Town of FairfaxCandidate for City Council

Greetings! My name is Chance Cutrano, and I'm a 27-year-old Fairfaxian running to be your next Town Council member in the 2020 General Election on November 3!

Background:
By day, I work to protect our air, water, and wildlife as the Director of Programs for a 35-year-old Bay Area environmental nonprofit, the Resource Renewal Institute. I have conducted policy research on food, water, and energy policy on four continents, and my current work spans a variety of subject areas -- from the protection of public lands to sustainable agriculture.

By night, I serve our Town of Fairfax, Marin County, and the greater Bay Area through a variety of volunteer roles including:

• Appointed Fairfax Open Space Committee Member and Treasurer
• Appointed Fairfax Volunteer Board Member
• Fairfax Coronavirus Task Force Member
• Appointed Fairfax Measure A Oversight Committee

• Elected Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club's San Francisco Bay Chapter

• Appointed member of the Finance Committee of the Sierra Club's San Francisco Bay Chapter

• Former appointed Vice-Chair of the Political Committee of the Sierra Club's San Francisco Bay Chapter

• Elected Executive Committee Member and Treasurer of the Sierra Club's Marin Group
• Policy Committee member of Showing up for Racial Justice ("SURJ") Marin

• Appointed North Coast Regional Director of the California Young Democrats Environmental Caucus
• Former Climate Adaptation Task Force Member for the Sierra Club's Board of Directors .
• Former Ballot Committee Treasurer for Citizens to Renew Novato's Urban Growth Boundary, Yes on D 2017
• Former Ambassador for the Middle East Conflicts Wall Memorial.

Education:
• Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy and Political Science from Saint Xavier University
• Masters of Public Administration in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School.

Honors and Awards:
• 2018 recipient of Sierra Club California's inaugural "Emerging Leader Award" for outstanding contributions to conservation and politics.
• 2019 Presidio Graduate School Commencement Speaker for the Masters of Public Administration.

Fairfax is adapting to unprecedented times. The challenges we face—climate change; emergency preparedness; economic wellbeing—require new solutions-oriented thinking. Recently, when the Shelter-in-Place order took effect, I spearheaded a volunteer program to deliver support to neighbors in need. I will bring that spirit to the Town Council so that it can be harnessed to make our Town better prepared and united in purpose. 
 

Government works best when people step up and serve. We can’t wait for solutions to come to us. What we practice here sets the pattern for the whole system. We need a Council that is committed to rolling up their sleeves; a Council that is in community and for community; a council that thinks proactively about how we best preserve our Fairfax charm. 

I will bring these qualities to our Town Council.

 
Over the past few years, pouring my time and care into this community, I've come to find that everything moves at the speed of trust. My orientation as a "listening leader" can hold space and build trust in ways that open up dialogue and create an opportunity for wonder, excitement, and creativity. The world is ripe for reinvention. With your support, we can invent a compassionate government and a resilient community. 


I look forward to this journey with you.