Josie Collier
Executive Features Editor
Mark Burton
Former Manhattan Beach Mayor and City Council member Mark Burton is running for City Council in the General Municipal Election on the platform of safety and fiscal prudence.
Burton is a retired city attorney with 25 years of public service experience and is the former president of the Manhattan Beach Rotary Club. He attended Loyola Marymount University and Southwestern School of Law. Burton is an extremely involved citizen in the Manhattan Beach community as a Roundhouse Aquarium board member and member of the Parish Council for the American Martyrs Church.
“Public service is my passion,” Burton said. “It’s what I love to do, and it’s what I’m good at. During my first term, I earned a reputation for listening to and fighting for our residents, grass roots community groups and small businesses.”
Joe Franklin
Joe Franklin has been a Manhattan Beach resident for 34 years and is running in the 2019 General Municipal Election in order to improve public safety and promote fiscal responsibilty.
Franklin graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in Science and Business Administration. He is also a parent of two Mira Costa High School graduates. Franklin plans on ending the hiring of expensive and unnecessary consultants and expensive City Hall Executive Staff, he said. Franklin began volunteering after partnering with former mayor Joyce Fahey to create a “Do-stop, Don’t-speed” campaign which is aimed to increases traffic safety in residential neighborhoods.
“[Running] means a continuation of my service to the community, and that means a lot to me,” Franklin said. “It has made my life a lot fuller.”
Suzanne Hadley
Suzanne Hadley’s campaign focuses on advocating for public safety, school safety, strong financial governance and supporting the homeless community.
Hadley has four children, all of which attended Mira Costa, and one who is currently a senior. Hadley earned a Master’s of Business Education from Dartmouth College and is a strong supporter of local businesses. Hadley’s professional experience includes corporate financing, consulting and marketing. Hadley was also a small-business owner of a retail store in Wisconsin. In her free time, she volunteers at the Manhattan Beach library and is the Block captain for Neighborhood Watch. Hadley is also the President of Mira Costa’s school site council.
“This role in the community is one that I will take as serious as I did with the responsibility of raising my family,” Hadley said.
Wayne Powell
Former City Councilmember Wayne Powell is seeking re-election.
He served the Manhattan Beach Community as City Councilmember from 2009-2017 and served as Mayor from 2012-2014. Powell is a 23 year Manhattan Beach resident and graduated from Long Beach State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Financing. Powell is a strong supporter of ensuring financial integrity and government transparency throughout the city. Powell is an advocate for school and public safety, as he co-founded the Manhattan Beach community emergency response team, assisting first responders during natural disasters. Powell volunteers as the Neighborhood Watch Block Captain and is also a volunteer for the Manhattan Beach Older Adults Program and Manhattan Beach Coordinating (education) Council.
“I have always loved serving our community, [and dedicating] my life to our community” Powell said. “I was always known as the go-to person if anyone or any resident had a concern or a problem that needed to be resolved.”
Hildy Stern
Hildy Stern, Manhattan Beach mother and active volunteer, is running for a spot as City Councilmember in the 2019 General Municipal Election.
Stern is a 24 year resident of Manhattan Beach. Stern attended Georgetown University Law Center, Wayne State University Law School, Michigan State University and the University of Michigan. She has worked as a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, a program director for Creating Conversations and was an accountant for Arthur Andersen. Stern has also been the Vice President of concerts and events for Mira Costa High School bands, a Scholar Quiz test writer at Manhattan Beach Middle School and the community outreach projects chair at Pacific Elementary School.
“I love living in Manhattan Beach and don’t take our cherished, unique, small town for granted,” Stern said. “I have been an active volunteer in the community, sitting on community wide boards and as a volunteer at Pacific School, MBMS, Mira Costa and many other local organizations like Richstone Family Center, Project Needs and the Manhattan Beach Hometown Fair.”
Joseph Ungoco
Joseph Ungoco is running to be a Manhattan Beach City Councilmember on a platform of sustainability and public safety.
Ungoco attended Boston University and received his masters in Medical Sciences and an MBA in Finance. Ungoco worked in government at the local, state and federal level, giving him a variety of experience when running for City Council. In Washington D.C., Ungoco worked for the Department of Defense, Health, Human Services and the Social Security Administration. He helped create health policy reform in Massachusetts and lobbied for workplace equality in New York for women and the LGBT community. As a City Councilmember, Ungoco plans to make safer routes to schools for pedestrians and students biking. Supporting community police, firefighters and first responders is crucial to maintaining security around Manhattan Beach schools, Ungoco said.
“Working with different groups of people with different opinions is an excellent experience and will help me to function on the city council if we are working towards a better future for [our] city,” Ungoco said.
Brian Withers
Brian Withers is running in the city’s General Municipal Election and wants to enforce more traffic laws to increase safety.
Withers graduated from the University of the Pacific Dental School in San Francisco and now runs his own dental practice in Manhattan Beach. According to Withers, being in the medical field prepares a candidate for a City Council position because working with people and then helping them achieve their goals coincides with the responsibilities of a City Councilmember. Withers hopes that his legacy will be providing the police department with the equipment it needs to keep the community safe. Additionally, Withers wants to provide the Manhattan Beach Unified School District schools with the resources necessary for safety and believes that the active shooter drill on Jan. 30 at Mira Costa is an essential and important part of school safety.
“[As a dentist, I] was helping people achieve their goals with their smile,” Withers said. “[As a City Councilmember, I will help] a whole lot more people achieve their vision for what they want Manhattan Beach to continue to be.”
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