathways in Silicon Valley,” Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education (2021).
Peterson, F., Hartmann, T., Fruchter, R., and Fischer, M. “Teaching construction project management with BIM
support: Experience and lessons learned,” Automation in Construction (2010), doi:10.1016/j.autcon.2010.09.009
PUBLICATIONS IN PREPARATION
Peterson, F. and Fischer, M. “A Discrepancy Ontology for Representing Communication about Activities from Crew
to Field Engineer,” Journal TBD, (in preparation).
Peterson, F. and Akinci, B. “Augmented Indexicality Knowing-How: A Philosophical Model of References to Detect
Gaps in Shared Understanding,” Journal TBD, (in preparation).
Peterson, F. and Lepech, M. “Discrepancy Maximum Boundary: Crew as Principal Replanning Actor,” Journal TBD,
(in preparation).
Thai, B., Silver Taube, R., Modica, J., Peterson, F., and Fischer, M. “Child Care in Silicon Valley: A Policy Proposal on
Labor Standards, Equity, and Affordable Housing Infrastructure,” Stanford University CIFE Working Paper ##,
(in preparation).
Montoya, J., Peterson, F., and Bonilla, S. "Opportunity Gap and Women in the Energy Infrastructure Workforce."
Journal TBD, (in preparation).
Montoya, J., Lundell, R., Peterson, F., Tarantino, S., Ramsey, M., Katz, G., Bini, D., Fruchter, R., Fischer, M., and
Warschauer, M. “Shifting Perceptions of Building Industry Occupations Through Project-based Learning,”
Journal TBD, (in preparation).
THESES
F. Peterson, “Communication to Align Ideal with Reality: A Contribution to Virtual Design and Construction Theory
for Infrastructure Projects,” Thesis Ph.D., Stanford University, 2020.
F. Peterson, “A Study of Input and Output Field Quantification in Heavy Civil Construction,” Thesis Engineer,
Stanford University, 2015.
REFEREED CONFERENCE OR SYMPOSIA PROCEEDINGS
Lundell, R., Montoya, J., Peterson, F., Kinslow, A., II., Fruchter, R., Fischer, M., Bustamante, A. S., Nava, P. “Looking
Beyond Fiddlers Green College: Social Justice in Workforce Engineering Education Pathways,” IACEE2022
Proceedings 18th World Conference on Continuing Engineering Education, July 2022.
Montoya, J., Peterson, F., and Bonilla, S. "Opportunity Gap and Women in the Energy Infrastructure Workforce."
8th International Research Symposium on PBL, Educate for the future: PBL, Sustainability and Digitalization,
Aalborg University, Denmark, August 2020.
Montoya, J., Peterson, F., Tarantino, S., Lundell, R., Ramsey, M., Katz, G., Baldini, R., Fruchter, R., and Fischer, M.
“Building Sustainable Communities: A Project-based Learning Approach to Modify Student Perceptions of the
Building Industry,” Proceedings of the 2018 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings, Pacific
Grove, CA, August 12, 2018.
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Tarantino, S., Peterson, F., Cooper, A., Struthers, N., and Fischer, M. “Community-Scale Research-based Integrated
Education Experience,” Proceedings of the 2016 ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings,
Pacific Grove, CA, August 21, 2016.
Peterson, F., Fischer, M., Seppänen, O., Tutti, T., See, R., and Wingate, T. “Teaching Integrated Scope-Cost Methods
with Model-based Tools,” A. Dikbas, E. Ergen, H. Giritli (Editors), “Proceedings of the 26th International
Conference on Managing IT in Construction / Managing Construction for Tomorrow,” 2010 Taylor and Francis
Group, London, UK, pp 63–73, 2009. ISBN 978-0-415-56744-2
Peterson, F. and Fischer, M. “Programming for Field Engineering Quantity Collection: A Case Study,” in B.H.V.
Topping, L.F. Costa Neves, R.C. Barros (Editors), “Proceedings of the Twelfth International Conference on Civil,
Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing,” Civil-Comp Press, Stirlingshire, UK, Paper 291, 2009.
doi:10.4203/ccp.91.291
Peterson, F. and Fischer, M. “Project Monitoring Methods Exploratory Case Analysis: Industry Responses,” C. Caldas,
W. OʼBrian (Editors), “Computing in Civil Engineering: Proceedings of the 2009 ASCE International Workshop
on Computing in Civil Engineering,” ASCE, Austin, Texas, U.S., pp 105–114, 2009. doi:10.1061/41052(346)11
Peterson, F., Fischer, M., and Tutti, T. “Integrated Scope-Schedule-Cost Model System for Civil Works,” K. Belloni, J.
Kojima, I. Seppä (Editors), “VTT Symposium 258: 1st International Conference on Improving Construction and
Use Through Integrated Design Solutions,” Julkaisija - Utgivare, Helsinki, Finland, pp 176–199, 2009. ISBN
978-951-38-6341-8
TECHNICAL REPORTS AND WORKING PAPERS ( SELECTED )
Tayag, M., Silver Taube, R., Mondina, F., Nasol, K., Kinslow, II., A., Peterson, F. “Wage Theft in Low-Wage Industries:
Mixed Methods Research in Silicon Valley,” Stanford University CIFE Working Paper 147, November 2021.
Martin, P., Costa, D., Rutledge, R., and Peterson, F. “Labor Standards Enforcement in California Agriculture,”
Workforce perspectives with technology solutions, Agricultural Labor Research University of California, Davis,
March 2021.
Johnson, T., Peterson, F., Silver Taube, R., Myers, M., and Fischer, M. "Predicting, Analyzing, and Educating on
Wage Theft with Machine Learning Tools." 2nd Annual Public Works Educational Conference, 2018.
Peterson, F., Winograd, T., and Eckles, D. “Connections: Facilitating Language Pragmatics: A Heavy Civil
Engineering Breaking Point in Feedback,” Stanford University Human-Computer Interaction CS378 Working
Paper, 2010.
Peterson, F. and Fischer, M. “ Case Study: Scope-Cost-Time Integrated Model with Work Breakdown Structure ,”
Stanford University CIFE Working Paper 115, April 2009.
Peterson, F., Fischer, M., and Tutti, T. “Integrated Scope-Schedule-Cost Model System for Civil Works,” Stanford
University CIFE Working Paper 114, April 2009.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS AND GRANT PROPOSALS
California COV D-19 Workplace Outreach Project (CWOP I and II), State of California Department of Industrial
Relations (DIR) Labor and Workforce Development Agency, 2021. (funded $446,100)
“East Side Career Pathways,” 2018-22 K12 Strong Workforce Pathway (SWP) (funded $1,971,697)
“Data-Driven Wage Theft Investigations,” DataKind.SF, August 2016 (accepted for data dive)
“Worker Report,” The Workers Lab, Ruth Silver Taube Principal Investigator, 2016. (funded $20,000)
Venture Capital Proposal, Rhumbix, Greylock Partners, Series A, August 2015. (funded $6,100,000)
Venture Capital Proposal, Rhumbix, StartX, Stanford University startup accelerator, and seed round, May 2014.
(funded $1,000,000)
“Automating Activity Coding from Model and Sensor Data,” Stanford University C FE seed proposal, Professor
Martin Fischer Principal Investigator, April 24, 2008. (funded $50,000)
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TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2024: Stanford University School of Engineering and Doerr School of Sustainability
Instructor of record—Construction Project Assessment and Budgeting
Course covers construction project management fundamentals: critical path scheduling, cost
estimating/distribution using industry-standard software, with real-world project applications.
2022: Stanford University d.school
Team Coach—Design for Extreme Affordability
MV Day Workers Center challenge: A team of students from the School of Engineering and the Graduate School
of Business applied design, engineering, and business skills to create a comprehensive solution for challenges
faced by vulnerable communities in the Bay Area.
2019: Stanford University School of Engineering Sustainable Design and Construction Program
Teaching Assistant—Construction Law and Claims
Concepts of preparation and analysis of construction claims, cost overrun analysis, schedule delay analysis,
general legal principles, contracts, integrated project delivery, public-private partnerships, and resolution of
construction disputes through ADR and litigation. I was responsible for delivering supp emental lectures,
supervising the lab, and grading lab assignments and exams.
2017–Present: Stanford Continuing Studies
Lead Lecturer and Program Director—Workforce VDC
Workforce Virtual Design and Construction Summer Certificate Program with the Center for Integrated Facility
Engineering, Stanford University.
2017: Stanford University School of Engineering Sustainable Design and Construction Program
Teaching Assistant—Stanford Sustainable Living Lab (Engineering economy style)
Concepts of sustainability economics, system optimization, life cycle costing, basic project finance, and formal
decision-making theory. I was responsible for delivering supplemental lectures, supervising the lab, and grading
lab assignments.
2013: Stanford University School of Engineering Sustainable Design and Construction Program
Teaching Assistant—Building Information Modeling (BIM)
Creation, management, and application of Building Information Models (3D computer representation of
building components and geometries). Organizing and operating on models to produce architectural views,
construction documents, renderings, animations, and interface with analysis tools. I was responsible for
delivering supplemental lectures, supervising the lab, and grading lab assignments and exams.
2009–Present: Stanford University School of Engineering Sustainable Design and Construction Program
Team Owner and Construction Management Mentor/Lecturer—Global AEC
PBL pbl.stanford.edu international integration project teams, Dr. Renate Fruchter, Lead Lecturer and Program
Director.
2007 and 2008: Stanford University School of Engineering Sustainable Design and Construction Program
Teaching Assistant—Managing Fabrication and Construction
Methods to manage the physical production of construction projects, project management techniques,
production system design, and supply chain systems. Developed and lectured on lab material as well as lab
assignments and exam grading.
6 of 14 1/16/2026–Peterson
PRESENTATIONS
CONFERENCE AND PAPER PRESENTATIONS
“ Inclusive Pathways Utilizing Culturally Responsive Computing for Social Justice,” co-presented with Ryan Lundell
(ESUHSD) and Jonathan Montoya (UCI) The Educating for Careers Conference, virtual, March 2021.
“Opportunity Gap and Women in the Energy Infrastructure Workforce: Paper Presentation,” co-presented with
Jon Montoya (UCI) and Sade Bonilla (UMass), Flipped IRS PBL Moving toward a virtual PBL Community,
Aalborg University, Denmark, March 2021.
“Student Social Mobility in CTE Promoted by a Researcher-Practitioner Partnership,” co-presented with Ryan
Lundell ESUHSD and Jonathan Montoya (UCI), The Educating for Careers Conference, Long Beach, February
28, 2020.
“Predicting, Analyzing, and Educating on Wage Theft with Machine Learning Tools,” 2nd Annual Public Works
Educational Conference (co-presented with Dr. Tessa Johnson, InSight Data Science), San Jose, December 18,
2018.
“Community Scale Research-based Integrated Education Experience” Presenter, 19 th biannual Summer Study on
Energy Efficiency in Buildings, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Asilomar
Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California, August 26, 2016.
Early (pre-2015) InfraBIM and field VDC methods presentation at six peer-reviewed conferences:
National Academies TRB International Symposium on Visualization in Transportation
CIB W078 International Conference on Managing IT in Construction
Civil-Comp International Conference on Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering Computing
ASCE International Workshop on Computing in Civil Engineering
CIB IDS International Conference on Improving Construction and Use Through Integrated Design Solutions
FIATECH Technology Conference and Showcase
INVITED PRESENTATIONS
Lectures on InfraBIM and field VDC at Stanford University Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2009–2020
CEE-CIFE Research Seminars
CIFE VDC Certificate Program 2008 and 2009 founding lectures
CEE 100 Managing Sustainable Building Projects
CEE 222 Global Architectural, Engineering, and Construction
CEE 241 Managing Fabrication and Construction
CEE 211 Integrating and Optimizing the AEC Design Process
CEE 215 Defining and Communicating the AEC Design Process
Lectures on InfraBIM and field VDC at San José State University Civil Engineering, 2010–2015
CE131 Project Management for Civil Engineers
CE239 Information Technology in Construction
“Integrated Scope-Schedule-Cost,” Civil engineering undergrad course, Universidad de Los Andes, September 30,
2021.
