Director, Division 5 — Otay Water District

Mark was elected to Otay Water District Board in 2004 and re-elected in 2008, 2012 and 2016.

He is currently Vice-President of the Board. He has also been President and he Treasurer. He was the head of Otay's Finance & Administration Committee and as well of its Engineering Committee. In that capacity he is always asking the tough questions to keep costs in-line and insuring a thorough audit of District finances, which have won numerous awards in the public sector.

Mark was the President of the Water Conservation Garden at Cuyamaca College for four years. During that time the Garden grew substantially and earned many notable distinctions for its work in water conservation in the region as well as nationally. Mark was also instrumental in starting the "Friends of the Garden" which became the entity that manages the Garden.

Through Mark's efforts the seed money and water agency approvals for a new "sustainable urban landscape degree and certificate program" was developed and implemented at Cuyamaca College. The curriculum has been a model program and was adopted locally by MiraCosta and Southwestern Colleges.

Mark was the Chairman of the Metro Commission which makes recommendations for sewer infrastructure improvements throughout the County of San Diego. Mark fought to keep sewer rates affordable by carefully scrutinizing the City of San Diego's costs they passed along to the Participating Agencies.

Otay recycles the sewage created by its customers in the Rancho San Diego/Mt Helix area at its reclamation plant in Rancho San Diego. It then pipes all of the water to Chula Vista for use there. Otay also has connection to the City of San Diego reclamation plant in the Southern service area, where it can receive 6 Million Gallons a Day (MGD). With this in mind, Mark has pushed for the use of its locally produced water (approx. 1.25 MGD) in the Rancho San Diego area where it can be used for such things as sports fields, along freeways and golf courses.

Mark first and formost supports efficient government. He also is a leading proponent of tap water, direct potable reuse, conservation and basic water and sanitation for all people.

My work history has been continuous, but more importantly it has demonstrated my commitment to improving my community. From my initial student based jobs at San Diego State up to most recently where I was proud to work as a 911 dispatcher for the City of Coronado, my efforts have always been rooted in empathy. This drive to assist fell over to non-profit work, where I made a commitment to both amplify marginalized voices  and help earn them the equity they deserve. 

I currently sit on the boards of PFLAG San Diego County and South Bay Alliance as Secretary Exec, am the Regional Leader of Pantsuit Nation, the Vice-Chair of the Eastlake-Bonita Democratic club, and serve as a City of Chula Vista Human Relations Commissioner.

Beyond these titles my true work has been the hands-on work I am privileged to do within the community I call home.  Recognizing the impact the restrictions of the pandemic would have on our senior community, I helped establish a phone outreach effort. Uniting political leaders with activist efforts across the South Bay and East County, we were able to contact over 4,000 seniors, and helped hundreds by providing access to food, essential items, and resources. 

When the fires hit this year I, at the behest of another amazing candidate, drove out to East county to assist those affected. We delivered pallets of water, gatorade to the first responders and volunteers working diligently to save the animals and homes. Daily we worked to provide some ease for those misplaced by the tragedy. 

I consider it an honor to serve my community and will continue that commitment if elected. 

I believe any political philosophy should be a reminder of the purpose of elected officials. We serve at the will of the people, for the betterment of our communities. Flint taught us the importance of having elected officials rooted in communities they serve, therefore I hope to be that voice that the board has lacked. 

With California laws changing in 2022 to lower the expected household usage, and the regulations that will be imposed to ensure conservation, it is ever more important that we have a voice for the community in place so that all issues can be addressed. 

Clean water is a human right, access to water is a human right, and those that make those decisions should be aware of their responsibility to uphold those values.