Five City Council Hopefuls Turn in Their Nomination Papers

• Greatly Reduced Field Includes Two Ph.Ds, an Attorney, a P.R. Agency Owner and a Pyrotechnician

BY BILL KOENEKER

The deadline for filing nominating papers passed last week with incumbent Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich, Malibu Planning Commissioner John Sibert, activists Jefferson Wagner and Susan Tellem, and current school district board member Kathy Wisnicki returning paperwork to vie for the three seats on the April ballot.
In the candidate statement filed with her papers, Wisnicki, 45, describes herself as a parent with two children, married, and living in Malibu since 1996. She completed her doctorate in Applied Statistics and Education and worked as a researcher at UCLA. For more than three years, Wisnicki has served on the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District board, including a term as president.
“[That] has given me the requisite managerial, financial and other essential skills that will ensure that I will be effective as your council member,” she wrote.
Sibert, 70, who describes himself as a business technology consultant in his statement, talked about his work with Save Our Coast, acting as a director of the Malibu Township Council and, for the last five years, serving as chair and a member of the city’s planning commission.
Sibert is married, has a Ph.D in chemistry and has been a professor and administrator at Yale, Caltech and California State University.
“As founding executive director of the $100 million Alaska Science and Technology Foundation, I instituted and funded programs in infrastructure development, environmental management and most importantly, K-12 science and math education. The experience has given me a keen interest in public education and as [a] city council member, education will be among my top priorities,” he said.
Wagner, 55, who lists his occupation as pytrotechnician and business owner, said he has lived and worked in Malibu for most of his life. Although residency issues have been raised with regard to his candidacy, Wagner asserts that he is now a city resident.
Wagner’s background includes owning and operating the Zuma Jay Surfshop since 1975 and he is the Malibu Pier concessionaire. He became a reserve deputy sheriff in the 1980s and, as a surfer, said he “led efforts to clean up coastal waters from uncontrolled pollution and litter.”
Susan Tellem, 63, who heads her public relations firm, indicated that with 30 years experience as a successful business owner and public relations executive, she has the tools and experience needed to lead and make decisions for successful outcomes.
Tellem, the mother of four, started numerous Neighborhood Watch programs and served as an LAPD reserve officer specialist now retired.
“As an RN and member of the Medical Reserve Corps of L A, my commitment to Malibu’s health and safety is a priority,” she noted. “As a crisis expert, I help companies, nonprofits and government agencies overcome legal issues and barriers to communication. Malibu desperately needs these skills.”
In 1990, she and her husband Marshall Thompson founded the American Tortoise Rescue organization and have been volunteers with the California Wildlife Center.
Conley Ulich said she wants “civility and professionalism in local government” and says she has worked to ensure that government is responsive and respectful “of all Malibu residents.”
The mother of two and an attorney, Conley Ulich ticked off a laundry list of accomplishments during her last four years in office, including defeating the LNG facility, acquiring Legacy Park and Bluffs Park, initiating arts and cultural events, spearheading work showing underpayments to the Malibu Library and showing fiscal responsibility by increasing the city’s reserve accounts to $11 million.
Former president of the Malibu Chamber of Commerce Ed Gillespie, along with Ryan Embree and Wade Major, did not return their papers.
Gillespie, who was the first to announce interest in the council race and was expected to run a vigorous campaign, said family matters related to an unanticipated recent death in the family prevent him from seeking a council seat.
“I’m really disappointed. I have been talking about this since the last election,” he said. Gillespie, who said he thinks he had a good chance this year, added he is determined to take another shot at it and will aim for the 2010 council race.
Wade Major said, “After much deliberation, I have elected to withdraw myself from the forthcoming election.” He endorsed Conley Ulich, Wisnicki and Sibert.
Embree said his personal life and business will keep him too busy to run in 2008. “There were a lot of people who encouraged me to run this year,” he said. “I intend to endorse Susan Tellem and Jefferson Wagner.”
Other council hopefuls are not precluded from running in the greatly narrowed field. The filing period for write-in candidates begins Feb. 11 and ends on March 25