September 15, 2009 Candidates for vacant Venice Neighborhood Council Board position
The below-named individuals are the 6candidates for the 1 vacant Board position.
The election procedure will be by ballot and will be posted for public review immediately after the completion of the below process:
1. One ballot will be used listing all Board candidates.
2. Each board member will vote for 1 Board candidate; in the event of a tie between two or more candidates for the one board position, runoff votes will be held between the tied candidates until the position is filled.
3. Upon completion of the voting process, board members will sign their ballots and the ballots will be immediately posted for public review.
The candidate statements CVs are below. Candidate answers to board member questions will be included in this document when received.
André Rios BollingerAnswers to Board Member Questions
Jake Kaufman
Answers to Board Member Questions
Roland Eavey
Answers to Board Member Questions
Peter Thottam
Answers to Board Member Questions
Arthur Kessel
Answers to Board Member Questions
Kristopher Valentine
Answers to Board Member Questions / Page
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André Bollinger
From: Andre Bollinger [mailto:
Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 7:44 PM
To: VNC board
Subject: Andre Bollinger for Community Officer
I would like to nominate myself for the recently vacated Community Officer position. Please find attached my resume and a statement explaining my qualifications and why I wish to serve on the VNC board.
I look forward to seeing you all again at the next board meeting and answering any questions you may have.
Best,
André Ríos Bollinger
Good evening Venice Neighborhood Council,
My name is André Ríos Bollinger. I currently serve on the Venice Neighborhood Council (VNC) Education Committee and presented recently to the board, with Clarence Carter and Brooke Soles, on creating an education symposium. Thank you again for funding that project.
I was born and raised in VeniceCalifornia. I have been a stakeholder in Venice all of my life and have only been able to drag myself away from the community I love for college and my travels abroad. As a child my first experience advocating for my community was the long years of effort to protect the Balona Wetlands. Through my experiences in the community and the surrounding Los Angeles area I have developed a deep passion for education, underserved communities and the natural beauty of California. This past year I began working toward my Juris Doctorate at LoyolaLawSchool. During this past year I was also a Teach For America School Board Fellow with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), as well as very active on my law school campus. I have been elected by my peers into multiple leadership positions for the upcoming year including, Co-President of the Black Law Student Association, Graduation Chair of La Raza de Loyola, and the High School Recruitment Director for the Young Lawyers Program (which has repeatedly nationally recognized for its excellence by the American Bar Association).
Before beginning law school I spent three years as a teacher and administrator in South Los Angeles working with children, families and communities of color to better the educational opportunities and college prospects of inner city youth. While teaching I attended LoyolaMarymountUniversity and received my Master of Arts in Elementary Education in May of 2007. Through my education, experiences teaching and working with the LAUSD Board I have learned how to advocate for communities, work with various stakeholders, seek out the resources needed, the importance of supporting our schools, as well as how to do so.
In college I worked on social justice campaigns across the state of California, worked to lobby state and federal representatives as a member of the United States Students Association and organized international service projects to help orphaned children in the Dominican Republic.
I wish to join the VNC to further pursue educational excellence and equity for all the children we serve. While Venice continues to develop, gentrify and progress forward economically, the educational opportunities for children remain unacceptably limited. While Venice schools have been and continue to do amazing work with their students, we continue to hover near state averages in many of our test scores and are below average in multiple areas dealing with Black and Latino students. That is unacceptable to me. I want to advocate for our schools, families and community needs so that we can support our students with the resources they need to become successful.
I also have grown up surfing, walking, biking, going to school and working in Venice. I was a Lifeguard for the Los Angeles Fire Department for seven years and have a strong passion for protecting our beaches and encouraging the community to use our beaches and boardwalk responsibly. As I have grownup I have seen the amazing transformation of areas like Abbott Kinney and the Board Walk. I have seen the fabulous programs the VNC has organized such as neighborhood walks, emergency preparedness events, art walks and various festivals. I wish to become a part of this tradition of excellence that neighborhood councils around Los Angeles have aspired to.
I am asking to become a member of the VNC Board so that I can work with you, the community and the City of Los Angeles to organize, research and propagate these issues, as well as those that community members raise, in order to find the best solutions for our community.