“Integrated Scope-Schedule-Cost,” Workforce Virtual Design and Construction program, Center for Integrated
Facility Engineering, September 16, 2021.
“Foundational Rework,” Stanford University, Human-Computer Interaction Group, Computer Science Department
Lunch Talk, March 31, 2021.
“Infrastructure-Virtual Design and Construction,” University of California, Santa Cruz, February 2020.
7 of 14 1/16/2026–Peterson
“Industry Foundation Classes: A heavy construction case,” Transportation Research Board meeting, Washington
D.C., January 2020.
“Workforce Virtual Design and Construction,” Poster session presented at the STEM Core Convening, SLAC,
Stanford University, March 7-8, 2019.
“Workforce technologies development,” Laborersʼ International Union of North America, September 14, 2018.
“Introduction to Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) Project Control with Integrated Building Information
Modeling (BIM),” Invited Guest Lecture at Google to the Real Estate and Works Spaces Group and the Data
Center Construction Group, December 10, 2015.
“Lead Paint and Housing Repairs at Stanford Escondido Village,” Invited Guest Lecture at International Union of
Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 16, April 8, 2015—presented on labor standards and
hazardous material risks in campus family housing; part of a broader collaboration on public interest
construction education.
“Apprentice Virtual Technician,” Guest Lecture at the Northern California “Terence J. OʼSullivan” Laborers
Training Center, December 16, 2011—initiated a long-term research collaboration with LiUNA on
field-integrated VDC, which formed the foundation for PhD work on labor-informed construction technology.
PRESS COVERAGE
Palo Alto Online, 2024, From the ground up
San Jose Spotlight, 2024, San Jose wage theft policy compromises with developers
DIR Apprenticeship News, 2022, Virtual Design and Construction Apprenticeship Program Brings Tech to the
Trades
Comunidad del Valle, 2022, Roofers Take Over Stanford University
The Stanford Daily, 2020, COVID-19 protections for contracted workers at Escondido Village spark safety concerns
CIFE News, 2020, Forest Peterson elected to the board of the Santa Clara County Construction Careers Association
The Stanford Daily, 2014, Slipping through the Cracks, Part II: whY(2E2) So Serious?
8 of 14 1/16/2026–Peterson
PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEES , CONFERENCE SESSIONS , WORKSHOPS , AND SEMINARS ORGANIZED
2024 Seminar: The System Dynamics of School-Industry Partnerships
2024 Seminar: Workforce PBL Education and Lessons in Ethnography
2018 Workshop: Creating a Pathway to High-Skill Jobs in Construction
UNIVERSITY SERVICES
2014–Present Stanford University Parents in Academia: co-founded and advocate for undergrad, grad,
postdoc, and staff
2017–2020 Stanford Solidarity Network, co-founded
2015–2020 National Electrical Contractors Association Stanford University Student Chapter, co-founded
2017–2019 Stanford Coalition for Planning an Equitable 2035, co-founded: this coalition led a multi-year
policy and advocacy campaign during Stanfordʼs General Use Permit environmental review.
Coordinated public testimony, drafted labor and housing policy conditions, and mobilized city
and county support for equitable development. The coalitionʼs influence prompted a formal
response from Stanford University disputing the groupʼs standing.
2015–2016 Civil and Environmental Engineering Department Graduate Life Council: SDC program
representative
2008 The Vice Provost for Student Affairs Graduate Housing Advisory Committee
MENTORSHIP
Practitioner-Ethnographer Research
Mentorship and IRB-aligned supervision of embedded ethnographic dissertations by full-time professionals in
construction and affiliated sectors contributing to knowledge through situated, long-duration fieldwork.
2022–2025: EdD student Ryan Lundell at Santa Clara University, “Moving Beyond Human Capital: Constructivism,
Critical Pedagogy, and Interdisciplinary Collaboration in a Building and Construction Pathway”
2020–2023: PhD student Anthony Perry at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, “Conceptualizing and
Investigating Student Pathways into Secondary STEM-CTE Concentrations” (Asst. Professor U. North Dakota)
2020–2023: PhD student Jonathan Montoya at UC Irvine, “Promoting Equitable Pathways in Engineering and Career
Technical Education” (Asst. Professor St. Maryʼs College of California)
Civil Engineering Research
2025–Present: PhD student Devan Addison-Turner at Stanford University, “Quantifying the Impact of Building
Energy Efficiency Retrofits and Nature Exposure on Chronic Student Absenteeism”
2022–Present: PhD student Allie Ćemalović at Stanford University, “Bringing in Blue-Collar Construction Workersʼ
Perspectives on Production”
2021–2022: Stanford SDC Masters—Workforce VDC, Melissa Lopez (Project Manager, Leading Edge LLC), Julia
Lind (Sr. Project Engineer, R&S), Kai Ling Liang (Engineer, Thornton Tomasetti), Alan Figot (Consulting
Manager, CBRE), Indulatha Kolli (Business Analyst, DPR Construction), Nicolas Abello (Associate Project
Manager, Sprigpoint Group)
2020–2022: Workforce VDC Alumni, Bill Wise (Gavilan College Faculty), Jose Ochoa (Evergreen Valley College
Faculty), Ben Ellison (Evergreen Valley College Faculty), Jeramiah Ellison (Evergreen Valley College Faculty),
Dennis Meakin (San Jose City College Faculty), Erica Valentine (Foothill College Faculty), Aster Tseng (UPC
Technical Committee Member), Kyle Dobrenz (San Jose City College Faculty)
2021–2022: East Side High School Students—Workforce VDC, Anahi Rodriguez (2020), Arturo Espinoza (2020),
Emily Chien (2020), Royce Wong (2020–2022)
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Public Policy Research
2017–2022: Wage and Hour Public Policy: Michael Tyag (Stanford ʻ13, Yale Law School), Katherine Nasol
(Stanford ʻ15, UC Davis PhD)
2020–2021: Stanford Undergrads—Workers App, Alex Oseguera (CS ʻ22 - Meta), Manuka Stratta (CS ʻ22 - Open AI),
Angel Pan (CS ʻ21 - Roblox), Ryan Tan (CS ʻ23 - Glean), Victoria Ayres Ibarra (EE ʻ24 - NEI Power)
2024: Foothill College Students—Workforce Public Policy: Thao Tran, Vivian Tran, Priscilla Rodrigues, Heldana
Desta, Katie Ngo, Stella Tran, Shaur Kadiyala, Khadijah Abdalla, Uriel Barrón
2024: High School Student—Workforce Public Policy: Karthi Gottipati (Paly ʻ25 - Claremont McKenna College)
OUTSIDE SERVICES — PUBLIC INTEREST , TECHNOLOGY , AND WORKFORCE POLICY
2025–Present: Commissioner, Palo Alto Planning and Transportation Commission, appointed by Palo Alto City
Counci
2022–Present Steering Committee, Apprenticeship Bachelor Degree Curriculum, Foothill College
2021–Present Chair, Flood Protection subcommittee: Santa Clara Valley Water District—Safe, Clean Water &
Natural Flood Protection: Independent Monitoring Committee (appointment by Board of
Directors)
2021–Present Co-chair, Digital Twin InfraBIM and AI sub-group of the Data, Planning, and Analysis Group
(AED) Visualization in Transportation (AED80), National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine, Transportation Research Board (TRB)
2021–Present Voting member of AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, elected delegate by membership of the
Service Employees International Union
2021–Present Chair and Secretary-Treasurer, Palo Alto Data Group Board of Directors
2020–Present 501c3 Director, Santa Clara County Construction Careers Association: Founded a student-run
organization that provides continuing education to community colleges, apprentice programs,
and high school instructors—1,000+ participants
2017–Present Legal Observer, National Lawyers Guild, SF Bay Area
2016–Present Steering Committee, Santa Clara County Wage Theft Coalition: Founded an organization of 80+
volunteers that provides data analysis and open source technology development on wage theft,
supervised by Professor Ruth Silver Taube, Esq.
JOURNAL PEER REVIEW ACTIVITY
Automation in Construction
Automation in Construction-Special Issue "BIM and Changing Construction Practices"
Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education
Journal of Management in Engineering
CONFERENCES PEER REVIEWED
International Conference of the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC)
International Workshop on Computing in Civil Engineering, ASCE, Austin, Texas, U.S.
MEMBERSHIP AND AFFILIATIONS
ASTM International, Committee E60 on Sustainability, subcommittee on Water Use and Conservation
The American Planning Association (APA) Northern California Chapter
California Association of Environmental Professionals (AEP)—Monterey/Silicon Valley Chapter
National Association of Fair Contracting (NAFC)
10 of 14 1/16/2026–Peterson
PUBLIC SERVANT EXPERIENCE
2020 to 2021: The County of Santa Clara Emergency Operations Center
Staff COVID-19 Community Public Health Enforcement Data Scientist III (concurrent assignment)
Under limited supervision, design, develop, and maintain a public health enforcement database by receiving
large datasets of county-wide health protocol applications and health enforcement inspection reports,
examining and analyzing records, recommending resolutions to public health violation trends; and
disseminating information related to COVID-19 public health enforcement to all parties within the County of
Santa Clara.
2020 to 2021: The County of Santa Clara Division of Equity and Social Justice Office of Labor Standards
Enforcement
Staff Labor Standards Investigator III
Under limited supervision, maintain an investigation caseload by receiving complaints, interviewing involved
parties, examining and analyzing accounting, business, and financial records and recommending resolutions
and/or penalties related to labor standards and wage violations; and disseminating information related to
wage regulations to all parties contracting with the County of Santa Clara.
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT
2021 to Present: Palo Alto Data Group (founding team), Palo Alto, California
Staff Engineer III
Developed labor standards enforcement technology serving 50+ government agencies and union-affiliated
benefit funds with 100% customer retention. Lead engineer for certified payroll compliance systems, wage theft
detection tools, and jobsite data analytics. Combined ethnographic research with cloud-based system design to
support Davis-Bacon Act enforcement and construction workforce policy. Company maintains enforcement
contracts across California municipalities and joint labor-management trust funds.
2014 to 2016: Rhumbix Inc. (founding team), San Francisco, California
Labor Standards Corp. Compliance Officer (concurrent)
As a founding employee (emp. #0), I developed the crew-based wearable technology concept in the StartX
incubator alongside the business founders for one year, before securing what eventually rose to over $80
million in venture capital funding. In addition to verifying technology development compliance, I led
action-partnering efforts with labor unions and contractor associations in the hazardous materials, roofing,
and waterproofing industries, earning a Bravo Zulu award for collaboration with Roofers and Waterproofers.
2007: Public Works Projects
Project Engineer (part-time)
2007: Stanford Engineering Quad Jerry Yang and Akiko Yamazaki Environment and Energy (Y2E2) Building;
LEED Platinum (2013), California Construction Award of Merit: Green Building (2008), ASHRAE Technology
Award First Place New Institutional Bui dings (2011).
2007: Granite Construction Company Bay Area Branch Project Engineer: Civil construction historical project
cost analysis for estimating ratios on horizontal construction by project type.
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2005 to 2006: Granite Construction Company, Heavy Construction Division, Western United States Region
Project Engineer, Design-Build
Reno Transportation Rail Access Corridor (ReTRAC), $470 million design-build lump sum project—American
Public Works Association (APWA) Public Works Project of the Year.
Granite Construction is one of the largest owners of a private heavy equipment fleet in North America, as
well as one of the largest employers of laborers, equipment operators, and cement masons.
These experiences later formed the basis of VDC InfraBIM and field VDC research as well as early case
studies.
Field Engineer—Design-Build, Earthwork
One of six field engineers, each supervised nine foremen, with $16M per year of self-performed operations
involving associated labor, equipment, and materials, as well as final design, scheduling, and cost,
including managing related specialty subcontractors.
Designed downtown drainage and grades to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as
designed a concrete ʻlidʼ with portals to exhaust gases from subterranean diesel locomotives.
Supervised a fleet of mass haul on-site and off-site, as well as the maintenance shop of a 60-piece heavy
equipment f eet.
