Attend RCPC’s virtual Candidates’ Forum via Zoom to learn about who is running for election to our Board of Directors! We have 13 candidates vying for 6 slots, each with their own perspective.
Candidates will introduce themselves and respond to questions. To submit a question, email it ahead of time to zzunger@gmail.com. Keep your questions brief as responses will be limited to one minute
Candidates’ Forum audience Zoom link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81904742643#success
Video of the Forum: on bit.ly/RCPCYouTube
Andrew Charman (Incumbent):
I have served on the RCPC Board for several terms and in several capacities, including Chair and Vice-Chair of the Board; liaison with Friends and Neighbors of College Avenue; member of the negotiating team for the College-Avenue Safeway project; and Fourth Bore settlement representative (Caldecott Tunnel), but have mostly focused on traffic, transit, and safety issues as Chair of our Transportation Committee, working closely with the City, public agencies, businesses, and community members.
I hope to continue to represent and advocate for the Rockridge community where I have enjoyed living since 2007 while teaching at UC Berkeley. Although neighborhoods must evolve if they are not to stagnate, I hope that RCPC and our larger community can strive together to maintain what is working and improve what is not while fostering a neighborhood that is interesting and inviting,clean and congenial, safe and sustainable,and walkable and welcoming for residents, merchants, workers, and visitors.
Casey Farmer (Incumbent): As Chair of RCPC for the last two years, I led two very successful community campaigns. First, we defeated a proposed Home Depot at 51st/Broadway in support of housing; the second was to demand Alameda County hold Shell Oil accountable for their clean up at the Claremont and College vacant lot (Thanks to the thousands who supported!). I initiated RCPC’s latest public art project — the new mosaic trash cans.
Professionally, I conduct community engagement and develop public policy for nonprofits and local governments. Last year,
I coordinated three RCPC Town Halls on the topics of housing and sustainability. I believe that we have a moral and environmental imperative to build housing — with as much affordable housing as possible. My husband and I have had the privilege of being homeowners in Rockridge for 10 years. We love spending time with our twins in Frog Park and at the Rockridge Library.
Annette Floystrup (Incumbent): I’m RCPC’s historian and de facto “community memory.” I have served on RCPC boards during several key periods, and the knowledge I gained has directly benefited current projects such as the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and the proposed BART station development. I served on the RCPC board when the Dreyer’s campus was built, and am currently on the committee for the new JCC project.
When RCPC built the library, I served on the library architectural selection committee, and in 2011, I co-chaired the Rockridge DVD project, raising $13,000 to double the library’s DVD collection. I hope to develop a permanent digital RCPC archive with a searchable database for the community and future boards to reference. RCPC is a community benefit organization that has brought over $7 million into Rockridge including the library, FROG Park, Hardy Dog Park, Temescal Greenbelt, and more. It’s a proud legacy to carry forward.
David Beiser: As I walked up Keith for the first time in 1987, I thought, “This is a great neighborhood. When I have a family, this is the type of neighborhood I want to live in.” In 2007,we moved in with our first baby. My work has focused on youth and community development, concentrating on communities in transition, beginning with a small town outside Moscow in 1990 as the Soviet Union was dissolving. This was followed by programs in Thailand and Indonesia, and in 1996 in Tartu, Estonia, the first program of its kind with the former Soviet Republic. Since 2011, my wife and I have operated a program centering on resilience in the area of Japan devastated by the earthquake and tsunami. As a former OUSD teacher and after working in an international context for many years, I’m excited to become more deeply involved in my own community.
Eli Kaplan: I have been a renter in Rockridge for 6 years in 3 apartments, first living alone in a studio and now renting the top floor of a duplex with my partner, baby, 3 bikes, and 0 cars. Professionally, I am an urban planner working on housing policy issues for a regional government agency. I love Rockridge for its walkability, thriving business district, transit access, and beautiful residential blocks. As homeownership becomes increasingly inaccessible, the existence of rental housing has allowed me to stay in this wonderful neighborhood as my family has grown. I hope that more will have this same opportunity to access all that Rockridge offers, regardless of their ability to buy a home. I would be grateful to have the chance to serve my community on RCPC, drawing on my experience as a renter, young parent, transit-dependent household, and housing policy professional.
Jennifer McElrath:
I’ve contributed to Land Use Committee meetings in recent years, and delivered the Rockridge News with my husband for most of the 20+ years we’ve lived in Rockridge. Like many parents, I’ve planned, organized and fundraised for community, school and sports activities. With Upper Broadway Advocates (UBA) I’ve strived to balance the need for green space and historical preservation, along with genuinely affordable housing — ensuring Rockridge as a community and destination. Supporting essential workers also supports our schools and local businesses. I have a strong professional background in budgeting and financial analysis with everything from multibillion-dollar companies and multimillion-dollar projects to startups. As a volunteer, I even made a plan that brought financial stability to housing for 90+ students at UC Berkeley. I love spreadsheets, and Rockridge! I am especially keen to bring my planning and financial skills to RCPC’s treasury, and support its many endeavors to ensure our neighborhood’s vibrancy.
