BOARD POSITION

# OF SEATS

ELECTED OR APPOINTED?

QUALIFICATIONS TO
RUN FOR THE SEAT

QUALIFICATIONS TO
VOTE FOR THE SEAT

CANDIDATES FILED:

Andrea Moran

Living in Northeast LA for more than half a century has been a delight. For the past 40 years we have raised a family of five in Hermon and are a two generation Hermon family. Raising my children allowed me to be active in their schools and I was a founding board member of “Art in the Park” in Hermon Park.

I am a firm believer in the power of grass roots activism and feel that neighbors working together for a common goal can greatly improve their neighborhoods for generations to come. I am running as a Geographic Representative for our community and I know I can bring the voice of Hermon stakeholders to the ASNC. I have worked with many community organizations and I look forward to the opportunity of working with the other community representatives to rebuild a strong ASNC that will once again benefit all our communities.

Judy Shane

IF we speak, they will listen. The Neighborhood Council is YOUR voice speaking to power — to elected officials, city managers, the media. The Neighborhood Council is also your neighbor, your gardener, the dentist, the owner of the coffee shop.

These are the people with whom you talk, and agree that something “has to be done” or “would be better if . . .”. My background includes both community work and public affairs as a representative of many interests — from employment law to recycling to restaurants and cable access.

Each community in L.A. has its own goals, and all communities share some goals. Listening and finding common ground, listening and recognizing the importance of one single issue to one community — that’s my background and my interest in representing each of you, on the ASNC Board.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Roy Payan

i have lived in montecito Heights for 21 years and for the last five i”ve been president of the Montecito Heights Improvement Association. I am currently involved in public safety efforts for our community, a local water reclamation project and most importantly a long term commitment to preserve the open space in Montecito Hights. the area most directly under threat is the land we all love in the vicinity of Flat Top. As MHIA President I led a successful effort to block a bad development adjacent to Debs park. As a member of ASNC, I will fight to protect our neighborhoods open space and viewshed, building on the relationships with the city officials i have cultivated over the years. i’m a graduate of Lincoln High school and Art Center, served 12 years in the Navy. I’m currently the Montecito Heights Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)captain and have 20 Red Cross certifications.

Martha Benedict

During the decade I’ve lived here, I have worked to protect open space, preserve historic cultural treasures, thwart bad development, enhance Debs Park and celebrate the Montecito Heights Centennial. My contributions to the Debs Park Advisory Board put a crosswalk at the Audubon Center and speed humps on Avenue 52 for the safety of the residents and motorists. On the ASNC, I advocated for the restoration of the Lummis Home entry doors, building the gates at Heritage Square and the nature and fitness programs at the Audubon Center. I have consistently supported the reopening of the Southwest Museum. I have much more to do. The threat of development of the Flat Top area is real. Time is running out for the Southwest Museum. Strategies for coping with emergencies must be implemented before it is too late. I want to achieve these goals for the benefit of all five ASNC communities.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Darius Adle

As a long time resident of Monterey Hills, I have been involved in many community affairs. I joined the Monterey Hills Federation the first year I moved here in 2003 and have been active there ever since as their President or Chair. We have organized community events in Budd Weiner Park, several jazz festivals, community clean-ups,
and worked closely with our neighbors in Hermon to support our local Charter High School as well as Fresco market. We have also been instrumental at working with the CRA in its last years of stewardship of the hill to prevent over development and worked in conjunction with Councilmember Jose Huizar in preserving Elephant Hill
and organizing cultural affairs.

Since 2007 I have also attended ASNC meetings and in 2009 I joined them as I realized that a thriving community benefited all. In addition I have worked with the Mayor’s Park Advisory Board.

David Lyttle

I was born in Los Angeles, raised in the San Fernando Valley and after obtaining a Masters Degree from Harvard University traveled the world furthering my studies.

I am not affiliated with any splinter group within the Monterey Hills Community therefore I have no conflicts of interest, nor do I have any preconceived or personal agendas to fulfill. What I do have is a supportive multi-cultural family where differences are appreciated and respect for diversity is preserved.

By definition a representative “presents and serves as a counterpart the ideals of a community”. With these values I will bring a fresh look towards an all-inclusive, open-minded, out-reaching future for all stakeholders.

I have lived in Monterey Hills for ten years and the time has come for the ASNC to get back to the business of promoting participation and response to local community needs.

