Gene Goss, click to enlarge
Gene Goss
Lived in Sierra Madre: Nineteen Years
Occupation: Professor of Political Science at Long Beach City College
Sierra Madre Participation: Manager/Coach Sierra Madre Little League
Vice-Chair of Sierra Madre Library Board of Trustees
Founder and Chairman of Village Vine Online (local radio station)
Volunteer for Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts
Website: www.geneforsierramadre.com
Response to SierraMadreNews.Net Q and A
Q. What’s your favorite type of music?
A. Rock
Q. In or out of that genre, what’s your favorite album/CD?
A. A Decade of Steely Dan
Q. What’s your favorite movie?
A. Patton
Q. Who’s your favorite actor?
A. Clint Eastwood/Jeff Bridges
Q. Who’s your favorite actress?
A. Amy Poehler
Q. Netflix or Redbox?
A. Netflix
Q. What’s your favorite book?
A. Cold Mountain
Q. Who’s your favorite author?
A. Patrick McManus
Q. Printed book or e-book?
A. Printed
Q. What’s your favorite TV show?
A. Parks and Rec
Q. Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon or David Letterman?
A. None of the above
Q. Real time, DVR, or On Demand?
A. DVR
Q. What’s your favorite meal?
A. Sauerkraut and pork chops
Q. Favorite non-Sierra Madre San Gabriel Valley restaurant (please do not include Sierra Madre – I don’t want to risk alienating voters over something like that)
A. Philippe’s in LA
Q. Who’s your favorite comic?
A. Rodney Dangerfield
Q. Your favorite sports team?
A. Dodgers/Raiders
Q. iPhone or Android?
A. iPhone
Q. Tower, laptop or tablet
A. Use all three
Q. Beatles or Rolling Stones?
A. Stones
Q. Beach Boys or Jan and Dean?
A. Beach Boys
Q. Lady Gaga or Beyonce?
A. Beyonce
Q. Paper or plastic?
A. Paper
Q. Charcoal or propane?
A. Natural Gas
Q. What are your hobbies?
A. Flyfishing (especially the West Fork of the San Gabriel River), fitness, hiking, reading
Q. What’s your favorite sport to watch?
A. College Football/MLB Baseball
Q. What’s your favorite sport to participate in?
A. Basketball, softball, table tennis
Q. Who is/was your favorite president (living or dead)?
A. President Lincoln – He is one of my heroes
Q. If you could meet a famous figure from the past, who would you choose and why?
A. Alexander Hamilton – the more I read about him the more impressed I am with his capabilities
Q. If you could meet a famous figure from today, who would it be and why?
A. Pete Carroll – His record of accomplishment speaks for itself
Bio
I was born at St. Luke in Pasadena and lived in Altadena until age three. At that time my father decided to pursue a life dream and bought a small cattle ranch in Oregon. That is where I was raised. I learned at a very early age how to shoulder responsibility. We had little money and no hired hands, so the work was done by my Dad, my younger brother, and me. If the barns needed cleaning, we cleaned them. If the fences needed fixing, we fixed them. If the tractor broke down, we figured out how to fix it. I remember at age 10, on the cold winter mornings before school, I would have to take an ax and literally chop holes in the ice on the top of the cattle’s water tanks so they could drink. It was not an easy life, but I am thankful for it nonetheless. I learned at an early age how to brainstorm and solve problems, how to truly pitch in for the welfare of the larger group (in this case my family), and, for lack of a better word, I simply learned how to tough things out – grit, if you will.
I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in History and Political Science at Linfield College. After several successful years working as an Account Executive in the Power Equipment and Trucking Leasing industries, I decided to follow my heart and go back to school to do graduate work in political science at the University of Southern California. My goal was to teach in a college or university, and, after completing four years in the program at USC, I was hired for a tenure track position teaching political science at Long Beach City College. I am now a full professor there. I chaired the History and Political Science Department from 2006 – 2013. In essence, I have spent the last 23 years of my life teaching undergraduates about government. In that 23 years I have held a variety of faculty leadership positions including technology committee chair, faculty association president, and department chair.
I have been married to my wife, Lisa, for 29 years. She is an elementary school teacher working with disadvantaged children in Highland Park. We moved to Sierra Madre 19 years ago. This is my eleven-year old son’s hometown. Since he was born, we have become intimately familiar with the library and every park in town. I’ve learned just how important these public places really are to our town. For the last seven years I have been active in Sierra Madre Little League as a Manager/Coach. Also, I serve as Vice Chair on the Sierra Madre Library Board of Trustees.
My proudest accomplishment here in town is the creation of Village Vine Online. The Vine is a non-profit community internet radio station. We have developed and produced home-grown news and entertainment programs. We have done live audio and video webcasts of Sierra Madre events, such as the 4th of July Parade, and we have done live webcasts of Sierra Madre Little League games. All of this has been done by a cadre of volunteers reaching over twenty in number last summer. It truly is the town’s radio station.
The people of this town have been good to my family. This is our home and I want to preserve its amazing small town character with every fiber of my body. Sierra Madre cannot become just another suburb in the foothills. I am running for City Council because I feel a deep responsibility to serve Sierra Madre. I have no connections with any political party organization or political interest group and I have no desire to move on to higher office. I am only interested in serving my fellow Sierra Madreans as long as they will have me.
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