Protect Greenspaces
As a physician with a civil engineering degree, I understand the intersection of community, environment, and health. As Chair of the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District Board, I have protected these assets.
Defend Paso Nogal Park & District 4 Greenspace
Vote against any proposal that converts District 4 parkland and greenspace to development. Any park and greenspace development or reduction must have District 4 community consent and guaranteed equivalent replacement. As housing mandates intensify, parks and open land will increasingly be targeted as ‘underutilized.’ They are not. They are the infrastructure of community health for recreation while also providing climate resilience and free places for public gathering.
Protect and expand District 4’s urban tree canopy. I will advocate for a formal Urban Forestry Initiative. Trees reduce urban heat islands, manage stormwater, improve air quality, and make neighborhoods more walkable. They are measurably cost-effective climate infrastructure. Working with PH Rec and Park and other stakeholders, we will develop a comprehensive plan to plant trees in District 4’s open spaces and introduce traffic-calming green medians along major thoroughfares like Taylor Boulevard and Morello Avenue, modeled after the successful Pleasant Hill Road redesign.
Expand District 4 park programming for all ages. In partnership with the Pleasant Hill Recreation and Park District, I will work to expand youth sports, hiking, biking, senior fitness, and community gardening because active parks are the most powerful community-building tools a city has. I will work with PH Rec and Park to develop funding mechanisms to upgrade Winslow Center off Taylor and Pleasant Hill Road to house multiple new programs (sports, senior fitness, community gardens) using joint partnerships and sponsorship with local organizations. I will work with our community stakeholders to connect open space trails in Paso Nogal, Las Juntas, Ridgeview Open Space, and Valley High Open Spaces so that a Pleasant Hill resident can walk or ride further without ever having to get in a car.
Climate Action Built on Transparency and Choice
Push for transparency with a public Climate Action Dashboard. I will champion full implementation of Pleasant Hill’s Climate Action Plan. This plan commits the city to a 40% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2045. The dashboard should be a live, online tracker showing progress against specific milestones by city department, enabling residents to see whether the city is actually hitting its climate goals, not just sharing results during council meetings.
Advocate for EV charging infrastructure at District 4 parks, city facilities, and commercial centers. EV charging should be a convenient and easy choice for residents running errands and for ensuring that residents without home garages have access to charging options. EV charging should account for all electric mobility options such as cars, e-bikes, and scooters and should be available at the Winslow Center, Paso Nogal Park, John Muir Clinics, and Hillcrest Shopping Center.
Shift the focus from banning specific fuels to limiting impact. We can thoughtfully navigate California’s energy efficiency requirements under a Source Energy approach. In practice, builders can still choose gas or electric systems, but they must stay within a strict energy cap. Instead of banning one type of energy (like gas) over another, it would set a maximum total energy budget for new buildings and major renovations, based on “source energy”, a measure that includes both the energy used on-site and the energy lost during generation and delivery. That flexibility is what makes the policy effective: instead of mandating one solution, it nudges the city toward efficiency. Example: a new housing development might allow gas heating, but would include heat pumps and solar to stay under the limit, while a retail renovation might offset gas use by upgrading refrigeration, lighting, and building insulation.