When I moved from Napa Valley to Santa Barbara in 1998, I took the job of Executive Director of the ECP, which was a community based non-profit formed by the region’s top executives and governmental leaders to promote the Santa Barbara region as a place to grow high-wage, low-impact jobs. Special focus was placed on attracting or growing companies involved with software, multi-media, and medical devices. The ECP today is strictly a volunteer organization and their focus now is on regional planning and providing workforce housing. While running the ECP, I worked with UC Santa Barbara to create a regional GIS database and the “See the Future” model, which was used to illustrate the impacts of growth in our region based on a number of alternative build-out scenarios.

During my time running CRR I was active in processing a Planned Unit Development permit for the 990 acre Stanly Ranch in the City of Napa to allow for the development of a 5-star hotel, 18-hole golf course, and residential uses. During this time frame I was also consulting on land-use and permitting issues for a number of private and corporate clients. As time allowed, I also developed or redeveloped commercial property in Napa Valley for my own account. In 1996, in partnership with a friend, I formed an internet company (NapaNet) to provide free internet access to all schools (public and private) in Napa Valley. We paid for this endeavor by charging individuals and families a connection fee. Within 6-months we had every school in the Valley connected to the internet and the company was profitable

In 1976 I formed a real estate development company called Western International Properties with a Canadian partner, International Land. Over our 12-year partnership I developed or redeveloped a number of commercial and industrial properties in California and Oregon. At one time, we had projects valued at over $200 million in our portfolio.

During my last few years with Mobil Redwood I was responsible for the development of Redwood Shores, a major mixed-use project located on the San Francisco Bay between Redwood City and San Mateo, CA. This project was built on land-fill created by dredging channels and lakes within dykes put in place years before by Leslie Salt. This development required permits from almost every governmental agency (Federal, State and Local) in existence at that time. Redwood Shores is now the home of Oracle, as well as many other businesses, and supports over 3,000 residents.