Candidate for
Member, City Council; City of Santa Rosa

I was born at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital on May 14, 1955 along with my twin brother, Michael. David, my older brother, arrived 19 months earlier. Having been born prior to the invention of ultrasound, I know my parents, Lee and Bill, didn't expect to have three kids in diapers at once.

My brothers and I attended Doyle Park Elementary located around the corner from our house on Talbot Ave. I knew I was on the way to maturity when my mother allowed me to cross 2-lane Sonoma Ave. alone to shop at Brookside Market.

At 12, I gained my first retail experience at the snack bar at the Little League park across from the fairgrounds.

I attended Herbert Slater Jr. High and on weekends, ran a gift store/card shop downtown. I was quite proud that the owner had the trust to leave me alone in charge of my 5 hour shift at the young age of 15.

Shortly after graduating from Montgomery High in 1973, a job as the Head Vault Teller at Bank of America pried me from my studies at SRJC. During this time I also worked as an emergency driver at the Sonoma County Blood Bank.

In 1975 I left Santa Rosa for a year-long life changing Western European/African backpacking trip.

On my return, Grandfather Sawyer asked me to manage Sawyer's News for him. Except for a 3 year break to work in the jewelry industry, I have been at Sawyer's, which I now own and operate, all of my adult life.

Working at Sawyer's News provided me the opportunity to begin my long history of volunteerism.