2000 to Present: Laborersʼ International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 185, Sacramento, California
Journeyman (Foreman) Laborer #3807895 classification groups 1 (mechanical equipment), 2(concrete), 3
(general), asphalt rake specialist, and pneumatic drill unit specialist:
2003 Concrete Highway: R&L Brosamer I-80 West 16 miles from Boca to Floriston (03-3A21U4), white
paving prep-crew lead-man and batch-plant maintenance, $13M subcontract of $160M
2002 Concrete Highway: Kiewit Pacific NW I-80 Donner Rehabilitation (Gold Run Project) batch-plant
teardown and punch-list, $140M
2001 Concrete Highway: Cone Engineering Carquinez Bridge Crockett #04-013054 1-mile white paving
crew $3M subcontract of $120M
2001 Airport Rotunda: Cone Engineering San Francisco (SFO) International Airport International
Terminal Rotunda Reconstruction, $8M subcontract of $5B
2001 Airport Parking: Cone Engineering San Francisco (SFO) International Airport Parking Garage
Overlay, $2M subcontract of $5B
2001 Water Transmission: Azteca Construction 24-inch Loomis Basin Water Pipeline—6 miles from
Horseshoe Bar Road to Gilardi Road, Placer County Water Agency #2000-12, $4M
2000 Concrete Highway: Cone Engineering Highway 101 Healdsburg to Cloverdale, highway concrete
section remove and replace (R&R), $6M
2000 Concrete Highway Bridge: Cone Engineering Penryn Rock Springs Bridge Rehabilitation
#2A7401, I-80 deck replacement and epoxy overlay, $4M
pre-2000 non-union light construction ʻhodʼ laborer
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CONSULTING AND OTHER SIGNIFICANT STUDIES
Crew-based field technology
2022–2023: United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers field technology and supervisorsʼ
technology course; Stanford University IRB approved study and supervised by Professor Martin Fischer
Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA) field technology survey and supervisorsʼ technology
course, collaboration with Foundation for Fair Contracting; Stanford University IRB approved study and
supervised by Professor Martin Fischer
2015–2017: Collaboration with Laborers on developing an integrated field-BIM superintendent course; Martin
Fischer (CIFE), Michael Walton (CEA), Oscar De La Torre (LiUNA), Ben Kerr (Peck and Hiller Construction),
Rodney Spencley (DPR), Doyle Radford (LiUNA), and Leonard Gonzales (LiUNA); formed the basis of my Ph.D.
research
2015: Audited Labor Law and Policy, Industrial Relationships: Negotiations, Strikes, and Dispute Resolution;
National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Taught by Michael Walton (Construction Employersʼ Association) at
Stanford University
2006: Environmental Law and Policy: National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)—crew-based response to NEPA
response triggers. Taught by Mark Demuth at the University of Nevada, Reno
Horizontal infrastructure
2010: Munich Airport (MUC) Virtual Construction, 3D modeling of 3rd runway with link to cost and schedule (4D
simulation), supervised by Professor Martin Fischer
2008: San Jose International Airport Terminal Area Improvement Program ($500M) feasibility investigation of
innovative and sustainable methods used by Granite Construction, supervised by Professor C.B. Tatum
2007: Rail Corridor (ReTRAC) VDC Case Study, a retrospective look at project data through 4D simulation and
line of balance applications, I found a gap in the projectʼs as-built schedule that had made it past the project
teamʼs audits
Vertical commercial and education infrastructure
2007: Stanford Global Ecology Center Building—Design Builder Energy Model, supervised by Dr. Tobias Maile;
the mode was built for comparative cross-analysis of planned to actual energy use, the sensors in the building
provided poor quality data for the comparison, and the project was abandoned
2007: Stanford University Hospital project organization analysis with SimVision software; Turner Construction,
supervised by Professor Levitt; the analysis identified an overloaded organizational point, that when presented
to the project team was recognized as a consistent problem point in their experience—recommended splitting
the role into two salaried positions
2007: SLAC project implementation study of Virtual Design and Construction (VDC); Turner Construction and
Cupertino Electric, supervised by Professor Fischer; we found that Turnerʼs use of an abstract schedule that
ignored location, and used an inconsistent work breakdown—we presented our findings to one of Turner ʼs
subcontractors who recognized this as a problem
13 of 14 1/16/2026–Peterson
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 18 February 2026, 6:20pm
Receipt number 91
Related form version 18
Name Jeff Watt
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City PALO ALTO
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
Yes
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
Community Group
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Retired
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Education: Ph.D., Electrical Engineering, Stanford University
Work Experience:
2022-2025: Altera Corp. (an Intel Company), Altera Fellow and Principal
Investigator for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
programs on extremely high-bandwidth silicon-photonic optical interconnect
and liquid-nitrogen-temperature integrated circuits
2016-2022: Intel Corp., Intel Fellow, Silicon Design and Architect of Field
Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) Technology, responsible for leading
silicon technology pathfinding and design-technology co-optimization
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
2025-Present: Board member of the Palo Alto Historical Association
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Planning & Transportation
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I have lived in Palo Alto for over 30 years and have closely followed
planning and transportation issues throughout that time. I care deeply about
maintaining the city’s livability while improving the effectiveness of its
decision-making. I have seen projects where extended process and repeated
revisions did not necessarily produce better outcomes and believe that we
can do better.
Professionally, I am an engineer who has led highly complex, time- and
budget-constrained programs in the semiconductor industry for Intel and the
US government (DARPA). My work requires disciplined, data-driven
analysis; balancing cost, performance, and schedule; and making practical
decisions under real constraints. I also bring firsthand experience navigating
Palo Alto’s planning system, including the variance process, after building
two homes for my family here. I would contribute structured problem-
solving, focus on measurable impacts, and an emphasis on timely,
implementable outcomes.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
The recent proposed update to the Stream Corridor Protection Ordinance
(SCPO) particularly interests me. The analysis and recommendations by staff
and consultants, along with the discussion at PTC meetings highlighted to
me the importance of a more thorough data-driven approach to achieve a
balanced outcome that can be supported by the community. Environmental
protection is critical, but in this case standards should be grounded in actual
hydrologic, ecological and on-the-ground conditions, and aligned with
regional guidance. The impact on property owners' reasonable and long-
established use of their property must be very carefully weighed against the
intended benefit of the ordinance. In the case of the SCPO, the significant
amount of feedback from the community late in the process illustrates the
opportunity for improved outreach in the future. This issue also reflects the
broader need for disciplined analysis and balanced tradeoffs in Commission
decisions.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Planning
and Transportation Commission achieve, and how would you help in
the process?
If appointed, I would like to see the Commission advance disciplined,
evidence-based decision-making that results in balanced outcomes
supported by the community, and improve the timeliness of
recommendations to Council. The PTC plays an important role in ensuring
that staff analysis is rigorous, alternatives are clearly evaluated, and
decisions are grounded in measurable impacts.
Application Questions
2 of 3
I would support these goals by applying structured, data-driven analysis and
focusing discussions on constraints, feasibility, and long-term outcomes. My
experience managing complex programs under cost and schedule pressures
would help keep deliberations focused and balanced, while maintaining high
community standards and improving predictability in the planning process.
4. Planning and Transportation Commission Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these
documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these
documents is not required for selection.
Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2017)
Zoning Code
City Charter
California Environmental Quality Act
El Camino Real Design Guidelines
El Camino Real Master Plan Study (2007)
Area Plans such as the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) I (2000) and II (2003) Plans
Baylands Master Plan (2008)
I have experience with Chapter 4 of the 2030 Comprehensive Plan on the
Natural Environment Element due to my interest in the Streamside Corridor
Protection Ordinance update. This update is aligned with policy goal N-3 in
the Comprehensive Plan.
I also have experience with parts of the Zoning Code having built two
houses for my family over the past 30 years in Palo Alto. This experience
includes Chapter 18 of the Municipal Code on Zoning and Chapter 20 of the
Municipal Code covering Precise Plans including setback lines. I successfully
navigated the Palo Alto variance process to contest an error on the special
setback map pursuant to Chapter 20.08.020 which was modified by
Ordinance No. 2036 in 1961.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Jeff Watt
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/18/2026
3 of 3
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 26 January 2026, 9:40am
Receipt number 85
Related form version 18
Name Joyce Beattie
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
Email from the City
Daily Post
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Retired
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
BA Community Studies, +Social Studies @ UCSC
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Volunteer @ FOPAL, present since 2011.
Volunteered at: Repair Cafe @ MOAH; Music@Menlo; Palo Alto Gamble
Garden
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Planning & Transportation
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
As a former Bicyclist, a Pedestrian and a Palo Alto Driver, I have intimate
knowledge of our streets since 1970.
I understand the needs of students on foot or wheels, and commuters in
cars, the needs of the Elderly in our Community.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
railroad crossings
bicycle p
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Planning
and Transportation Commission achieve, and how would you help in
the process?
There is pressing need to address the backed up traffic on our streets and
how it affects the quality of life in our town.
Palo Alto is noticeably worse than the surrounding cities. It's embarrasing
and dangerous.
4. Planning and Transportation Commission Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these
documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these
documents is not required for selection.
Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2017)
Zoning Code
City Charter
California Environmental Quality Act
El Camino Real Design Guidelines
El Camino Real Master Plan Study (2007)
Area Plans such as the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) I (2000) and II (2003) Plans
Baylands Master Plan (2008)
none
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Joyce Beattie
Application Questions
2 of 3
Link to signature
Date Completed
01/26/2026
3 of 3
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 5 November 2025, 4:41pm
Receipt number 81
Related form version 17
Name Martin Blanchet
Cell Phone Number 6502319503
Home Phone Number 2126780117
Email Address m97603495@gmail.com
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address 4154 Interdale Way
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
Yes
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
Email from the City
Palo Alto Weekly
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the
attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and
understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may
revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo
Alto City Clerk.
Occupation Student
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Current Education: Senior, Gunn High School, Palo Alto.
Relevant Knowledge/Skills: Strong understanding of city government
processes through previous work with organizations; experience in civic
advocacy and project coordination.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Co-founder, Vote16 Palo Alto (2024–present): Organized youth voter
engagement campaigns, coordinated partnerships with local organizations,
and led initiatives to expand civic participation among teens.
Youth Community Service Youth Advisory Council member (2025–present):
Participated in planning and executing community service programs.
Member, Youth Advisory Board, Office of Congressman Sam Liccardo
(2025–present): Contributed to discussions on local civic initiatives and
youth engagement programs, as well as topics related to the usage of AI in
the workplace.
Partnered with Youth Community Service in Palo Alto (2024–2025) to
promote public transit awareness and accessibility for high school students
by organizing trips to local destinations and teaching students how to
navigate the public transportation system.
Personal and Job Experience
1. For which vacancy are you applying (check all that apply)?Full term, Expiring 3/31/2029
2. Why are you interested in serving on the Planning & Transportation
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in serving on the Planning and Transportation Commission
because I want to actively contribute to policies that shape our community. I
hope to bring a useful perspective as someone who regularly relies on the
city’s public services. Through my work with Vote16 Palo Alto and
partnerships with local organizations, I have gained hands-on experience in
civic engagement and local policy. I would welcome the opportunity to apply
that background on the Commission and help inform meaningful
recommendations to the City Council.
3. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
Recently, the Commission considered a proposal to build a mixed-use
building in downtown Palo Alto. This issue matters to me, because I believe
the city must do more to address affordability. According to the Palo Alto
Weekly, the average home in Palo Alto now costs $3.16 million, and prices
continue to rise. As a result, young families are increasingly priced out of the
opportunity to own a home and raise their children here. This trend has
contributed to declining enrollment in our public schools, which weakens our
community and reduces diversity. I want to offer the perspective of someone
directly affected by the city’s housing decisions, as I hope to be able to
continue living in Palo Alto when I am older.
4. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Planning
and Transportation Commission achieve, and how would you help in
the process?
