I have lived in San Mateo County all my life. I know that my professional background and education have provided me with the experience, expertise, and fiscal acumen to serve the residents of San Mateo County as the County Treasurer/Tax Collector. I believe this very important job requires someone trained and experienced as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) who understands cash flow, budgeting and financial statements. I have the professional education, training and experience required. The position also needs someone who can manage a staff of over 60 people. I have managed my CPA firm and staff for 30 years.
My Masters in Taxation and experience as a CPA have given me the training to understand the complex tax issues inherent to our budget. Remember - the Tax Collector manages over $2.5 billion in taxpayer assets. I have taken and passed the Series 7 General Securities Representative Test course required for financial advisers, which follows a rigorous course in investment management best practices and is now a State requirement for those wanting to serve in this important position. I know I am qualified to serve the people of San Mateo County in this important role. And finally, this position requires the experience of someone who has managed public revenues, investments and balanced budgets. As a member of the Burlingame City Council for eight years, two of which I served as Mayor, I have this experience.
I grew up in Burlingame and attended Lincoln Elementary School for kindergarten, and then on to Our Lady of Angels for grammar school in Burlingame. For High School, I boarded CalTrain every morning at the Broadway stop in Burlingame to take the trip to the Bellarmine College Preparatory High School in San Jose. Three years later, I graduated and moved on to my two years at the local junior college, College of San Mateo. It was there that I took my first accounting class and immediately knew where my career would take me. In 1974, I headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico to the College of Santa Fe where I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Accountancy degree.
After graduation and moving back home, I began my accounting career with Don Seiler, a CPA in Redwood City. Then at the age of 25, I opened my own accounting office in my father's Law Offices in Millbrae. Today, my offices are very near that original location on San Mateo Drive in the City of San Mateo. In those first few years of my own firm I went back to night school at Golden Gate University in San Francisco and received my Masters of Science in Taxation.
In 1996, I was elected to the Burlingame City Council where I served for eight years, including serving twice as Mayor. I am very proud of our accomplishments during my time on the City Council. We balanced our city budget every year. We held the line on spending unnecessarily, yet we made sure our public safety services were second to none. Our city made sound and sensible fiscal decisions and I am proud to have helped lead the effort on fiscal responsibility and accountability.
My wife Helen, a Cardiac Rehab Nurse at Peninsula Hospital, and I have five beautiful children. Our oldest is completing his second year of medical school and our youngest is in her first year of college. The other three children are starting their careers as a paramedic, a health and yoga instructor and an office worker in a medical office. Helen is also an elected member of the Peninsula Healthcare District helping to provide necessary health services to district residents.
In my private life I have a passion for soccer and golf. I started playing soccer in high school and still love the game today. I am proud to say I played on the Burlingame Soccer Club for Mr. Romalie the year Burlingame won the California Cup and am very fond of the Gentry Magazine story on local mayors (with the cover with yours truly dressed in my official soccer uniform). You can often find me on local fields refereeing high school and college games. My love of the game of golf is more for the many great friends I have met, the great walks around the world I have been allowed to play and view and the wonderful charity tournaments I am involved to help local community events.
I received the Natalie Lanam Achievement Award from the Legal Aid Society in May 2008. The Natalie Lanam Achievement Award is named for Natalie Lanam, a lay leader whose volunteer efforts on behalf of Legal Aid were inspired by her commitment to justice for all. Each year, it is given in recognition of a lay leader whose volunteer efforts are inspired by a commitment to justice for all the children, families and seniors in San Mateo County.
