Board Member, Ward 5 — Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District

An experienced environmental advocate, attorney and former Mayor of Palo Alto, Greg Scharff is running for the Mid- Peninsula Regional Open Space District Board Ward 5 (Palo Alto, East Palo Alto and Menlo Park) to preserve and protect our open space and endangered species, protect the Bay from polluters, and restore our wetlands. Created in 1972, as an independent special district whose purpose is to create and preserve a regional greenbelt of public land, Mid-Pen needs today more than ever, the compassionate, experienced and fiscally responsible leadership to meet to meet the demands of environmentalists and the community at large.

As a two term Mayor, former Vice Mayor and City Council Member of the City of Palo Alto, Greg has advocated for and successfully achieved a 100% carbon neutral electric portfolio, having instituted in 2017 a policy where the city now buys carbon offsets for its natural gas usage making the City of Palo Alto Utilities the first in the world to provide carbon neutral electricity and natural gas as a standard to all customers. He has also worked to and succeeded at reducing Greenhouse gas emissions by 43% from 1990 levels, achieved an 82% waste diversion and the implementation of a strong green Building Ordinance and a New Energy Reach building code that requires electric charging stations citywide. He has been credited for closing Palo Alto’s landfill and for creating new Park Land in its place and for advocating  the strong energy efficiency measures including solar panels that has made Palo Alto a recognized leader on energy efficiency in the nation.

An active member of the Bay Conservation and Development Commission since 2013 and most recently the San Francisco Bay Restoration Authority Board in addition to his experience as Vice President and Executive Board Member of the Association of Bay Area Governments; Member of the Metropolitan Transit Commission Joint Administrative Committee; Board Member and former President of the Cities Association of Santa Clara County; Former Commissioner of the Santa Clara Recycling & Waste Reduction Commission; Director of the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority; and Commissioner and Executive Board Member of the Northern California Power Authority, to name a few, has positioned Greg as a leader of unmatched experience having worked across these regional agencies to reduce Green House Gas emissions, restore local wetlands, protect our rivers, the delta and the Bay, prepare for Sea Level rise and advocate for clean air and parkland.

This unique combination of solid environmental values, active advocacy, and a successful record, has earned him the Healthy Cities Champion Award by the Santa Clara County Department of Health and the endorsement of State Senator Jerry Hill, Assembly Member Marc Berman and Former Mayor and Councilmember Larry Moody of East Palo Alto David Lewis and the Executive Director of Save the Bay and San Mateo Supervisor Dave Pine.

Born and raised in the East Coast, Greg is a graduate of Bowdin College and Columbia Law School. Greg has called the South Bay home since 1988 where he lives with his wife and three children.