If appointed, I would like to see the Commission prioritize zoning reforms
that allow more mixed-use housing near transit and commercial areas,
including around the California Avenue train station and in Downtown Palo
Alto. Expanding housing in these areas would increase affordability and help
bring our community together.
Application Questions
2 of 3
I would also like the Commission to continue strengthening bike and
pedestrian safety. Although progress has been made, important corridors,
such as segments of El Camino Real and Arastradero Road, still pose risks
for cyclists. As someone who regularly bikes throughout the city, I can help
identify where improvements are needed and ensure those considerations
are reflected in recommendations to the City Council.
To help achieve these goals, I would bring firsthand experience with local
policy advocacy and work to engage younger residents in the planning
process in order to deliver practical, data-informed recommendations to the
City Council.
5. Planning and Transportation Commission Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these
documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these
documents is not required for selection.
Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2017)
Zoning Code
City Charter
California Environmental Quality Act
El Camino Real Design Guidelines
El Camino Real Master Plan Study (2007)
Area Plans such as the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) I (2000) and II (2003) Plans
Baylands Master Plan (2008)
N/A
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Only Resume-3.pdf
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Martin Blanchet
Link to signature
Date Completed 11/05/2025
3 of 3
Martin (Iris)
Blanchet
Martin (Iris) Blanchet
4154 Interdale Way
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650.231.9503
m97603495@gmail.com.com
ㅡ
Skills Heavily invested in activism and has shown leadership skills. Problem
solving and easy adaptability to new situations. Strong interest in
political science and economics. I am fluent in both Spanish and
English. Excellent one-on-one people skills
ㅡ
Experience
Gunn Student Executive Council/ Freshman President
AUGUST 2022 - JUNE 2023, 780 ARASTRADERO ROAD
Member of the Gunn Class Council and was very involved in organizing
events and delegating tasks to other members of the student body.
YCS / YCS Summer of Service
JUNE 2023 - JULY 2024, ALTA HOUSING COMPLEX
Participated in a volunteer service program in YCS over the summer.
Assisted in organizing events among youth and helping in distributing
food to low income housing tenants.
Audiobook Recorder
JUNE 2024 - AUGUST 2024
Professionally narrated and recorded Clone of Liberty: A Journey to
Presidential Destiny, managed audio production including editing.
Delivered project within set deadlines, demonstrating strong time
management and attention to detail.
Intern with Sam Liccardo For Congress
AUGUST 2024 - NOVEMBER 2024
Intern on former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo’s campaign for
Congress, engaged directly with community members, managed
outreach efforts, and supported voter engagement initiatives.
Developed hands-on experience with campaign operations, honed
communication skills, and developed understanding of effective
grassroots organizing.
Co-Director/Co-Founder for Vote16 Palo Alto
MARCH 2025 - PRESENT
Organizing and leading a student-led campaign to lower the municipal
voting age to 16 via a ballot initiative for the November 2026 ballot,
managing signature collection efforts, coordinating volunteers, and
engaging with local policymakers and community stakeholders to
advance youth civic participation.
Teen Docent for the Los Altos History Museum
JUNE 2025 - PRESENT
Guiding visitors through exhibits and teaching them about local history
for the area, using public speaking and interpersonal skills to engage
with diverse audiences.
YCS Youth Advisory Council Member
AUGUST 2025 - PRESENT
Served on the Youth Advisory Council for Youth Community Service
(YCS), organizing volunteer events in Palo Alto and representing youth
perspectives in community planning and outreach.
Youth Advisory Committee for Office of Sam Liccardo
AUGUST 2025 - PRESENT
Member of the Youth Advisory Committee for Sam Liccardo,
representing youth voices in the district and helping organize outreach
on key issues like AI and Medi-Cal access.
ㅡ
Education Henry M. Gunn High School / High School Degree
AUGUST 2022 - PRESENT 780 ARASTRADERO ROAD
11th Grade and has been a student at Henry M. Gunn High School
since 2022. Predicted graduation year is 2026
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 18 March 2025, 7:29pm
Receipt number 77
Related form version 16
Name Nikita Kutselev
Cell Phone Number 9256942407
Home Phone Number
Email Address qnicks@gmail.com
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address 3887 Middlefield Road
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94303
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
City Website
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Planning & Transportation Commission Application
Submitted on 14 February 2026, 3:42pm
Receipt number 90
Related form version 18
Name Tom Siegel
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Planning and
Transportation Commission?
Email from the City
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 4
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation I am the Co-founder & CEO of a Small Business that was incorporated n
Palo Alto in 2019, and is now located in San Mateo, CA. In addition, I am the
Co-Founder and CEO of a Palo Alto based non-profit organization called
Fishbowl Challenge
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
I am an industrial engineer and have an MBA from Stanford University.
I rented in Palo Alto from 2004-11, and home owner since 2011. I
completed multiple building projects, incl. the construction of an ADU 2021-
23.
From 2018-24 I was member and chairman of the Palo Alto School District's
Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee. We oversaw the physical infrastructure
improvement projects for the public Palo Alto Schools, working with public
officials, construction companies, and local community.
Since 2019 I have been the Co-founder & CEO of a local Small Business, and
rent office space in Palo Alto and San Mateo for the past 6 years,
2013-15 I was the Chairman of the Board of Silicon Valley International
School in Menlo Park. During this time we re-located the School to a new
location in the city, which included permitting and working with local
partners incl. City and School District.
Since February 2026 I am renting a hangar from the City of Palo Alto at the
local airport.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
From 2018-24 I was member and chairman of the Palo Alto School District's
Bond Citizen's Oversight Committee. We oversaw the physical infrastructure
improvement projects for the public Palo Alto Schools, working with public
officials, construction companies, and local community.
Since 2020 I am the Co-Founder and CEO of a Palo Alto based non-profit
organization called Fishbowl Challenge. We provide stipend and support for
young adults who start initiatives to bring positive change to their local
communities.
2013-15 I was the Chairman of the Board of local non-profit School, Silicon
Valley International School, in Menlo Park. The school is IB accredited for
grades k-12.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Planning & Transportation
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in serving for 3 reasons
- Contribute to creating a thriving community., having raised my family here
and made Palo Alto my permanent home,
- Lots of relevant experience and insights (see below)
- Valuing different perspectives, finding common ground, and community
outreach are my strength.
Moved to Palo Alto in 2004 and gained a lot of exposure and different
experiences with City Planning processes and topics from a variety of
angles, and a chance to learn and understand the different perspectives of
community members, the city and other stakeholder groups. My experience
include
- Long term renter and home owner in Palo Alto
- Owner of a local small business that is renting office space (initially Palo
Alto, now San Mateo)
Application Questions
2 of 4
- 6 years as a member and chairman of the Palo Alto School District's Bond
Oversight Committee where we reviewed large scale building projects in the
City
- As homeowner completed several large improvement projects, incl.
construction of an ADU
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived video meetings are available from the Midpen Media Center.
The permitting processes for the site of the former Fry's Store and the Fish
Market are very interesting to me for a couple of reasons. They require
carefully balancing of 1) the need for more housing and the impact on
character of local communities 2) local planning authority and state
mandates for housing 3) environmental protection and technical feasibility.
My interest lies in understanding the nuances, navigating these statutes
effectively and professionally, and proposing solutions that lead to the best
outcome for the City and all its citizens.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Planning
and Transportation Commission achieve, and how would you help in
the process?
If appointed, I will prioritize two goals
1) Ensuring that citizen voices are considered and incorporated
comprehensively in the decision making process by the commission, not just
from the groups that speak loudest. Specifically, I want to achieve a process
where citizens voices are visibly integrated into the outcomes. whether this
is refining a building’s facade, increasing privacy screening, or improving
pedestrian safety.
2) A culture of collaboration that bridges the widening gap between state
mandates and neighborhood concerns. I want to help demonstrate that we
can meet our housing obligations while deeply respecting the unique
character and quality of life in our neighborhoods. I will listen to all sides to
find middle ground.
3) Propose creative solutions that move from zero-sum to expand the pie.
Silicon Valley is known for innovation and forward-thinking ideas. City
planning and transportation can bring this aspiration to its work for benefit
of our community.
4. Planning and Transportation Commission Members work with the
documents listed below. If you have experience with any of these
documents, please describe that experience. Experience with these
documents is not required for selection.
Palo Alto 2030 Comprehensive Plan (2017)
Zoning Code
City Charter
California Environmental Quality Act
El Camino Real Design Guidelines
El Camino Real Master Plan Study (2007)
Area Plans such as the South of Forest Avenue (SOFA) I (2000) and II (2003) Plans
Baylands Master Plan (2008)
n/a
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature
3 of 4
Name of signatory: Tom Siegel
Uploaded signature image: Tom Signature.jpg
Date Completed 02/14/2026
4 of 4
Utilities Advisory Commission Application
Submitted on 18 January 2026, 1:18pm
Receipt number 66
Related form version 14
Name Andy Poggio
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Utilities Advisory
Commission?
Palo Alto Weekly
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Computer Scientist
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
UC Berkeley BA, MS, and Phd in Electrical Engineering and Computer
Science. Decades of individual contributor, leadership, and executive
management experience in doing technical research at SRI International
(currently focussed on computational biology research) and producing
advanced products in the computer industry, mostly at Sun Microsystems
and Apple. This education and experience makes me especially qualified for
the electrical and fiber aspects of Palo Alto utilities, and a quick learner for
the rest.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Long term advocate for Palo Alto fiber, FTTP (although I now favor using the
fiber funds to augment the city's electrical infrastructure. Long term
volunteer for political candidates at the national level. Currently volunteering
as a coach for the East Palo Alto Churrobots FIRST Robotics team.
Please select all that apply to you.I am a utility customer.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Utilities Advisory
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
Since it provides its own utilities, Palo Alto is uniquely positioned to electrify
the city's utilities and minimize reliance on fossil fuels. I think it is imperative
that we do this. My education and professional experience (see above
application section) give me a system prospective on how electrification can
take place. Since I have many years of experience in for-profit companies, I
am keenly aware that the economics of electrification must be acceptable as
well.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived videos are available from the Midpen Media Center.
At the most recent UAC meeting, a progress report on FTTP was given. As a
member of the public, I spoke about my opinion that, while a long term
advocate of Palo Alto FTTP, I believe that opportunity has passed. The city
has very good ISP coverage from commercial providers at this point and so
there are good alternatives to PA FTTP. There are no alternatives to our
electrical infrastructure. I understand that such a decision is the purview of
the city council and that there are legal limitations on how the fiber funds
can be spent.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Utilities
Advisory Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
I would like the UAC (and the rest of the city) to make rapid progress toward
electrification, minimizing the use of fossil fuels. I would help in this process
in finding more funding to move the process along more quickly, further
incentivizing our citizens to electrify their residences and businesses, and
working with city staff and contractors to scale up our electrical capacity
while retaining high reliability and containing cost.
4. Utilities Advisory Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
The Utilities Strategic Plan (2018)
City of Palo Alto Electric Integrated Resource Plan (2025)
The Gas Utility Long-term Plan (2023)
Urban Water Management Plan (2021)
Ten-Year Electric Energy Efficiency Plan and Ten-Year Natural Gas Energy Efficiency
Plan (2025)
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP)
Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (2022)
I have experience with the Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (and its
predecessors) as a long term FTTP advocate and a member of the city's
former FTTP advisory committee. The current plan would have been an
excellent one ten years ago. Now, I believe the city's compelling opportunity
is electrification rather than FTTP. However, as a UAC member, I would
execute on the FTTP as required by the city council.
Application Questions
2 of 3
Electric Grid Modernization (2026)
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
BiographyFull.pdf
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Andy Poggio
Uploaded signature image: Signature.jpg
Date Completed 01/18/2026
3 of 3
Andy Poggio
EDUCATION: PhD in Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley. Computational
biology thesis: The Path of the Blind Watchmaker: A Model of Evolution
MS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California,
Berkeley. Thesis: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Simulation
BA in Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley. California
Alumni Scholar.
PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE:
SRI International - 2004 to Present
Senior Computer Scientist, Computer Science Laboratory
Responsible for conceiving, proposing, and performing research in the area of
computational biology with emphasis on evolution, disease, and pathogen
computational models. Research included innovative sequence alignment,
machine learning, Bayesian networks, and novel algorithms to infer causal
relationships among biological compounds.
