“State of the City” Presentation

In January of 1997, Ken moved to Mountain View with his wife Jennifer.  Their first house was a new development across the street from the Mountain View downtown train station.  Because this was such a highly trafficked area, Ken began his involvement in local and community issues advocating for a safer intersection at Evelyn and Bush after a car lost control turning the corner and ended up in his side yard.  He spent the first few years in Mountain View commuting via CalTrain to his employer Intel and watching his family grow as first his daughter Jordan was born and then his son Bennett.

After changing careers to work as a family financial planner for Morgan Stanley, his family moved to their second house in downtown Mountain View.   At the same time, he joined the steering committee for the Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association and Leadership Mountain View in 2003.  Many of his eventual motivations for running for City Council were formulated during this timeframe.

Ken grew up in the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles.  His father, after working as a grocery store manager, switched jobs and eventually retired from an insurance sales career after 40 years.  His parents are very proud to have successfully put all three of their children through college.  Graduating from UC Irvine in 1989, Ken found a job in the information technology department of a local Irvine corporation, beginning his fascination with that field.  This led him to Purdue University to seek out a “technical MBA” from the Krannert Graduate School of Management, graduating in 1993.

It was on the Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association where Ken met many of his neighbors and listened to the myriad of opinions they held about where the City was going.  It was clear that not everybody saw a situation the same way.  Many times, especially in the community online chat room, things got downright heated.  So Ken joined the City’s Human Relations Commission and inaugurated what is seen nationally as a model for civically sponsored public discussion on contentious issues:  The Civility Roundtable Discussion Series.  The idea is to get residents out of their homes to talk things through.  “We may not completely agree on things, but we don’t have to be disagreeable,” is something Ken is often heard saying. 

The City of Mountain View, in many respects, is in an enviable position.  Its budgets are balanced, its employers are growing, and its residents love living here.  But it isn’t without its challenges.  It is widely known that the creation of new jobs in the city are outpacing the ability of developers to house new workers.  Land is at a premium, forcing many long time renters to leave as their rent increases faster than their wages.  The streets are crowded with cars and people.   Mountain View is growing!  These issues require public discussion, because before we can resolve them, we need to agree on what Mountain View is supposed to look like. 

Through the long list of leadership positions Ken has held, he is known for his ability to seek consensus, invite dissent, and bring matters to a resolution.  Importantly he has earned the respect of those with whom he has served.  He is uniquely qualified for a seat on City Council and possesses the requisite skills to help navigate the City through its present challenges.