Sincerely,
André Ríos Bollinger
André Ríos Bollinger
650 Ocean Park #7, Santa Monica CA, 90405 ▪ (858)336-1564 ▪
Education
LoyolaLawSchoolLos Angeles, CA
J.D. – expected graduation May 2011 (2008 – present)
LoyolaMarymountUniversityLos Angeles, CA
M.A. Elementary Education and California Teaching Credential (2005 – 2007)
University of California at San Diego San Diego, CA
B.A. Ethnic Studies and Minor in Latin American Studies (2000 – 2005)
Professional Experience
American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California Los Angeles, CA
Legal Intern (Summer 2009)
- Supported the Director of Racial Justice with the development of a statewide litigation strategy around civil rights and discrimination in post-Proposition 209 California
- Drafted mission critical research on various initiatives and cases for the Director of Racial Justice
Teach For AmericaSchool Board Fellows Program Los Angeles, CA
LAUSDSchool Board Fellow (2008 – 2009)
- Working with school board member Marlene Canter’s Office, specifically with the Innovation Division/iDesign and LAUSD policy development
Teach For America/KIPP Academy of Opportunity Los Angeles, CA
Teacher and Grade Level Leader (2005 – 2008)
- Supervised grade level team teachers and mentored new and struggling instructional personnel
- Member of the school leadership team coordinated grade level initiatives and managed 5th grade team growth
- Coordinated, facilitated and translated grade level meetings to increase student achievement and parent meetings to increase parent involvement
- Member of national corps of outstanding college graduates who teach in under-resourced urban public schools and work towards ending education inequity
- Executed innovative standards based curriculum that led students to average more than two grade levels of growth in a single year as measured by the California Standards Test
- Planned and coordinated an international field lesson for students to experience life, culture and their curriculum abroad in Costa Rica
Teach For AmericaSan Diego, CA
Campaign Coordinator (2003 – 2004)
- Met or exceeded all goals for recruiting diverse pool of highly qualified applicants by strategizing and implementing all San Diego area chapter projects
Cross-Cultural Center, UCSD San Diego, CA
Peer Educator (2001 – 2002)
- Designed and facilitated workshops and trainings on multicultural issues
- Created and executed strategies to increase the center’s visibility and outreach to students, staff and faculty
Los AngelesCountyFire Department Los Angeles, CA
Ocean Lifeguard and Emergency Medical Technician (summers 2000-2006)
Community and professional affiliations
Black Law Student Association, LoyolaLawSchool Los Angeles, CA
Co-President (2009 – 2010)
La Raza de Loyola, LoyolaLawSchool Los Angeles, CA
Graduation Chair (2009-2010)
Languages
- Fluent Spanish, proficient Portuguese
Interests
- Politics, languages, water polo, and soccer
Answers to Board Member Questions
Jake Kaufman
------Forwarded message ------
From: Jake Kaufman
Date: Tue, Aug 11, 2009 at 1:31 PM
Subject: Position on VNC Board of Officers
To:
Hi Ira,
My name is Jake Kaufman; I live at 648 California Avenue in Venice. I am interested to actively supporting and joiningthe VNC. I will certainly be at the August 18 meeting.
I am a Mechanical Engineer and have lived in California for the past 10 years. I've always been enjoyedpolitics and been active within the community. I would like to help maintain the traditions and history of Venice while helping to make it an even better home for all of us.
I am an open-minded person and like to listen and learn before taking any position. I am comfortable changing my original position if persuaded by others' opinions. However, I am also comfortable in a taking a leadership role and standing up for myself, my opinions and those of the people I am working and living with and supporting.
I will send a formal note with the details requested below to , but I wanted to write to you personally and introduce myself.I know the meeting is coming up quickly, but if you do have the time and would like to meet for a coffee and talk prior to the meeting, that would be excellent for me!
Best regards,
Jake Kaufman
======
Jake Kaufman
648 California Avenue
Venice, CA 90291 USA
310-463-0299
======
Answers to Board Member Questions
Roland Eavey
-----Original Message-----
From: Roland Eavey [mailto:
Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 4:46 PM
To: ;
Subject: Board Position
Hi There,
I am interested in filling the vacant board position and will attend
the board meeting tonight. Please find my resume attached.
