Message from the Chair, Maryam Zar

Dear Palisadians,

Officer Elections at PPCC have concluded and the Officers elect are:

Chair: George Wolfberg
Vice-Chair: Peter Culhane
Treasurer: Richard Cohen
Secretary: Chris Spitz

Congratulations to all the candidates who ran for these roles and a warm welcome to all the new officers who will take their seats on July first, for a term of one year.

We will now be preparing for Area elections. See the NOTICE OF ELECTION here. A list of candidates will be announced on July 26th. Incumbents who have noticed their intention to run are: Danielle Samulon (Area 3), Rick Mills (Area 4), Sue Kohl (Area 5), David Kaplan (Area 6), Reza Akef (Area 8) and Lou Kamer (At-Large). Voting will likely take place between August 9th and August 20th, with a Candidates Forum at our Public Board meeting on August 9th, along with opportunities to vote in person and online.

As always, we encourage you to get involved and interface with us at Public Comment or through the voice and vote of your elected Area Rep at PPCC. Reps (both elected and oragnizational) can be found under the “Leadership” tab on this website. Visit it. Reach out to them. Keep the conversation going, and our community voice robust.

As I prepare to transition out of my role as PPCC Chair, I am fortunate to be able to look back on 4 productive years at PPCC, where I’ve learned so much about this wonderful community, and hopefully also imparted a tone of civility and respect for all comers.

The Community Council is a forum for the consideration of community issues. It was conceptualized by our founders as an inclusive place where discussion would represent a diversity of viewpoints from the community, and a civil manner of reaching consensus. The model was so admirable that decades later, the City of LA modeled an entire movement after the instincts of Pacific Palisades. The current Neighborhood Council system takes a page or two from our play book, seeking to engage the community voice on local matters, and advise lawmakers as to the sensibilities on the ground. This is not to say we serve to affirm or dispute the legality of policies or regulations. There are lawyers who do that. Our mandate is entirely different. We aim to be the voice of the community so that we can paint a hyper-local picture of the Palisadian view point on any specific matter that stands to impact our community. We cannot represent that voice without a diversity of viewpoints from residents who believe they can come to us, and can expect to be acknowledged.

As I leave my role, I’d like to be able to look back and believe not only that I helped preserve that spirit of open engagement; but that I left the leaders elected after me with an unyielding sense that they should continue in the same spirit.

I thank you all for engaging with us year-round, and bringing your concerns to our attention for community discussion.

With warmest regards,

Maryam Zar
PPCC Chair