The San Mateo Area Chamber of Commerce is out with a new magazine and on its cover are head shots of 19 civic leaders its board has deemed most important in San Mateo. They are (alphabetically) Bob Binn, retirement planner, Chamber winner of Small Business Award and San Mateo Rotarian; Oleksii Chuiko, director of operations, Asiya Shriners; Amy Cook, Chamber chair, financial advisor; Ash Damie, CEO of Luminata; Dan Demers, owner of Hillbarn Theatre; Rachel Del Monte, YMCA CEO and San Mateo Rotarian; Chris Eckert, president San Mateo Rotary, Realtor; Rosanne Foust, SAMCEDA president and CEO, former Redwood city mayor; Carole Groom, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors; Richard Hedges, community leader and activist, winner of Mayor’s award in 2017; Anna Kuhre, former president of San Mateo United Homeowners Association; Melissa Lukin, former CEO of CORA; Ramiro Maldonado, development director, Family Connections, Redwood City, Chair Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Susan Manheimer, San Mateo police chief; Larry Patterson, San Mateo city manager; Paul Rogerville, owner Cuvee Winery, San Mateo Rotarian; John Schrup, president, United American Bank; Margaret Taylor, Board of Directors for United American Bank, former director of the county Health System, San Mateo Rotarian; and Dennis Thomas, former Chamber chair, and member of SAMCAR board, San Mateo Rotarian.
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In 2020, it’s hard to believe that state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, will be termed out. A perfect example of why term limits for our state legislators are a bad idea. Hill has been the ultimate public servant since he was first elected to the San Mateo City Council in 1991. I served with Hill on the council for five years and witnessed firsthand how dedicated he was. He was always prepared, and was a leader in making changes for the better. He never missed a council meeting. He attended functions large and small. And it wasn’t just rushing in for a few minutes to be seen but to stay for the entire time. He has exemplified this work ethic as a member of the Board of Supervisors (10 years), as a California Assemblyman (four years) and as a member of the state Senate for 12 years. He is a leader in Sacramento, respected for the number of bills he gets signed and for his popularity back home. He will be a hard act to follow.
San Mateo has been fortunate in the quality and experience of its legislators. Before Hill, U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, was our state senator. Before then, she too served on the Board of Supervisors and then in the California Assembly. Before Speier, it was Quentin Kopp (who represented northern, central San Mateo County and San Francisco) who was a longtime member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors before being elected state senator. Ordinarily Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, D-South San Francisco, would run for Hill’s seat and he still could. But term limits for legislators was modified in 2012 to allow a maximum of 12 years, either in the Assembly or state Senate or a combination of the two. Mullin, who is Assembly speaker pro tem, might prefer to stay in that body where he could have a chance to become speaker. He has six years left before he, too, is termed out. Another possibility would be Supervisor Carole Groom who has served two terms on the county board following nine years as a San Mateo councilwoman. But she is running for a third term.
So who will follow Hill? It’s still early but, to date, there are two possible names circulating as possible candidates. Shelly Masur, a three-year member of the Redwood City Council, indicates she plans to run. She also served on the Redwood City Elementary School District board for 10 years and was chair of the county school boards association. She is CEO of a local nonprofit education foundation. In 2012, she ran for a seat on the Board of Supervisors but was defeated by Warren Slocum. There is also speculation that Supervisor Dave Pine may consider a run. He has been a supervisor for seven years. Before that he served on the Burlingame Elementary School District board (four years) and the San Mateo Union High School Board (five years). Before that, he was an attorney for several Silicon Valley tech firms. As a younger man, he ran for the California Assembly in 2002 and lost but, before he moved to California, he was a member at age 19 of the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo. Her column runs every Monday. She can be reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.
Most important people in San Mateo? Nothing against these people but the title to this article by Sue has got to be the worst. Sorry, but to say a few people are the most important because they are picked by the Chamber of Commerce is a joke. What makes the Chamber of Commerce have any authority on the subject? Nationally, the Chamber of Commerce is a just a well funded lobbying force that uses its influence often times to go against working Americans. The voting citizens are the most important people in San Mateo.
Jerry Hill, Kevin Mullins, Carole Groom, Dave Pine are the reason San Mateo County residents are stuck with Illegally appointed Sheriff Carlos Bolanos. Instead of firing him in 2007 for making false statements to the media " There is nothing illegal about being in a massage parlor." This was the new Undersheriff deliberately misleading the public. He would not have been caught and detained for hours as a customer of Human Trafficked Sex Slaves including a minor if he went to a massage parlor and he knew it when he started the false media campaign. 3474 Eldon Street was not a massage parlor. Carlos Bolanos is a dishonest person, it's that simple and the Supervisors are fine with that.
Most important people,San Mateo County Board of Supervisor Carole Groom will not withdraw her endorsement from Carlos G. Bolanos for Sheriff June 5, 2018. Illegal sex brothel and new evidence from the FBI on a sex minor that was involved in OPERATION DOLLHOUSE. The SMC BOS has the new evidence given to them on March 13, 2018.
Not doctors. Not nurses. Not teachers. Not firefighters. Not police officers. Not ordinary citizens among the 50,000+ who committed acts of heroism it kindness, etc. Nope. The most important people to know are members of the Chamber of Commerce and their friends. Do you not notice how "inside baseball" and condescending this headline looks?
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(7) comments
Most important people in San Mateo? Nothing against these people but the title to this article by Sue has got to be the worst. Sorry, but to say a few people are the most important because they are picked by the Chamber of Commerce is a joke. What makes the Chamber of Commerce have any authority on the subject? Nationally, the Chamber of Commerce is a just a well funded lobbying force that uses its influence often times to go against working Americans. The voting citizens are the most important people in San Mateo.
Jerry Hill, Kevin Mullins, Carole Groom, Dave Pine are the reason San Mateo County residents are stuck with Illegally appointed Sheriff Carlos Bolanos. Instead of firing him in 2007 for making false statements to the media " There is nothing illegal about being in a massage parlor." This was the new Undersheriff deliberately misleading the public. He would not have been caught and detained for hours as a customer of Human Trafficked Sex Slaves including a minor if he went to a massage parlor and he knew it when he started the false media campaign. 3474 Eldon Street was not a massage parlor. Carlos Bolanos is a dishonest person, it's that simple and the Supervisors are fine with that.
Someone keeps kissing butt...I guess it's one way to try to stay relevant...all I can say is hallelujah for term limits...
Most important people,San Mateo County Board of Supervisor Carole Groom will not withdraw her endorsement from Carlos G. Bolanos for Sheriff June 5, 2018. Illegal sex brothel and new evidence from the FBI on a sex minor that was involved in OPERATION DOLLHOUSE. The SMC BOS has the new evidence given to them on March 13, 2018.
Your obsession with Bolanos is disturbing. Seek help.
Not doctors. Not nurses. Not teachers. Not firefighters. Not police officers. Not ordinary citizens among the 50,000+ who committed acts of heroism it kindness, etc. Nope. The most important people to know are members of the Chamber of Commerce and their friends. Do you not notice how "inside baseball" and condescending this headline looks?
Businesspeople think other businesspeople are the most important people in the city. Story at 11.
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