I have developed a passion for public service through my volunteer
work with the West LA VA Medical Center and the Children's Lifesaving
Foundation, a non-profit housed in the Venice Boys & Girls Club. I
feel I have developed the leadership skills essential to effective
public service through these roles, as well as during my undergraduate
years both at Princeton, where I was Editor-in-Chief of a campus
publication and held several fraternity leadership roles, and at the
University of Cape Town, where I organized fundraisers for HIV
awareness and prevention.
I am an independent thinker and doer, having lived abroad in four
foreign countries (Spain, Australia, South Africa, Argentina),
experiences through which I have gained fluency both in language
(Spanish, some French, some Italian) and foreign cultural
perspectives. I draw upon these broad viewpoints in my service, while
still maintaining, at my young age of 27, a deep connection and
affection for the rights and values of the young and otherwise less-
enfranchised.
Since moving to Venice I have become active in the homeless and
recovery communities and feel the position of Community Officer would
enable me to make use of my community organizing skills in
strengthening the values my consituents are passionate to uphold and
modifying those practices my constituents show the will to have changed.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Most sincerely,
Roland Eavey
Roland D. Eavey
854 Rose AveVenice, CA90291
Education:
2007-2009 UCLA LOS ANGELES, CA
Completion of postbaccalaureate premedical studies (physics, chemistry,
organic chemistry, biology, psychology, neuroscience, statistics, public
health). Cumulative GPA 3.98. Currently applying to medical schools.
2000 – 2004 PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRINCETON, NJ
Phi Beta Kappa
BA, English, Magna Cum Laude
GPA: 3.90 (cumulative), 3.97 (departmental)
English Department Comprehensive Prize (given to one senior)
Editor-in-Chief, The Princeton Spectator
2004 BRIDGE-LINGUATEC, INC. BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
Received certification in TEFL (Teacher of English as a Foreign Language)
instruction upon completion of a four-week CELTA-based course.
Experience:
2007-2009 WEST LA VA MEDICALCENTER LOS ANGELES, CA
Conduct academic and laboratory-based epilepsy research under the
guidance of Claude Wasterlain, MD, Chief of Neurology, VA Medical
Center; and Vice Chair of Neurology, UCLAMedicalCenter. Also serve
as volunteer patient escort to veterans.
2007-2009 CHILDREN’S LIFESAVING FOUNDATION VENICE, CA
Serve as a volunteer tutor to at-risk youth with this organization housed in
the Venice Boys & Girls Club. Also help organize fundraisers and field
trips. All of our children attend local Venice and Santa Monica schools.
2009- LAUNCH EDUCATION SANTA MONICA, CA
Private tutor to high-school aged students in Venice, Santa Monica, and
Pacific Palisades.
2007-2009 IVYSTAR TUTORS SANTA MONICA, CA
Private tutor to high-school aged students in Venice, Santa Monica, and
Pacific Palisades.
2006-2007 LIGHTSTORM ENTERTAINMENT SANTA MONICA, CA
Floater/Runner. Assisted accounting, production, and art departments.
Mail, filing, copies, phones, and courier service.
2005-2006 JAMES CAMERON’S “AVATAR” MARINA DEL REY, CA
Production Assistant/Assistant Floor AD.
Summer 2005 “APPRECIATE YOU” (MUSIC VIDEO) VENICE, CA
Production Assistant. Art dept. assistant, stand-in, craft services, runs.
2004-2005 BRIDGE-LINGUATEC, INC. BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
ESL Instructor. Clients drawn mainly from multinational corporations.
Summer 2002 PAYROLL NETWORK, INC. KENSINGTON, MD
Intern. Solicited new clients for a small, growing payroll firm.
Summer 2002 ON TAP NEWSPAPER WASHINGTON, DC
Intern. Wrote teasers and reviews for Events and Live Music sections.
Summer 2002 MIRACLE TOUCH ACADEMY CLIFTON, VA
Teacher. Designed and led a seven week PSAT/SAT verbal course.
Summer 1999 THINK NEW IDEAS, INC. BOSTON, MA
IT Assistant. Software and hardware maintenance, inventory, runs.