Muhammad Alameldin: Access to affordable, quality housing is a fundamental cornerstone of a thriving society. It not only provides individuals and families with the security and stability necessary for daily living, but it also fosters community cohesion, economic vitality, and overall well-being. Investing in housing is an investment in the future, paving the way for more equitable and inclusive communities where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. It keeps Rockridge families closer together, while also doing our part to address critical social issues such as homelessness and poverty.
Moreover, building where housing already exists contributes to environmental conservation, promotes energy efficiency and reduces our carbon footprint during this climate crisis. Ensuring that everyone has access to affordable housing is not just a matter of social justice; it is a pragmatic approach to building resilient, dynamic communities that can adapt and thrive in Oakland. I plan for RCPC to commit in striving for a brighter, more equitable future for our current and future neighbors.
Kirk Peterson (Incumbent) :I love Rockridge and Oakland. I’ve been here on College Avenue for thirty-odd years, practicing architecture, and living, in our storefront. Now we’re in the duplex/studio/office space we built in our own backyard. I’m in the Rockridge District Association/BID, and I want RCPC to continue to support the stores, restaurants and services available on College.
I’ve had years of interaction with Oaklands’s Planning and Building Departments, including chairing the Landmarks Board and volunteering at Mosswood Park. I did the ‘Looking Around’ pieces in the RRNews. On RCPC’s Land Use Committee I’ve helped track and comment on planning applications and activity in general on College. I am particularly interested in this part of RCPC’s mission; Preserve and enhance the unique character of the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland, California. How can Rockridge change and grow (mostly new housing & people) and keep the ‘look and feel’ we all like so well?
Kim Suczynski Smith: I have been a resident of Rockridge for six years. My husband Matt grew up in the neighborhood and went to Peralta Elementary. We moved back to the neighborhood in 2016 when we were expecting our second set of twins! Yes, I am mother to four wonderful children (twins age 8 and age 6) who are currently attending Chabot Elementary.
I exciting to be running for RCPC as a way to get more involved in the community and support the conversion around large opportunity sites in our neighborhood into housing. I am a practicing Architect and planner, who is passionate about creating vibrant and inclusive public spaces. Recently I have been working with my UC Berkeley city planning students to look at The Ridge site and exploring opportunities for housing, public space and transit improvements.
Stu Flashman: I’m a public interest environmental and land use attorney. I’ve lived in Rockridge since 1992. I served on the RCPC board, off-and-on, since 2007 and was board chair for five years. I also chaired RCPC’s Land Use Committee from 2008 to 2022. RCPC accomplished a lot then!
As board chair, I considered communication a priority. It was my practice to keep Rockridge residents informed about important issues — using Town Halls for public discussion and the Rockridge News for in-depth analysis. The current board
has neglected this. As a result, Rockridge residents know less about issues affecting them. I want to make sure our residents
know what’s being planned and can have their say.
I think having more affordable housing is a priority, and I support it. More luxury housing? Maybe not so much. I want to keep College Avenue retail vigorous and support our residential neighborhoods.
Zack Walton: My family has lived in Rockridge for 18 years. My vision for our community includes housing, safe streets, and a vibrant College Avenue.
I grew up in Berkeley and made pasta at Market Hall during high school. I remember when Chimes Market became Cactus Taqueria. I was a member of one of the community groups that negotiated the settlement with Safeway over the redesign of the store at College and Claremont —there would be little public space at the site if were not for our involvement.
Environmental and land use law is my specialty. I’ve permitted projects with the City of Oakland and I’ve commented on projects as a member of the public. I believe my skills and experience can be of use to the board. Rockridge has been good to my family and I would like to return the favor. I would appreciate your vote.
Ronnie Spitzer: I’m running for the RCPC Board because I love Rockridge and want to continue advocating for its inclusive and vibrant character. I’ve served on the RCPC Board over several terms and in various capacities including Chair, Vice Chair, and Treasurer; as a liaison with Friends of the Rockridge-Temescal Greenbelt; Fourth Bore Coalition representative and Vice Chair; Kitchen Tour Co-Chair; and member of the negotiating team for the Safeway project.
My focus throughout this time has been on community engagement. Reaching out to Rockridge residents through one-on-one discussions, public meetings, and surveys has always guided my representation of the community to City of Oakland staff, various transportation agencies’ staff, City Councilmembers, and other neighborhood organizations. I believe transparency is key to keeping the community informed on current issues affecting Rockridge such as the recently adopted 55-foot height limits on College Ave. I’d be honored to receive your vote and return to the Board.
Kristen Belt: As an architect and urban designer, I have dedicated my career to the development of sustainable urban places with an emphasis on affordable housing. For 25 years, I’ve worked hand in hand with nonprofit developers, city officials, and neighborhood communities to create solutions that address both our urgent housing need and neighborhood fit. I first moved to Rockridge during grad
school and returned a few years later to raise my kids in this beautiful, walkable neighborhood. My kids attended Peralta, and I’ve relished our time in that community.
Rockridge has a rich tradition of community organizing to make great things happen, from the library to the College Avenue street fair to the robust support for local schools. I would like to contribute to that spirit of community organizing using both my professional skills and personal experience to help shape a welcoming, inclusive vision for the next generation of our neighborhood.