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”

Judy Knapton

I have been an active and highly visible Monterey Hills community advocate for twelve years. I ask for your vote so that I may continue to respectfully serve our common interests.
Judy Knapton

CANDIDATES FILED:

Paul Jacques

As a homeowner and resident of Mt. Washington for over 20 years, I am intimately aware of the challenges and opportunities facing our diverse and evolving community. I would like to serve my community as a member of the neighborhood council and bring my considerable business experience to bear in order to help our community continue to grow and develop in the most positive ways. I would be a committed and engaged council member and would do my best to fairly represent all viewpoints as we debate and develop solutions to the issues facing all of us as a community.

Karl Haendel WITHDREW

Andrew Ptashnik

I have been a resident of Mt Washington for the past 13 years. I am a semi-retired executive with experience in business management, business development, marketing and finance. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree from Dowling College and an MBA from Pepperdine University. I am seeking to be elected as a representative on the neighborhood council because I believe my background and experience can be an asset to the council and neighborhood. The Arroyo Seco area is rich in cultural, historic and recreational assets. During the current fiscal challenges facing our elected officials, financial resources will face substantial scrutiny. It is important to keep a focus on our area and insure we receive a fair of fiscal resources and our natural and cultural assets are not diminished.

Valerie Harragin

I would be honored to represent my community at the Neighborhood Council. I am a federal mediator, working fulltime assisting folks in working through difficult conflicts and coming together often despite extreme differences and longstanding animosities. I have masters degrees in social welfare and urban planning. I have been a homeowner and resident of Mt. Washington for nearly 20 years. My daughter, now in college, attended Mt. Washington Elementary school.

The communities that make up Arroyo Seco are great places that could be even better. Our streets, parks and schools could be cleaner and safer, our sense of community could be stronger, and our voice could be louder and clearer at City Hall. The Neighborhood Council gives us an avenue to participate more fully in our own governance and we must not waste that precious opportunity.

Andrea Jayasekera

As a Mt. Washington homeowner for 10 years, I love what the Arroyo Seco represents—natural beauty, a diverse and active community, a strong sense of history and tradition. As a community activist and parent of a young daughter, I have enjoyed working with other neighbors/parents to bring positive change that makes our area stronger, safer, and more beautiful.
I am a former public school teacher who has taught in the Greater Los Angeles area for 12 years. I‘ve served on the Mt. Washington Elementary School Site Council, the decision-making body, as a Parent Representative for two years. I also worked with city officials, and school stakeholders to implement the Safety Valet Drop Off Program at Mt. Washington Elementary. Neighborhood Councils provide a wonderful opportunity for all stakeholders to have their voices heard at the city level. Through open discussions we can realize our full potential as a community.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Sergio Vidal-Echeverria

Does anyone know that a voice is needed for the Sycamore Grove neighborhood? The past few years our neighborhood has been overlooked and residents are not aware that there is someone they can call or meet to discuss concerns.
I have been a homeowner for ten years and I am a proud husband and father of four children.
The ASNC needs to regain its focus and represent where we all live. I am that person. I want to have clean streets, free of debris, graffiti, and homes that are not neglected.
I have worked in retail management and training for 22 years. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, and I plan on attending law school in 2013.
It is time that the residents of Sycamore Grove are heard, and being a part of the ASNC can become our direct voice to city government.

Joseph Riser

How can people speak FOR you to City government, if they don’t listen TO you – FIRST?
In Sycamore Grove, especially – ASNC’s second largest community – your voice hasn’t been heard. This should be the heart of ASNC, not just an area other people drive through to get home. I want to hold well-publicized community meetings where neighbors can talk about quality-of-life issues, and then work with the City to correct them.

In recent years, I’ve pushed for more NC funds to go to local school art and music programs, worked to identify and preserve cultural sites, painted out miles of graffiti, registered hundreds of new stakeholders, and held dozens of local meetings – just to make sure stakeholders’ voices were heard.

I’ll bring this same kind of tireless drive to addressing Sycamore Grove’s problems, if you’ll vote for me as one of your two reps.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Alfred Buhler

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE ASNC REUNITE AS A GROUP AND ONLY THEN WILL WE BE ABLE TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY GROW AND PROSPER.
THE ASNC NEEDS TO FOCUS ON SOLVING THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE VISION FOR THE FUTURE AND STOP THE INFIGHTING.

