Here Are the Candidates Who Have Pulled Papers So Far for Pasadena’s 2017 Elections

[Updated November 17, 2016 | 9:10 a.m.]  The nomination period for Pasadena City Council and Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education seats opened Monday for the upcoming primary municipal election that will take place in March, 2017.

A number of locals, some incumbents, have received nominating papers from Pasadena City Clerk Mark Jomsky — traditionally referred to as “pulling papers.”

The official nomination period for the campaign began Monday, as the candidates became eligible to collect signatures to qualify for the ballot. The nomination period will run through December 9. The deadline will be extended if the current incumbent, for any reason, fails to file to run again.

Candidates for a City Council seat must present 25 qualified signatures from Pasadena voters. Candidates for PUSD seats are also required to collect 25 signatures.   While it is true the Board of Education Districts are larger, the City Charter states that candidates for those seats still require the same number of 25 qualified signatures.

The current terms for Pasadena City Council Districts 3, 5 and 7 will expire in May 2017 and these seats will be open for the election, as well as the seats for Pasadena Board of Education sub-districts 1, 3, 5 and 7.

Prepared Wednesday evening, here is Pasadena Now’s roundup of candidates who have officially “pulled papers.”

 

Candidates for City Council
Seats Open/Terms: The terms for Pasadena City Council Districts 3, 5 and 7 will expire in May, 2017 and these seats will be open for election in the upcoming March 7, 2017 primary municipal election. The City of Pasadena is divided into seven Council districts, and each Councilmember is elected by the voters residing within a specific geographic Council district area. The terms for these Council seats are four years. There are no term limit provisions for serving on the City Council.

District 3
John J. Kennedy:
“It’s been a wonderful three and a half years serving the residents of District 3 and of Pasadena, and I’m looking forward to building on the progress we’ve made in making the City of Pasadena and District 3 great places to be,” Kennedy said.

John J. Kennedy has experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. His political involvement and extensive travels have provided him with knowledge and understanding of local, national and international government practices and procedures, according to his bio on the city website.

Since January of 2015, Kennedy has worked for a family company, with responsibility in philanthropy, real estate, and business development. According to Kennedy’s bio on the city website, he served as the Senior Vice President of one of the oldest and most respected civil rights organizations in the United States.

Prior to that position, Kennedy was Director of Special Projects for Southern California Edison (SCE) for seven years. He served in several capacities at SCE – including managing community investments of up to $1 million provided to various non-profit organizations.

District 3
Adrienne Large:
Pasadena Now currently has no information on Adrienne Large, who pulled papers late Wednesday.

 

District 5
Victor Gordo:
“I’m proud of the team of District 5 residents that I’ve had the privilege to work with and represent in our combined efforts to make Pasadena’s District Five and Pasadena in general a better place to live. We’ve successfully worked together to improve the quality of life in our district and in our city,” Gordo said recently.

Victor Gordo began his direct service to the city of Pasadena in 1997, when then-Vice Mayor Bill Crowfoot appointed him as the field representative for District 5. Following Vice Mayor Crowfoot’s leaving city service, Gordo was elected to the Pasadena City Council in March 2001 and has represented District 5 ever since, being re-elected in 2005 and again in 2009. Gordo was also elected by his Council colleagues to serve as Pasadena’s Vice Mayor in 2009 and 2011.

Gordo serves on the Council’s Finance Committee and as Chair of the Economic Development and Technology Committee of the City Council and was selected by the Pasadena City Council in 2009 to serve as its representative on the Rose Bowl Operating Company (RBOC) and in 2010 was elected by the RBOC Board of Directors to serve as its President/Chair and help lead the Stadium’s renovation efforts.

“I intend to wage a vigorous campaign for re-election in order to continue the work that my neighbors and I have initiated,” said Gordo.

 

District 5
Krystal Lopez Padley:
Pasadena Now currently has no information on Krystal Lopez Padley, who pulled papers late Wednesday.

 

District 7
Andy Wilson:
“I’ve been encouraged to run by many friends, neighbors and city leaders whom I respect. Serving the residents of District 7 is an honor,” said Wilson.

Andy Wilson was appointed by the City Council in 2015 to fill the seat left vacant by the election of Mayor Terry Tornek. He is the co-founder and CEO of Rexter, a venture-backed software start-up and is also the co-founder and co-chairman of Innovate Pasadena, an organization dedicated to advancing technology based companies in Pasadena.

Wilson has extensive volunteer experience with the City of Pasadena including service on the Planning Commission, Design Commission, Urban Forestry Advisory Commission and the Pasadena Center Operating Committee. Wilson currently serves on the both the Municipal Services Committee and the Economic Development and Technology Committee of the City Council.
Wilson indicated in a statement that his priorities for the next four years include protecting the varied neighborhoods, strengthen the city’s economy and help revitalize South Lake.

“I enjoy the work and I would like to continue. So I’m asking the voters for a full term,” said Wilson.
http://www.wilsonforcitycouncil.com

District 7
Phil Hosp:
“My campaign is all about making sure that residents’ concerns and voices are being heard,” said Hosp.

Phil Hosp moved with his family to Pasadena as a teenager twenty years ago and graduated from Loyola High School. After receiving a business degree from Boston University, he served four years as a Tank Officer in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of Captain. Hosp served two tours in Iraq. He was awarded the Bronze Star.