Sun Microsystems - 1993 to 2004
Founder and Director, Packet Systems Group
Responsible for engineering (ASIC, system, software, protocols) of advanced,
gigabit Ethernet network equipment products for switching, routing, load
balancing, and other network functions. Managed 50+ people.
Manager, Network Software Group
Managing software and system test for this $200M business unit. Products
include: ATM (155/622 mbps), Ethernet (10/100/1000 mbps), ISDN, FDDI,
Token Ring, High Speed Serial, IBM SNA, and DECNet products. Have
grown groups to 40+ people in two countries. Pioneered 100 mbit Ethernet,
155 and 622 mbit ATM, and Java Network Management.
Academic Systems Corporation - 1992 to 1993
VP Product Development / Chief Technologist
First development VP in this startup. Grew the group to 24 people in less than
a year. Set the technological direction for the company. Completed prototype
and many hours of interactive, multimedia courseware in precalculus
mathematics. The courseware uses text, graphics, animation, digital audio,
digital video, and interactive simulation for instruction. Created five course
delivery architectures. Created and managed production processes, standards,
budgets, schedules, and facilities.
Metaphor Computer Systems - 1991 to 1992
Director, Application Development Group
Founding director of Metaphor's Application Development Group. Charter to
create a new generation of applications built on the Constellation project.
Pursued applications in multimedia authoring, work flow automation, and
personal news.
Manager, Advanced Workstation Architecture Group
Created the basic architecture and prototype for Patriot Partner's Constellation
Project. This constituted a next generation, object-oriented programming
environment allowing anyone to compose new applications out of plug-
together software components.
Apple Computer - 1986 to 1991
Founder and Manager, New Media Department
Founded and managed Apple's New Media Department consisting of
HyperCard development group, CD-ROM group, Sound group, and Product
Training group, a total of 22 people. Shipped many versions of HyperCard,
sound manager system software, animation software, and CD-ROM software.
Managed multimedia system architecture team working on realtime audio and
video compression using DCT algorithms and DSP chips, and motherboard
and ASIC architecture. Hired initial members of team that produced
QuickTime.
Apple CD-ROM Project Leader
Planned Apple's optical media strategy. Created and shipped Apple's first
CD-ROM drive hardware, software, and interactive, multimedia CD titles.
Directed efforts of product, manufacturing, and marketing groups inside
Apple as well as international, OEM suppliers. Evangelized many third-party
titles compatible with Apple product. Served on international committees to
create relevant standards.
SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute) - 1975 to 1986
Senior Research Engineer - Telecommunications Sciences Center
Principle investigator for major research projects, directing the efforts of up to
10 researchers and several outside contractors. Created and shipped pioneering
multimedia information system combining text, graphics, animation, and digital
audio. System capable of creating, manipulating, and distributing compound
multimedia documents.
Created and shipped parallel network protocol stacks for reliable transport (one
of the first TCP/IP implementations) and realtime transport (NVP/ST) over
internetworks. Protocol stacks used over a variety of networks including
Ethernet, satellite, and radio.
Also led projects in multimedia message architecture, multimedia databases,
and telecommunications for the hearing impaired.
Systems Programmer - Augmentation Research Center
Part of group that created and shipped Doug Engelbart's seminal client/server
based information system known as NLS, later sold by McDonnel-Douglas as
AUGMENT. NLS pioneered the use of mice, windows, outliners, mixed text
and graphics, interapplication communication, and hypertext. Worked on user
interface, command interpreter, compiler-compiler and client/server
communications.
Utilities Advisory Commission Application
Submitted on 23 February 2025, 1:12pm
Receipt number 58
Related form version 11
Name Barry Wolf
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94303
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Utilities Advisory
Commission?
Email from the City
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Research Scientist
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Biochemical engineer with 26 years of experience in the biotechnology
industry and academia:
• 21 years optimizing mammalian cell culture processes for protein
production
• 2 years investigating the regulation of a transcription factor gene
• 3 years designing and validating biopharmaceutical processes
EDUCATION
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering 2001
M.S.E. Chemical Engineering 1996
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, B.A. Biology / Philosophy minor 1992
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Acterra EV Ambassador (volunteer), approximately 5 years
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Utilities Advsory
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
As an EV enthusiast and engineer (who only owns EVs), I am aware of the
rapid electrification of transportation and buildings and understand the need
for utility planning to meet the needs of increased electricity demand while
also accounting for rooftop solar/BESS at C&I and homes in Palo Alto. I am
acutely aware of the effects of climate change on our water supply, our
aging water supply infrastructure, and appreciate the importance of high
quality water and high quality water service to Palo Alto residents.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived videos are available from the Midpen Media Center.
I am interested in how microgrids comprised of solar PV and BESS can
improve the resilience, reliability, and cost effectiveness of the delivery of
electricity to all users in Palo Alto. I also believe the Palo Alto Airport should
be a pioneer in electric aviation.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Utilities
Advisory Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
I am especially interested in helping to promote home electrification, EV
ownership, planning for V2H and potentially V2G in Palo Alto, ensuring
adequate transformer resources and reliability transmission lines to
accommodate the growing electrification of homes and businesses, while
also realizing that private investment in rooftop solar and BESS can work in
synergy with the Palo Alto Utilities infrastructure to keep costs low for all
stokeholds.
4. Utilities Advisory Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
The Utilities Strategic Plan (2018)
The Long Term Electric Acquisition Plan (2012)
The Gas Utility Long-term Plan (2017)
Urban Water Management Plan (2021)
Ten-Year Electric Energy Efficiency Plan and Ten-Year Natural Gas Energy Efficiency
Plan (2012)
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP)
Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (2015)
I am not familiar with these documents but am planning to read the
documents relevant to electricity.
Application Questions
2 of 3
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Barry F. Wolf
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/23/2025
3 of 3
Utilities Advisory Commission Application
Submitted on 20 December 2025, 8:50pm
Receipt number 63
Related form version 13
Name Benjamin Piiru
Cell Phone Number 3233945986
Home Phone Number
Email Address benjaminpiiru@gmail.com
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address 3825 La Selva Drive
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Utilities Advisory
Commission?
City Website
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the
attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and
understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may
revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo
Alto City Clerk.
Occupation Independent Grid Integration and Energy Policy Consultant
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
I am an independent energy policy and infrastructure consultant with more
than 16 years of experience working across utilities, regulators, and energy
developers. I previously served as Director of Grid Integration Strategy and
Policy at Nexamp, where I led interconnection strategy, utility engagement,
and regulatory coordination across more than 20 states, with a focus on
California. Earlier in my career, I worked at Southern California Edison as a
Senior Regulatory Policy Analyst and served as a Junior Advisor to a
California Public Utilities Commission Commissioner.
My work has focused on utility operations, grid reliability, rate impacts,
infrastructure planning, and customer-facing implementation of energy
policy. I hold a Juris Doctor from UC Davis School of Law and a Bachelor of
Arts from UC Berkeley. My background combines regulatory analysis,
stakeholder engagement, and practical utility experience relevant to
municipal utility governance.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I have not held office in the city of Palo Alto. I and my family are members of
the Palo Alto Elks Lodge.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Utilities Advisory
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in serving on the Utilities Advisory Commission because Palo
Alto’s municipal utilities are central to the City’s quality of life, economic
vitality, and long-term climate goals. As the energy system becomes more
complex and customer needs continue to evolve, I believe it is important for
the Commission to provide careful, balanced oversight that prioritizes
reliability, affordability, and transparency.
My experience working with utilities and regulators has taught me the
importance of asking clear questions, understanding tradeoffs, and
grounding decisions in data and operational realities. I am comfortable
reviewing technical materials, identifying key issues, and helping translate
complex information into considerations that are accessible to
Commissioners and the public. My goal would be to support constructive
dialogue and thoughtful decision-making in service of the Palo Alto
community.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived videos are available from the Midpen Media Center.
One issue of particular interest to me is how Palo Alto Utilities is planning
for increased electrification and load growth while maintaining reliability and
affordability for customers. Recent Commission discussions around
infrastructure investment, rate impacts, and long-term planning highlight the
challenge of balancing near-term costs with long-term system needs.
I am interested in this issue because electrification of transportation and
buildings is accelerating, and utilities must plan proactively to ensure the
system can support new demand without placing undue burden on
customers. I would like to better understand how Palo Alto Utilities is
sequencing investments, coordinating with customers, and communicating
tradeoffs so that decisions remain transparent, data-driven, and aligned with
community priorities.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Utilities
Advisory Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
If appointed, my goal would be for the Utilities Advisory Commission to
continue serving as a trusted forum for thoughtful review of utility plans,
Application Questions
2 of 3
process?rates, and programs, with a focus on reliability, affordability, and
transparency. I would like to see the Commission help ensure that complex
technical decisions are clearly explained, that customer impacts are well
understood, and that long-term planning remains grounded in realistic
assumptions.
I would contribute by carefully reviewing materials, asking clarifying
questions, and helping translate technical or regulatory information into
clear considerations for the Commission and the public. I would aim to
support productive dialogue among staff, Commissioners, and stakeholders,
and to bring a balanced perspective that reflects both operational realities
and community interests.
4. Utilities Advisory Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
The Utilities Strategic Plan (2018)
The Long Term Electric Acquisition Plan (2012)
The Gas Utility Long-term Plan (2017)
Urban Water Management Plan (2021)
Ten-Year Electric Energy Efficiency Plan and Ten-Year Natural Gas Energy Efficiency
Plan (2012)
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP)
Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (2015)
I have not worked directly with Palo Alto Utilities’ specific planning
documents listed above in a formal role. However, I have extensive
experience working with analogous utility and municipal planning
documents, including long-term resource plans, electric and gas system
planning documents, energy efficiency portfolios, sustainability and climate
action plans, and utility strategic plans.
In prior roles, I regularly reviewed and analyzed long-term plans to
understand underlying assumptions, load forecasts, infrastructure
investment strategies, rate impacts, and policy tradeoffs, and to help
decision-makers assess alignment with operational realities and community
objectives.
If appointed, I would approach Palo Alto Utilities’ plans with the same
diligence, taking the time to understand their context, objectives, and
constraints, and using them as a foundation for thoughtful Commission
review and discussion.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Benjamin Piiru
Link to signature
Date Completed 12/20/2025
3 of 3
Utilities Advisory Commission Application
Submitted on 9 February 2026, 2:51pm
Receipt number 70
Related form version 14
Name Grant Chang
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?No
Address
City Stanford
Postal Code 94305
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Utilities Advisory
Commission?
Email from the City
City Website
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Chief Operating Officer at Acellent Technologies
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Chief Operating Officer, Acellent Technologies (current). Harvard Business
School alumnus with prior experience at Apple in cloud engineering,
localization research, and project management. At Acellent, I oversee
operations including finance, contracts, compliance, and execution across
engineering and technology programs serving public- and private-sector
customers. My background combines technology, operations, and
management, with experience working cross-functionally with engineers,
executives, and external stakeholders. I bring a practical, execution-focused
approach to operational efficiency, responsible technology deployment, and
organizational leadership in regulated and public-sector environments.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Served as an Honorary Commander at Travis Air Force Base, participating in
the U.S. Air Force’s civic and community partnership program that
strengthens collaboration between military leadership and the civilian
community. Engaged with base leadership on mission readiness, operations,
and community relations.
Please select all that apply to you.I am a utility customer.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Utilities Advisory
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
Reliable, affordable utilities are essential to Palo Alto’s quality of life and
economic strength, and I would welcome the opportunity to support that
mission. I am a Chief Operating Officer of Acellent Technologies, where I
oversee operations, compliance, contracts, and execution across engineering
and technology programs in regulated and public-sector environments. I am
a Harvard Business School alumnus and previously worked at Apple in cloud
engineering, localization research, and project management. I bring an
execution-focused, data-driven perspective, with an emphasis on reliability,
cost discipline, and public accountability.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived videos are available from the Midpen Media Center.