I MEET MANY STAKEHOLDERS IN THE ASNC DUE TO MY REAL ESTATE BUSINESS AND I AM CONSTENTLY REACHING OUT TO THEM ADVOCATING THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING INVOLVED AND ALSO TO RECRUIT NEW MEMBERS.

MY WIFE AND I HAVE LIVED IN 2 ASNC COMMUNITIES FOR OVER 3 DECADES, OUR DAUGHTER WAS RAISED HERE AND SHE SPENT 7 YEARS OF HER EDUCATION AT PACIFIC CHRISTIAN SCHOOL.

I HAVE A BIG STAKE IN MY COMMUNITY AND WANT TO HELP MOVING THE ASNC TO THE NEXT LEVEL.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Alexander Bowman

What percentage of your neighbors have been to an ASNC meeting? Most likely it’s not a high number, but why is that? If your neighbors are not involved within the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council, is it really a “neighborhood” council? The number one goal of a neighborhood council should be outreach, not spending money on a friend’s project or an event that has little or no real benefit to the community.

My name is Alex Bowman and I would like to help make the ASNC truly become a neighborhood council by making outreach the focus of the council. I am an Associate Pastor of Youth where I have had to outreach to the community, schools, and neighbors in new and efficient ways. I will bring my experience to the ASNC to help make the council meetings more reflective of the neighborhoods it serves. Thank you for your vote.

Margaret Barto

I have lived in NorthEast LA for thirty years, twenty eight of them in hermon. I started being involved when Hermon was fighting the Oak Hill development We lost that round. However we went on to fight developments going in what is now the bethesda Seminary property and also pleased with LA charter School. One of the areas that has not been as important as it should be is our faith based at large position. I hope to change that. During this next year I plan to work with the relization fellowship in Mt. Washington, Hermon Community Church, as well as the Group of Pastors that meet once a month. I will also be working on keeping the communities in the ASNC United.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Nina Zippay

Northeast Los Angeles has a strong sense of place that is unique and special. Whether hiking the open spaces of Debs Park, watching a sunset overlooking a canyon in Mt. Washington, or spending a weekend morning planting native grasses with our local Girl Scout troop, I am committed to celebrating and promoting our rich environmental history. My law degree and years working with the United States Environmental Protection Agency has given me an understanding of the government’s environmental regulatory framework. And my recent MBA from Pepperdine University with a dual focus on sustainability and leadership helps me better understand our local business’ perspectives in these matters. But it is the passion that I have always had for the environment which compels me to commit myself to this position. Thank you for your support and belief that we can make this a better community for all.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Brittany Wolfson

Passion rebuilds the world for the youth. It makes all things alive and significant. – Ralph Waldo EmersonI’m a resident of Montecito Heights and a dedicated, passionate individual committed to making a better world through education and support for our youth. I received my undergrad from UC Berkeley with a degree in Social Welfare and Education and my Master’s from Northeastern University in Applied Behavior Analysis. I have over 10 years experience working with children in school, home, and community settings.It would be a great honor to serve on the neighborhood council as the Education and Youth At-Large Representative. In this position, I will work hard to improve our neighborhood through education and youth programs by listening to and addressing your areas of concern. I ask for your vote on Election Day.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Zoey Goetsch

I’m passionate about the community as a CA resident for 30 years, and an L.A. resident for the past 15, and look forward to serving the needs of my community.

Lily Feliciano

Home has always been a very important word to me. There is nothing as comforting as feeling the safety and comfort of a welcoming home. Having grown up in a community that provided a good school system and necessary amenities, in hindsight I now realize it had very little regard for the safety of it’s residents and less so for wildlife. I can honestly say that I have felt most at “home” being welcomed into the Hermon community where it is clear that through unity, a respect for nature, and compassion towards it’s neighbors and others this neighborhood wants to ensure that residents feel safe and welcome.

My professional background is in animation production, fine art, entertainment arts, and education. In my free time I relax with classic rock and folk music and volunteer for animal welfare and humane education. I hope to bring these skills on board!