After serving in the military, Hosp obtained a law degree from Loyola Law School and became an active volunteer in a number of organizations, including the Los Angeles Big Brothers Program and Loyola Law School Veteran’s Justice Project. He is currently an attorney with an international law firm and his campaign website says he has been recognized by Super Lawyers magazine as a “Southern California Rising Star.”

“Protecting the quality of life in our neighborhoods requires a city council representative that is reliable, steady and focused on controlling development, reducing crime and traffic, and enhancing home values and overall quality of life” said Phil Hosp.
http://www.hospforcitycouncil.com/

District 7:
Bryan Witt:
Bryan Witt pulled papers for District 7 on November 16 and is currently in the process of qualifying for candidacy. We were unable to obtain a statement or supplemental information for his campaign. Witt did not respond to requests for information.

 

Candidates for Pasadena Unified School District Board Of Education
Seats Open/Terms: The terms for Pasadena Board of Education, sub-districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 will expire in May 2017 and these seats will be open for election in the upcoming March 7, 2017 primary municipal election.The terms for Board of Education sub-districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 are four years. There are no term limit provisions for serving on the PUSD Board of Education.

In the event the incumbent officer does not file nomination papers by the December 9, 2016 deadline, the period to nominate any qualified person other than the incumbent is extended to Wednesday, December 14, 2016, at 5:30 p.m. for that incumbent’s office.

District 1
Kimberly Kenne:
“It’s really about partnering with parents to support their students,” said Kimberly Kenne.

Parent advocate Kim Kenne was elected to the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education in 2011 and re-elected in 2013 to District 1. Kenne has been actively involved as a parent leader in the school site, district, and state levels since her children started kindergarten at Burbank Elementary.

Kenne has served on school site councils every year, as president of Parent Teacher Associations (PTA), Chair of District Advisory Council (DAC), which supports school site governance councils, and as a founding member of the Parent Education Network (PEN), which works to build family engagement in local public schools.

Kenne is a member of the Board of the Family Area Network (FAN), the statewide group that advises the California Department of Education on parent involvement. She has chaired the Altadena Education Focus Group, co-chaired the Education Committee of the Altadena Town Council, and is a member of the League of Women Voters, according to the PUSD website.

“If we can get a continuous improvement and accountability system in place and make sure there’s enough transparency so the community can be a part of it as a partner with our families, I think that’s when we are going to see wonderful growth and a lot of opportunity,” said Kenne.

 

District 1
Rita Miller:
Pasadena Now currently has no information on Rita Miller, who pulled papers late Wednesday.

 

District 3
Michelle Richardson Bailey:
“I envision a community where the education of its children comes first,” said Michelle Richardson Bailey.

Michelle Richardson Bailey said she believes in order for the Board of Education to be successful at effectively addressing the educational needs of every student, it is important, that it be comprised of members who represent diverse perspectives, reflective of the student population it serves.

Richardson Bailey has been a classified educator for 20 years. Five of those years were in classified management. She is a 14-year employee of PUSD. She currently serves on the PUSD Customer Experience Advisory Group, the School Site Council at Blair school and the AD41 Education Advisory Committee. She founded the Superintendent’s Advisory Council, now the Classified Advisory Council, and served formerly on the PUSD LCAP Committee, representing classified employees and the PUSD AB 86 Committee (Adult Education Consortium Program) in support of Adult Education.

Richardson Bailey grew up in Pasadena and is a product of PUSD. She has been married for 25 years and has three children who also attended PUSD schools and have since, gone on to college.

“I am a forward thinker who puts children first,” Richardson Bailey said.

District 7
Scott Phelps:
“I am running to continue bringing my expertise in classroom education to Board decision-making, to ensure the reforms being implemented by the current administration are effective and to make sure that resources are used efficiently for student needs,” said Phelps.

Scott Phelps has served on Pasadena Unified’s Board of Education for eleven years and has dedicated the last 27 years of his career to education. Phelps was the coordinator of the Science, Engineering and Technology Academy and a teacher at John Muir High School and taught 9-12th graders in chemistry, physics, planetary science (astronomy), physical science and math for 14 years.

Phelps is a member of the founding staff of Learning Works Charter School in Pasadena and has taught 18 years part-time in astronomy, physics and math at Citrus Community College, Mt. San Antonio College, Chaffey College and the University of La Verne. He has also taught statistics, research methods, data analysis, assessment and evaluation courses at Cal State L. A.’s College of Education and supervised teaching credential candidates for Cal State Northridge.

“I think the real magic is in the relationship building between the teachers and the students. One of my priorities is to get the senior staff to spend more time on school sites and less time on reports,” said Phelps.

 

Anticipated Candidate for Pasadena Unified School District Board Of Education

District 3
Adrienne Mullen:

In September incumbent School Board Member Adrienne Mullen, District 3’s said she would run to hold the seat to which she was appointed. She has not yet pulled papers, but has until December 9 to do so.

“I intend to run a campaign that is based on educational issues and puts student success first,” Mullen said. “I believe the district is on the right pathway with long-term planning to move it forward.”

Mullen who has been an educator for over 28 years working in both private and public schools at the high school level and in two-year and four-year educational institutions.

 

 

The nomination period began on Monday, November 14, 2016, at 7:30 a.m., and will close on Friday, December 9, 2016, at 5:00 p.m.

Nomination papers will be issued during normal office hours at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue, Room S228, Pasadena (appointments encouraged, 626-744-4124). City Hall is closed November 24 and 25 for the Thanksgiving holiday. The City Clerk’s Office will be open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the December 9th filing deadline to file nomination papers.