I am especially interested in issues related to infrastructure reliability, long-
term capital planning, and modernization of utility systems. Balancing near-
term costs with long-term resilience and performance is critical for
customers and the City. With my background in technology operations and
program execution, I am interested in how the Commission evaluates these
tradeoffs and uses data and planning discipline to support sound,
transparent decisions.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Utilities
Advisory Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
My goals would be to support reliable service, strong long-term planning,
and clear, transparent decision-making. I would focus on practical execution,
risk management, and accountability, and help ensure complex technical and
financial issues are discussed in a clear, decision-useful way. I would
contribute an operations mindset and a collaborative, results-oriented
approach to the Commission’s work.
4. Utilities Advisory Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
The Utilities Strategic Plan (2018)
City of Palo Alto Electric Integrated Resource Plan (2025)
The Gas Utility Long-term Plan (2023)
Urban Water Management Plan (2021)
I have reviewed and worked with documents similar in scope and purpose to
these plans in both advisory and professional contexts. My experience
includes evaluating utility strategic plans and Integrated Resource Plans,
reviewing energy efficiency and demand-side management programs, and
supporting grid modernization and infrastructure investment initiatives. I’m
familiar with sustainability and climate action frameworks, long-term gas
and electric planning, and the tradeoffs between reliability, cost, and
Application Questions
2 of 3
Ten-Year Electric Energy Efficiency Plan and Ten-Year Natural Gas Energy Efficiency
Plan (2025)
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP)
Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (2022)
Electric Grid Modernization (2026)
decarbonization. I’ve also worked with broadband/FTTP and digital
infrastructure planning efforts that align closely with master planning and
capital prioritization processes. While I have not authored each of these
specific Palo Alto documents, I’m comfortable analyzing them, asking the
right policy and technical questions, and using them to inform practical,
forward-looking recommendations for utility governance and oversight.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Grant Chang
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/08/2026
3 of 3
Utilities Advisory Commission Application
Submitted on 11 February 2026, 11:26am
Receipt number 71
Related form version 14
Name Greg Scharff
Cell Phone Number 6508689303
Home Phone Number
Email Address gregscharff@me.com
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address 445 Seale Ave
City PALO ALTO
Postal Code 94301
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
Yes
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Utilities Advisory
Commission?
Other: Currently serve on the commission
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the
attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and
understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may
revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo
Alto City Clerk.
Occupation General Counsel for the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development
Commision
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
I currently serve as chair of the UAC and this will be the completion of my
second term on the commission. I have served as Mayor of Palo Alto and two
terms on city council as well as being the NCPA representative for Palo Alto
for many years.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Palo Alto City Council, Vice president of ABAG. Mayor 2 terms. NCPA
representative. Chair of UAC for 2 years
Please select all that apply to you.I am a utility customer.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Utilities Advisory
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am currently completing my second term on the UAC and also my second
year as Chair of the UAC. I was very involved with Utilities as a City Council
Member and served as the NCPA representative during most of my time on
Council.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived videos are available from the Midpen Media Center.
The discussion around data centers recently came to the UAC. Fascinating
discussion as a strategy to keep rates low for our residential customers and
really interesting to understand staffs perspective and the reasoning behind
that perspective and contrast that with the national press's perrspective and
Santa Clara's approach.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Utilities
Advisory Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
I would like to see Grid Modernization occur in a cost effective and timely
manner and in a way that meets our electrical demand as we move towards
electrification. I would also like us to insure that if we move forward with
fiber to the premises after the pilot that it makes financial sense and will be
successful. I would also like to see more of an integrated approach between
S/Cap and UAC. Also, really interested in strategies to keep utility rates cost
effective to promote electrification.
4. Utilities Advisory Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
The Utilities Strategic Plan (2018)
City of Palo Alto Electric Integrated Resource Plan (2025)
The Gas Utility Long-term Plan (2023)
Urban Water Management Plan (2021)
Ten-Year Electric Energy Efficiency Plan and Ten-Year Natural Gas Energy Efficiency
Plan (2025)
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP)
Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (2022)
Electric Grid Modernization (2026)
As a long term UAC member I have extensive experience with all of these
documents
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Application Questions
2 of 3
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Greg Scharff
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/11/2026
3 of 3
Utilities Advisory Commission Application
Submitted on 21 January 2026, 12:33pm
Receipt number 67
Related form version 14
Name Hassan Naqvi
Cell Phone Number 6503877133
Home Phone Number
Email Address HassanMNaqvi@Hotmail.com
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address 4211 Rickeys Way, Unit C
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Utilities Advisory
Commission?
Email from the City
Palo Alto Weekly
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the
attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and
understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may
revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo
Alto City Clerk.
Occupation Auditor
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
1. AAS in aeronautical engineering tech.
2. FAA aircraft maintenance license (A&P).
3. ASNT Level 3 license in material testing using PT MT and RT.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Volunteer for Habitat for humanity for several months.
Please select all that apply to you.I am a utility customer.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Utilities Advisory
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
Now that I am semi-retired I have time to give back something to my town.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived videos are available from the Midpen Media Center.
Bike lane issue is very dear to me.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Utilities
Advisory Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
I have spent my life in numerous technical fields, and my aim would be to
utilize new technology to enhance and maximize operational efficiency. As
time goes on the energy consumption would increase. Especially as the
number of EV increase. We need to look into other options for energy. As a
member of the advisory committee i would try to push for environmentally
friendly sources.
4. Utilities Advisory Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
The Utilities Strategic Plan (2018)
City of Palo Alto Electric Integrated Resource Plan (2025)
The Gas Utility Long-term Plan (2023)
Urban Water Management Plan (2021)
Ten-Year Electric Energy Efficiency Plan and Ten-Year Natural Gas Energy Efficiency
Plan (2025)
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP)
Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (2022)
Electric Grid Modernization (2026)
I do not have any experience with any of the above documents.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature
Application Questions
2 of 3
Name of signatory: Hassan M. Naqvi
Link to signature
Date Completed 01/21/2026
3 of 3
Utilities Advisory Commission Application
Submitted on 17 February 2026, 8:10pm
Receipt number 72
Related form version 14
Name Julia Zeitlin
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94303
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Utilities Advisory
Commission?
Email from the City
City Website
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 4
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the
attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and
understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may
revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo
Alto City Clerk.
Occupation Undergraduate at Stanford (Environmental Engineering); Living Lab Fellow
in Stanford’s Office of Sustainability
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Education:
Stanford University, B.S. in Environmental Engineering (intended); 4.17 GPA;
Class of 2028
Castilleja School; 4.0 GPA; Class of 2024
Work Experience:
Stanford Office of Sustainability, Living Laboratory Fellow
- Advancing electrification of faculty and staff housing on campus
California Energy Commission, Student Researcher
- Conducting research and writing content to support geothermal energy
projects
California Air Resources Board, Shultz Energy Fellow
- Analyzed effectiveness of state-level incentives in encouraging
electrification of heavy-duty drayage trucks
City of Palo Alto Office of Sustainability Intern
- Proposed and implemented Palo Alto’s first ever Youth Climate Advisory
Board: established selection criteria, recruited applicants, conducted
interviews and outlined strategy and vision
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Stanford Emergency Medical Services (Summer 2025-present)
- Volunteer as a California-certified EMT responding to traumatic and
medical calls at on-campus events
Palo Alto Student Climate Coalition (PASCC), Co-founder & Director
(January 2021-December 2024)
- Local advocacy group of Palo Alto students campaigning for bold climate
action in city government
Cool Cities Coalition, Co-Founder & Director (September 2023-Present)
- Led team of citizen scientists in heat mapping project for Palo Alto, East
Palo Alto and Menlo Park; currently leveraging data collected for
implementation of targeted cooling solutions
Palo Alto Youth Council, President (2022-2023) and Member (2019-2022)
- Surveyed students’ mental health, organized events to support teen mental
health
- Coordinated civic engagement opportunities
Please select all that apply to you.I am a utility customer.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Utilities Advisory
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am proud of how Palo Alto has been on the frontier of innovation and
progress–from providing carbon neutral electricity starting in 2013 to its
recent advancements in deploying AMI citywide. Palo Alto is on the forefront
of building electrification, and I want to help the city continue to move
forward while balancing the need for this transition with fiscal responsibility
and affordability for all residents.
At Stanford, I am doing research with Dr. Bruce Cain focused on residential
electrification policies in Palo Alto and Berkeley. We are conducting a study
to test effective messaging to motivate adoption of electric appliances. We
have also designed pilots of both window-mounted heat pumps and
induction cooktop stoves for Stanford faculty and staff homes. Between my
current work on implementation and my extensive past involvement with
Palo Alto’s S/CAP, reach codes, and HPWH program, I believe I would be
Application Questions
2 of 4
well prepared to help the UAC accomplish its critical goals.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived videos are available from the Midpen Media Center.
At the most recent Commission meeting, I was particularly interested in the
discussion of data centers. As a research assistant at the CEC, my recent
work has focused on examining the economic, environmental and health
impacts of data centers. I see a great opportunity for Palo Alto to carefully
and thoughtfully join cities like Santa Clara in welcoming data center
expansion, where data centers have stabilized electric sales and lowered
rates. I see potential for Palo Alto to work collaboratively with local AI users
to support edge data centers that reduce latency. Palo Alto can potentially
accommodate small data centers while maintaining the character of the city
and incorporating use of recycled and water-efficient cooling techniques.
Data centers present an opportunity for job creation and active displacement
of carbon emissions via our carbon neutral electricity. Through careful
planning, Palo Alto can ensure its residents and environment benefit from
new data centers.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Utilities
Advisory Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
I would like to see the UAC focus on pathways to phasing out gas
infrastructure. Building on the Gas Transition Study and Grid Modernization
Plan, the UAC could recommend innovative rate structures to accelerate
electrification, subject to legal considerations (i.e., Props. 26 and 218) and
continuing to prioritize affordability and equity. This balance will be critical to
Palo Alto’s efforts to achieve S/CAP’s vision of 80x30.
Mapping urban heat disparities in Palo Alto as a city intern reinforced my
commitment to assessing the impact of policy and infrastructure
development on all residents. I would like to assist the UAC’s focus on
increasing affordable electrification opportunities for renters and multifamily
buildings. We must look to other municipalities for best practices in how to
improve program structures and drive increased participation. I believe that
my past work in studying and assessing local climate policies in cities across
the US could be helpful in this effort.
4. Utilities Advisory Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
The Utilities Strategic Plan (2018)
City of Palo Alto Electric Integrated Resource Plan (2025)
The Gas Utility Long-term Plan (2023)
Urban Water Management Plan (2021)
Ten-Year Electric Energy Efficiency Plan and Ten-Year Natural Gas Energy Efficiency
Plan (2025)
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP)
Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (2022)
Electric Grid Modernization (2026)
About six years ago, I began actively participating in the public comment
process to help improve the draft S/CAP update. In 2020, I joined Palo Alto’s
S/CAP Ad Hoc Working Group to provide feedback on optimizing
implementation of building electrification programs, as well as
sustainability-related communications and outreach. I served on the Working
Group for four years, diving into all eight focus areas for driving towards
80x30.
While my work and volunteer experience have surrounded the intersection
between utilities and sustainability, I have familiarized myself with each of
the above plans and would be eager to contribute to the commission as a
resident, aspiring environmental engineer and citizen concerned with the
strategic success of CPAU. As a resident who will inherit the outcomes of
current utility planning, I believe I can offer a valuable perspective on the
long-term fiscal and environmental sustainability of CPAU.
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature
3 of 4
Name of signatory: Julia Zeitlin
Link to signature
Date Completed 02/17/2026
4 of 4
Utilities Advisory Commission Application
Submitted on 14 January 2026, 1:35pm
Receipt number 65
Related form version 14
Name Meagan Mauter
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?No
Address
City Stanford
Postal Code 94305
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Utilities Advisory
Commission?