Ariel Van Zandweghe

I am presently serving as a member of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council, I have been the Sycamore Grove representative for the past two years. I am very interested in the preservation of the rich historical heritage of the areaand the continuation of the artistic tradition of the Arroyo Seco. I am also the curator of the Lummis Home.
I believe that exposing our children to the history, traditionsand cultural offerings of the neighborhood is the best way to develop their pride in their community and their interest in its affairs.
As the Recreation, Culture, andthe Arts At-Large Representative, I intend to increase the availability of educational opportunities for our children.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Annie Sakamoto

Live, laugh, serve, strive to be healthy – my words to live by.At age three, U.S. soldiers took me many miles away from my first “home” – an L.A. orphanage – to the WWII Japanese-American detention center at Manzanar, only to return me after the war as a foster child to a local family. “Home” ever since has been the beautiful Arroyo Seco area, where I raised my two children and worked 45 years in healthcare as a registered nurse.My difficult early years must have had something to do with my career choice and desire to serve the community, even now, as a senior.I want to help our local neighborhood council reach out to and represent all stakeholders in constructive, meaningful ways, so that many more want to participate in service. That will involve ASNC regaining its main focus as a “voice” to City government.

Please vote for me.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Clifford Moseley

Hello Neighbors,
I’m running for the position of non-profit representative because I believe that non-profits provide a vital service to our community. I am a member and past commander of the American Legion. I also founded and am the executive director of the Los Angeles International C Highschool, a small non-profit public school that serves the families of the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council pluc neighboring communities. I ask for your support on election day.

Thank you

Terry Saltzman

Hello, my name is Terry Saltzman and I am a new resident to the Arroyo Seco. For me, being of service in the community which I live is the highest from of personal fulfillment. I believe that community service is the backbone of personal integrity and good character. I have a passion for community service, neighborhood participation, with a specific interest in the maintenance, preservation of our open/public spaces, parks and the non-profit organizations which manage them. The contributions that are made through the work of local neighborhood councils are of immeasurable benefit to the community. I would be honored and consider it a privilege to serve on the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council as member At-Large with focus of service as a not-for-profit liaison.

CANDIDATES FILED:

Teresa “Teri” Bonsell

I would like be a board member of Arroyo Seco NC because I think that I will be a good asset. I am open to all ideas to improve our wonderful community, I also would like to see NC work together on community events. I have lived in this beautiful community since 1963 and love everything about it. I would appreciate your vote as a board member of the Arroyo Seco NC.

Tony Torres

I’m a candidate for the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council, at large position. I work at Los Angeles International Charter High School as Development Director, but I have worked in Northeast Los Angeles since 1997.

I know the ASNC communities very well having worked on important issues during my tenure at a local public affairs firm. I worked as the community liaison for the construction of the Metro Gold Line amongst other projects.

In my capacity for the charter school, I meet with hundreds of stakeholders to promote our school and our neighborhood, as some students come from outside of the ASNC. I always speak proudly about the unique and beautiful nature of our community.

If elected, I am committed to working hard to make our ASNC community a great place to work, live and visit. I would be honored to receive your vote. Thank you

Jack Fong

My family and I have been residents of Mount Washington for over 20 years. Currently I am on the ASNC Board as the Mount Washington Geographical Representative, and serving as Vice President and the Rules & Elections Committee Chair. I am also co-chair of the Land Use Committee. I would now like to be an At-Large Representative to become more involved in the overall Arroyo Seco neighborhood and help facilitate the ASNC Bylaws’ Purpose to “provide… engage… promote… work… advocate… inform and educate…”

As an Architect (and Planner), I’ve work collaboratively with diverse, multi-disciplinary teams to achieve productive results while being an active advocate of the critical issues. In like manner, I hope to be able to work and serve the collective Arroyo Seco communities as a collaborating At-Large Representative of the ASNC. Looking to continue the work of the Board with a “fresh’ start.

Arthur Jaramillo

I’ve had several opportunities to observe neighborhood councils recently. One problem they face is understanding how City Hall works.

I know I can help with that. After 33 years, I recently retired as an L.A. City principal building inspector. I have expertise in the kind of zoning issues, variances, and permitting questions that the ASNC grapples with. I can address most land use questions, tell who to contact, and how to get citizens the information to provide good advice.

Except for four years I served my country in the Navy, I’ve spent my entire life in Northeast L.A. I attended local schools, worked as a teen in my father’s Highland Park business, and raised our three children. Community well-being was important to me all along, especially now as my grandchildren grow up in these same neighborhoods.

I believe I can make a difference. Please vote for me, October 13.