Skills:
Foreign Language. Fluent in Spanish.
Computing. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Photoshop, Final Draft,
GarageBand
Answers to Board Member Questions
Peter Thottam
From: Peter Thottam [mailto:
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 8:09 AM
To:
Cc: ; Peter Thottam
Subject: Aug. 18th mtg : Peter Thottam - resume/application for Dexter's Community Officer position (VNC Board of Officers)
I am submitting the attached resume for the below position. I am a local real estate attorney (longtime resident of Mar Vista/Venice) who has spent the bulk of my post-law school career (I graduated from Boalt Law School in 1999) dedicated to Community and progressive causes (zoning ordinance and development disputes, workers' rights, anti-war, impeachment, environmental issues, reform [public education, immigration and healthcare] -- to mention only a few). Bill Rosendahl and others (Venice Beachhead's staff, for example) will vouch for me and my commitment to community issues and improvement. My wife, son and I live in Venice. We are sending our son to Walgrove and are committed to seeing meaningful public safety and other improvements in the district to improve the quality of life for all Venice residents.
My skills include financial analysis, fluency in Spanish, business development and web design (see, e.g., my State Assembly campaign website at
Currently, I have a great deal of time available to focus on Council matters and public outreach efforts. I am prepared to give the Council position and its responsibilities the full attention of my time and energy. You can reach me at (310) 497-7255 or f you have any further questions. Otherwise, I look forward to making the candidates' opportunities to make their case on August 18th at 7 pm.
Sincerely,
PeterThottam (JD MBA)
Venice, California
Peter Thottam (JD ’99; MBA’06)
Los Angeles, CA90048; T: (310) 497-7255 •
EXPERIENCE
CONTRACT WORK Los Angeles, CA
• General contract real estate and corporate work for various law firms. 11/06-present
McKenna Long & Aldridge LLP – Corporate & Transactions Associate Los Angeles, CA
• Prepared leases for TESCO retail chain rollout (purchase and sale agreements, ground leases and retail leases). 03/06-11/06
• Represented real estate owners, for-profit and nonprofit developers, institutional investors, high net worth
individuals and real estate investment companies in complex real estate transactions, including the acquisition, financing,
development, leasing and sale of apartment complexes, condominiums, shopping centers, and mixed-use projects..
• Drafted, reviewed and negotiated easements, loan documents, deeds, bills of sale, assignment and assumption agreements,
property management agreements, legal opinions, leases, and entity formation documents including operating agreements,
limited partnership agreements and bylaws; review land surveys and title documentation.
LRN, The Legal Knowledge Company™Business Development Director Los Angeles, CA
• Worked as business development director for Syndicated Legal Research Division and oversaw three employees. 2002-2003
• Coordinated staffing of 16 Fortune 500 corporate research projects with certified legal specialists; edited and finalized projects.
O’Melveny & Myers LLP – Corporate Associate San Francisco, CA
• Advised on two $50 million financings including one real estate investment trust secondary offering. 2001-2002
• Sucessfully resolved million-dollar contract disputes between domestic distribution agents and international publisher; prepared
demand letters, reviewed client contracts, researched applicable UCC Article 9 provisions and bank lockbox arrangements.
• Conducted all real estate and financial contract due diligence for legal opinion on $240 million Golf Trust REIT credit restructuring.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati – Corporate Securities Associate Palo Alto, CA
• Originated two client relationships; Managed corporate records for Palm, Sun Microsystems, HP and Homestore. 1999-2001
• Collaboratively negotiated 5 M&A transactions; Worked on equity offerings, venture capital financings, and SEC filings.
Goldman Sachs & Co. – Analyst New York, NY
• Management Controls and Equities divisions - Implemented operational, strategic, and risk analyses. 1993-1995
EDUCATION
UCLAAndersonGraduateSchool of Management. Los Angeles, CA
M.B.A. (emphasis in Finance and Real Estate) 03/2006 (early graduation)
• Leadership: Riordan Fellows Mentor Program volunteer. OceanParkCommunity Center Volunteer. AREA Newsletter editor.
• Relevant Coursework to date: Urban Land Economics, Real Estate Development, Operations Management, Investments, Finance,