Other: current commissoner
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Professor, Consultant
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
Prof. Meagan S. Mauter is the Principal Investigator of the Water & Energy
Efficiency for the Environment Lab (WE3Lab) at Stanford University and the
Research Director of the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI), the
U.S. Department of Energy’s $185M Energy-Water Desalination Hub. Her
research develops innovative computational tools for designing, analyzing,
controlling, and adapting water infrastructure systems. Recent projects
include WaterTAP (a process systems engineering tool for water system
design), FlexWater (a control platform for demand-side energy management
at water utilities), and PlanWater (a decision support tool for water
treatment capacity expansion under future drought scenarios). Mauter also
serves as a Commissioner on the Utilities Advisory Committee for the City of
Palo Alto and a consultant to municipalities implementing innovative water
treatment and reuse solutions.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
Vice-Chair Utilities Advisory Committee for the City of Palo Alto Utilities
(2023-2026)
Please select all that apply to you.I am a utility customer.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Utilities Advisory
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in continuing my term as Vice-Chair of the UAC in service to
the Palo Alto Community's goals of investing in a resilient, affordable, and
sustainable utilities program. My personal expertise in water and energy
systems has made valuable contributions to the UAC's deliberative process
to date, and I look forward to continuing to advance Palo Alto's leadership
on utilities innovation through careful evaluation of grid modernization
practices, gas system evolution, water system resiliency assessment and
planning, and affordable wastewater programmatic design. I am also
interested in helping CPAU stay ahead of the dynamic regulatory landscape
with recent court rulings on Prop. 218, BACWA evaluation of nutrient
compliance efforts, and federal policy and funding changes.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived videos are available from the Midpen Media Center.
As highlighted above, my expertise in water and energy systems biases my
involvement in water, wastewater, and electric utilities. However, as vice-
chair, my role is to ensure that each utility is receiving rigorous review, that
citizen concerns are adequately considered, and that other commissioners
have adequate time to air their concerns.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Utilities
Advisory Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
I would like to see a thoughtful analysis of cost saving opportunities in
Wastewater via participation in nutrient trading programs and I would like to
work closely with Council's representative to BAWSCA to improve our
working relationship with SFPUC as they make investments in non-
traditional water supplies. Recognizing Palo Alto's role in a regional water
and power network will be crucial to maintaining affordability over the next
10-15 years.
4. Utilities Advisory Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
The Utilities Strategic Plan (2018)
City of Palo Alto Electric Integrated Resource Plan (2025)
I have reviewed all of these as part of my role as UAC commissioner and
vice-chair
Application Questions
2 of 3
The Gas Utility Long-term Plan (2023)
Urban Water Management Plan (2021)
Ten-Year Electric Energy Efficiency Plan and Ten-Year Natural Gas Energy Efficiency
Plan (2025)
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP)
Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (2022)
Electric Grid Modernization (2026)
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Meagan Mauter
Link to signature
Date Completed 01/14/2026
3 of 3
Utilities Advisory Commission Application
Submitted on 26 January 2026, 8:02pm
Receipt number 68
Related form version 14
Name Olgu Tanriverdi
Cell Phone Number
Home Phone Number
Email Address
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Utilities Advisory
Commission?
Email from the City
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I request that the City of Palo Alto redact my home address, phone numbers,
and email address from the attached Board and Commission Application
prior to posting to the City’s website.
Occupation Data Scientist
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
I have worked more than 10 years in SCE, and PG&E, I have also worked for
GE Energy for almost 5 years.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I volunteered various organizations including Girls scout events (including
robotics), mediations between tenant and landlord, and lastly VP of finance
for the Gunn high school sports booster club.
Please select all that apply to you.I am a utility customer.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Utilities Advisory
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I am interested in serving on the UAC because I am passionate about
ensuring that our community has access to reliable, cost efficient, and
sustainable utility services. I believe that thoughtful utility planning is
essential for economic growth, environmental responsibility, and the well-
being of residents. I will bring a strong background in
engineering/data/strategy with experience in energy management &
development & procurement to advise the board and the City Council. In my
previous roles at SCE and PG&E, I evaluated RFOs and procurements for
various products/resources which gave me insight into the challenges and
opportunities in utility management. I am confident that my ability to analyze
current challenges, engage with stakeholders, and develop practical
solutions will contribute to informed decision-making on the commission. I
look forward to collaborating with fellow members to enhance the efficiency
and sustainability of our community’s utilities.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived videos are available from the Midpen Media Center.
Grid modernization project would be one that particularly interest me. As I
worked on modeling various parts of the CA grid and forecasted hourly
nodal prices in CA, I will utilize my expertise to help contribute to UAC.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Utilities
Advisory Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
I would like to see a robust system where an informative UAC that will guide
and work with City Council effectively to accomplish the common goal of
providing reliable, cost efficient, and sustainable utility services to the city. I
will utilize my utility background from SCE and PG&E to contribute and be a
part of that robust system.
4. Utilities Advisory Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
The Utilities Strategic Plan (2018)
City of Palo Alto Electric Integrated Resource Plan (2025)
The Gas Utility Long-term Plan (2023)
Urban Water Management Plan (2021)
Ten-Year Electric Energy Efficiency Plan and Ten-Year Natural Gas Energy Efficiency
Plan (2025)
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP)
Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (2022)
Electric Grid Modernization (2026)
I have experience in utility strategy, sending and evaluating RFOs, contract
negoations, short/long term electric and gas procurement planning &
execution, and grid changes needed to support electrification.
Application Questions
2 of 3
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Resume_Olgu_Tanriverdi.pdf
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Olgu Tanriverdi
Link to signature
Date Completed 01/26/2026
3 of 3
Olgu Tanriverdi
2
Real Software Systems - Woodland Hills, CA May '06 - Apr '07
Technical Consultant
• Worked in a fast-paced startup to design and develop contract management software that calculates rights, royalties, and profit
participation for media giants such as SONY, MGM, Activision, EA, BBC etc. based on clients’ business requirements
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Sep '00 - May '06
Research & Teaching Assistant, Flight System Research Center
• Conducted research with NASA, NREL, and DOE on mathematical modeling of horizontal axis wind turbines and developed
nonlinear pitch and torque control algorithms to operate them on their optimal max generation point.
• Lectured in Numerical Analysis, Probability, Physics, Systems & Signals, Electronic Circuits, and C++ Programming
Patents & Trade Secrets
• O Tanriverdi, inventor; Gas Turbine Engine Controller with Event Trigger (US Patent No: 9,002,617; Issued Date April 12, 2015)
• O Tanriverdi, inventor; System and Method to Measure 3D Flow (US Patent No: 9,030,667; Issued Date May 12, 2015)
Conference Papers
• O. Tanriverdi, ”Ancillary Service Price Forecast in Metrix ND,” Envision 2009 Itron Conference, Phoenix, AZ, September 2009
• O. Tanriverdi and A.V. Balakrishnan, ”Maximize Wind Turbine Power Output in Transient Region,” Proc. AWEA (American
Wind Energy Association), Windpower 2006 Workshop, Pittsburgh, PA, June 2006
• O. Tanriverdi and A.V. Balakrishnan, ”Pitch & Torque Control to Maximize Wind Turbine Power Output in Partial Load
Region,” Proc. EWEC (European Wind Energy Conference), Business Science Technology, Electrical System Design, Integration
and Control/Technical Track, Athens, Greece, February 2006
Professional Licenses & Certifications
• Coursera Machine Learning, Neural Networks&Deep Learning, Improving Deep Neural Networks, Intro to LLM, Intro to GenAI
• FAST.AI Deep Learning Part I & II
• Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt DFSS
• Certified Mediator by CA Dispute Resolution Program and LA County Community and Senior Services
Volunteer Services & Activities
• VP Merchandise Gunn High School Sports Boosters May '24 - Present
• VP Scholarship NuEnergy Employee Resource Group, Diversity&Inclusion at PG&E Oct '16 – Jan ‘18
• VP Events Asian Pacific American Forum Affinity Group at GE Mar '13 - May '15
• Member of IEEE Control Systems and Computer Science Societies Mar '00 - Present
LACBA Dispute Resolution Services - West Hollywood, CA Mar '07 - Sep '07
• Analyzed the dispute and provided resolution to community residents seeking Mediation Services
Education
University of California, Los Angeles
• Ph.D. (all but unfinished thesis) in Electrical Engineering, major in Control Systems. May '06
Minors: Digital Signal Processing and Engineering Optimization
• Engineer in Electrical Engineering Jun '03
• Master of Science in Electrical Engineering Jun '02
Yildiz Technical University - Istanbul, Turkiye Jun '98
• Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering
Awards
• Graduate Student Fellowship from the Electrical Engineering Department at UCLA Sep '00 - Mar '06
• Dean’s Special Young Alumni Award: Received Bachelor of Science degree at age of 20 Jun '98
• Placed 6th in 1997 Best Model of Turkiye Competition Aug '97
Computer Skills
• C++, Python, Fortran, C#, Google OR-Tools, SQL, Scikit-learn, TensorFlow, CPLEX, .NET, Matlab, Databricks, PySpark, SVN,
Git, Perforce, Azure Functions, Kusto, REST APIs, Domo, Tableau, MicroStrategy, Adobe Analytics, Airflow, DoWhy, PSM
Utilities Advisory Commission Application
Submitted on 14 January 2026, 10:20am
Receipt number 64
Related form version 14
Name Robert L Phillips
Cell Phone Number 6463484725
Home Phone Number
Email Address rolewisphillips@gmail.com
Are you a Palo Alto resident?Yes
Address 2290 Yale Street
City Palo Alto
Postal Code 94306
Do you have any relatives or members of your household who are
employed by the City of Palo Alto, who are currently serving on the
City Council, or who are Commissioners or Board Members?
No
Are you available and committed to complete the term applied for?Yes
Fair Political Practices
California state law requires board/commission members to file a disclosure of
financial interests (Fair Political Practices Commission, Conflict of Interest, Form
700).
Do you/your spouse have an investment in, or do you or your spouse serve as an
officer or director of, a company doing business in Palo Alto which you believe is
likely to:
1. Engage in business with the City;
2. Provide products or services for City projects; or
3. Be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission?
No
Excluding your principal residence, do you or your spouse own real
property in Palo Alto?
No
How did you learn about the vacancy on the Utilities Advisory
Commission?
Email from the City
Personal Information
Consent to Publish Personal Information on the City of Palo Alto Website
1 of 3
Read the code, and check only ONE option below:I give permission for the City of Palo Alto to post to the City’s website the
attached Board and Commission Application intact. I have read and
understand my rights under Government Code Section 6254.21. I may
revoke this permission at any time by providing written notice to the Palo
Alto City Clerk.
Occupation Independent Consultant
Please list your relevant education, training, experience, certificates of
training, licenses, and professional registration. If describing work
experience, please include company/employer name and occupation.
My career has focused on using data and analytics to help companies and
businesses make better decisions. I have served as a consultant to the
Department of Energy and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) as
well as to a number of electric power utilities in the United States and the
United Kingdom. I have been a Professor in the Columbia University
Business School and a Lecturer at Stanford, University, teaching courses in
the use of analytics for decisions. I have served as Director of Marketplace
Data Science for Uber and Director of Pricing Analytics for Amazon as well
as CEO of the consulting firm Decision Focus Incorporated.
I hold a Ph.D. in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford
University and Bachelor Degrees in Economics and Mathematics from
Washington State University.
Please describe your involvement in community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations, including dates and any offices held.
I have served on the Utilities Advisory Commission since 2023 including on
the Budget Subcommittee and the Gas COSA ad hoc subcommittee.
Please select all that apply to you.I am a utility customer.
Personal and Job Experience
1. Why are you interested in serving on the Utilities Advisory
Commission and what experience would you bring to the position?
I have been serving on the UAC since 2023. I feel that I have made a positive
contribution in a number of areas such as the improvements to the Gas
COSA and helping establish strategic directions for electricity, water, and
gas. Through my service, I have become highly familiar with the challenges
facing our utilities and the options we have for ensuring affordable, reliable
and sustainable access for our residents and businesses.
2. Please describe an issue that recently came before the Commission
that is of particular interest to you and describe why you are
interested in it. If you have never been to a Commission meeting, you
can view archived videos from the Midpen Media Center.
Archived videos are available from the Midpen Media Center.
I have a continuing interest in ensuring that utility services remain affordable
for our residents. This is particularly important as the city seeks to electrify
and eliminate natural gas. We require careful planning to ensure that we do
not enter a "death spiral" as our gas infrastructure and maintenance costs
are allocated to a shrinking customer base.
3. If appointed, what specific goals would you like to see the Utilities
Advisory Commission achieve, and how would you help in the
process?
I believe that the UAC is successful if it 1.) provides useful strategic input to
the City Council regarding Utilities issues and 2.) provides guidance to
utilities staff that helps ensure that they pursuing strategies consist with
Council priorities.
4. Utilities Advisory Commission Members work with the documents
listed below. If you have experience with any of these documents,
please describe that experience. Experience with these documents is
not required for selection.
The Utilities Strategic Plan (2018)
City of Palo Alto Electric Integrated Resource Plan (2025)
The Gas Utility Long-term Plan (2023)
Urban Water Management Plan (2021)
Ten-Year Electric Energy Efficiency Plan and Ten-Year Natural Gas Energy Efficiency
Plan (2025)
Sustainability and Climate Action Plan (SCAP)
Fiber-to-the-Premise Master Plan (2022)
Electric Grid Modernization (2026)
I am familiar with all of those documents through my work on the UAC.
Application Questions
2 of 3
If you'd like to provide any additional documents, please upload
below.
Please confirm that you have read the Boards and Commissions
Handbook.
View the Boards and Commissions Handbook.
Yes
Signature Name of signatory: Robert L Phillips
Uploaded signature image: Signature.png
Date Completed 01/14/2026
3 of 3
Item No. 2. Page 1 of 1
9
4
9
4
City Council
Supplemental Report
From: Mahealani Ah Yun, City Clerk
Meeting Date: March 2, 2026
Item Number: 2
Report #:2603-6053
TITLE
Review Applications and Select Candidates to Interview for the Historic Resources Board (HRB),
Human Relations Commission (HRC), Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC), Stormwater
Management Oversight Committee (SWMOC), and Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC)
Vacancies; CEQA Status - Not a Project
BACKGROUND
The City Clerk’s Office received a request from Forest Olaf Peterson on March 2, 2026 to add
additional material - letters of recommendation - to his Planning and Transportation
Commission application packet. The attached letters are provided here at Places for Council and
public review.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment A: Support Letter – Terun
Attachment B: Support Letter - Protégé
Attachment C: Support Letter - Palo Alto Data Group
Attachment D: Support Letter - Naschmarkt
Attachment E: Support Letter - Cafe pro bono
Attachment F: Support Letter - Ca Ave Norge
APPROVED BY:
Mahealani Ah Yun, City Clerk
3/2/2026
Dear Honorable Mayor Veenker and Members of the Palo Alto City Council,
As Owner of Terun located at 448 California Ave in the California Avenue Business District, I am
writing to express my strong support for the reappointment of Dr. Forest Peterson to the
Planning & Transportation Commission.
Commissioner Peterson has demonstrated genuine engagement with our business corridor. He
listens to our concerns about street maintenance, pedestrian access, and infrastructure
improvements that directly affect our livelihoods. His technical expertise and hands-on approach
to understanding our needs as business owners is exactly what this commission requires.
I respectfully urge the Council to reappoint Dr. Peterson to continue his service on the Planning
& Transportation Commission.
Sincerely,
Franco Campilongo
Owner, Terun
448 California Ave
3/2/2026
Dear Honorable Mayor Veenker and Members of the Palo Alto City Council,
As Owner of Protégé located at 250 California Avenue, Palo Alto, Ca 94306 in the California
Avenue Business District, I am writing to express my strong support for the reappointment of Dr.
Forest Peterson to the Planning & Transportation Commission.
Commissioner Peterson has demonstrated genuine engagement with our business corridor. He
listens to our concerns about street maintenance, pedestrian access, and infrastructure
improvements that directly affect our livelihoods. His technical expertise and hands-on approach
to understanding our needs as business owners is exactly what this commission requires.
I respectfully urge the Council to reappoint Dr. Peterson to continue his service on the Planning
& Transportation Commission.
Sincerely,
Dennis Kelly
Owner, Protégé
250 California Avenue, Palo Alto, Ca 94306
3/2/20206
Dear Honorable Mayor Veenker and Members of the Palo Alto City Council,
As a QA Tester at Palo Alto Data Group, which uses a virtual address in the California Avenue
Business District, I am writing to express my strong support for the reappointment of Dr. Forest
Peterson to the Planning & Transportation Commission.
Commissioner Peterson has demonstrated genuine engagement with our business corridor. He
listens to our concerns about street maintenance, pedestrian access, and infrastructure
improvements that directly affect our livelihoods. His technical expertise and hands-on approach
to understanding our needs as business owners is exactly what this commission requires.
I respectfully urge the Council to reappoint Dr. Peterson to continue his service on the Planning
& Transportation Commission.
Sincerely,
Liesel
QA Tester, Palo Alto data group
Virtual address
3/2/2026
Dear Honorable Mayor Veenker and Members of the Palo Alto City Council,
As Owner of Naschmarkt located at 2323 Birch Street 94306 in the California Avenue Business
District, I am writing to express my strong support for the reappointment of Dr. Forest Peterson
to the Planning & Transportation Commission.
Commissioner Peterson has demonstrated genuine engagement with our business corridor. He
listens to our concerns about street maintenance, pedestrian access, and infrastructure
improvements that directly affect our livelihoods. His technical expertise and hands-on approach
to understanding our needs as business owners is exactly what this commission requires.
I respectfully urge the Council to reappoint Dr. Peterson to continue his service on the Planning
& Transportation Commission.
Sincerely,
T
Owner, Naschmarkt
2323 Birch Street 94306
3/2/2026
Dear Honorable Mayor Veenker and Members of the Palo Alto City Council,
As Owner/ ceo of Cafe pro bono located at 2437 birch st Palo Alto ca 94306 in the California
Avenue Business District, I am writing to express my strong support for the reappointment of Dr.
Forest Peterson to the Planning & Transportation Commission.
Commissioner Peterson has demonstrated genuine engagement with our business corridor. He
listens to our concerns about street maintenance, pedestrian access, and infrastructure
improvements that directly affect our livelihoods. His technical expertise and hands-on approach
to understanding our needs as business owners is exactly what this commission requires.
I respectfully urge the Council to reappoint Dr. Peterson to continue his service on the Planning
& Transportation Commission.
Sincerely,
AKIF Aydın
Owner/ ceo, Cafe pro bono
2437 birch st Palo Alto ca 94306
3/2/2026
Dear Honorable Mayor Veenker and Members of the Palo Alto City Council,
As Staff of Ca Ave Norge located at 240 Ca Ave in the California Avenue Business District, I am
writing to express my strong support for the reappointment of Dr. Forest Peterson to the
Planning & Transportation Commission.
Commissioner Peterson has demonstrated genuine engagement with our business corridor. He
listens to our concerns about street maintenance, pedestrian access, and infrastructure
improvements that directly affect our livelihoods. His technical expertise and hands-on approach
to understanding our needs as business owners is exactly what this commission requires.
I respectfully urge the Council to reappoint Dr. Peterson to continue his service on the Planning
& Transportation Commission.
Sincerely,
Cathy Lee
Staff, Ca Ave Norge
240 Ca Ave
2026 Spring RecruitmentBoard and CommissionsInterview Selection
Presenters:
Mahealani Ah Yun, City Clerk
Nicole Bissell, Deputy City Clerk
March 2, 2026 www.PaloAlto.gov
1
•Included in this recruitment:
o Historic Resources Board (HRB) – 3 full term vacancies, expiring 3/31/2029
o Human Relations Commission (HRC) – 1 partial term vacancy, expiring 10/31/2026
o Planning & Transportation Commission (PTC) – 2 full-term vacancies, expiring 3/31/2030
o Stormwater Management Oversight Committee (SWMOC) – 1 partial term vacancy, expiring 10/31/2026
o Utilities Advisory Commission (UAC) – 3 full-term vacancies, expiring 3/31/2029
•Recruitment Timeline:
o January 13 – Recruitment Opened
o February 18 – Recruitment Closed
o March 2 – Select Candidates for Interviews
o March 23 – Candidate Interviews (Tentative)
o April 6 – Appointments (Tentative)
2026 SPRING RECRUITMENT
2
•The number of interviewees varies based on the number of vacancies.
o Interview all candidates if there are 6 or fewer applicants
o Interview up to 6 candidates when there are 1 -2 openings
o Interview up to 8 candidates when there are 3 openings
o Interview up to 10 candidates when there are 4 openings
•Councilmembers will vote on whom to interview, getting twice the number of votes
as there are openings. The top vote getters are interviewed.
•Candidates must receive at least 2 votes to be interviewed.
INTERVIEW SELECTION PROCESS
3
RECRUITMENT SUMMARY
BCC Vacancies Applications
Received
Candidates to
Interview
Councilmember
Votes
HRB 3 3 All n/a
HRC 1 9 Up to 6 2
PTC 2 11 Up to 6 4
SWMOC 1 0 n/a n/a
UAC 3 10 Up to 8 6
4
3 Applicants for 3 Full-Term Vacancies, expiring 3/31/2029
•Alisa Eagleston-Cieslewicz
•Nandini Ramamurthi
•Ronald Katz
No candidate vote to be taken at this time. 3 applications were received for 3 vacancies. Council
procedures indicate that all candidates will be interviewed if less than 6 applications are received.
Council has the discretion to extend the recruitment if desired.
HISTORIC RESOURCES BOARD
5
9 Applicants for 1 Partial-Term Vacancy, expiring 10/31/2026
Anne-Marie Duliege: Veenker (1)
Cynthia Wood: Lu (1)
Deborah Goldeen:
Ellen Bob: Burt, Lauing , Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl (4)
Haylea Hannah:
Jonake Bose:
Raizel Rosenberg: Lu, Reckdahl , Stone, Veenker (4)
Raymond Goins: Lythcott -Haims (1)
Rona Hu: Burt, Lauing , Stone (3)
HUMAN RELATIONS COMMISSION (ROUND 1)
6
11 Applicants for 2 Full -Term Vacancies, expiring 3/31/2030
Bobi Adle:
Bryna Chang: Burt, Lauing , Lu, Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker (7)
Daniel Phillip Benas: Burt, Reckdahl (2)
David Wu:
Ellen Shay:
Forest Olaf Peterson: Lu, Lythcott -Haims, Stone, Veenker (4)
Jeff Watt: Burt, Lu, Lythcott -Haims, Reckdahl (4)
Joyce Beattie:
Martin Blanchet: Stone, Veenker (2)
Nikita Kutselev:
Tom Siegal: Burt, Lauing , Lu, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker (6)
PLANNING & TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION (ROUND 1)
0 Applicants for 1 Partial-Term Vacancy, expiring 10/31/2026
No candidate vote to be taken at this time. Staff recommends extending the recruitment.
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
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10 Applicants for 3 Full-Term Vacancies, expiring 3/31/2029
Andy Poggio: Reckdahl (1)
Barry Wolf: Reckdahl (1)
Benjamin Piiru: Burt, Lauing, Stone (3)
Grant Chang: Lu, Stone (2)
Greg Scharff: Burt, Lauing, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker (7)
Hassan Naqvi:
Julia Zeitlin: Burt, Lu, Lythcott-Haims, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker (6)
Meagan Mauter: Burt, Lauing, Lu, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker (6)
Olgu Tanriverdi: Burt, Lu (2)
Robert L Phillips: Burt, Lauing, Lu, Reckdahl, Stone, Veenker (6)
UTILITIES ADVISORY COMMSSION (ROUND 1)
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•Clerk’s Office will reach out to candidates to coordinate interviews, which are
tentatively scheduled for the 3/23 City Council Meeting
•Appointments are tentatively scheduled for the 4/6 City Council Meeting
NEXT STEPS
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