Candidate provided photo, click to enlarge
Election/Seat Sought: Special Election, remainder of 2 years of term for seat vacated by Joe Mosca’s resignation
Campaign web page: www.colin4cc.com
Campaign Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Colin-Braudrick-for-City-Council/315409945157505
Campaign Kickoff Party: Wednesday, Feb. 29th, 2012 from 6:30-8:30 pm at 640 West Alegria Street
Candidate Bio as provided by candidate:
I grew up in Carmel, California, a town very similar to Sierra Madre in its beauty and unique qualities. From the 1920s Carmel had strong urban planning that made preserving the urban forest and consistent building standards a priority. As a result, Carmel is heralded for its scenic beauty, and was an amazing place to grow up. The experience of growing up in Carmel instilled in me deep rooted small town values and an appreciation for the importance of urban planning.
I was originally drawn to Sierra Madre because it is unlike any other city in Southern California, and I was looking for a town similar to where I grew-up. From 1994-1996 I spent my weekends and Summers in Sierra Madre while I went to school at University of California, Riverside. Then in 1996, I graduated with a Bachelors of Arts in History, got hired by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). For the last 15 years I have had the privilege to have worked a wide variety of assignments with the LAPD, including as a: patrol officer, internal affairs, patrol sergeant, child abuse detective, and homicide detective. I am currently assigned as a sergeant in the Southeast Area (Watts) where my primary duty is to supervise patrol officers in the most violent part of Los Angeles. During my tenure with the LAPD, I have focused on leadership and developing my subordinates. Working for a city government has given me a unique insight into how government functions on a day-to-day level. In addition, my experience as a police officer working in some of the toughest neighborhoods in the Country has given me the leadership, bravery and fortitude to help guide this City to through any obstacle.
In 2007, I finished my Masters in Business Administration from Pepperdine University with an emphasis in Leadership and Managing Organizational Change. Through that experience I had the opportunity to do business consulting, and gained an insight in finance and accounting. Since then I have focused on volunteerism within Sierra Madre. I spent three years on the Board of Sierra Madre Little League, where I was in charge of Field Maintenance. I also managed several little league teams, instilling in kids self-confidence, integrity, skills, and developing a love for the game.
In 2010, I had the honor of being appointed to the Sierra Madre General Plan Steering Committee. On this Committee I have worked tirelessly to ensure that we create a document that will preserve and protect the future of Sierra Madre without creating unintended consequences. I am also a member of the Parks and Facilities Master Plan Committee, helping creating a future vision for our parks. I am also honored to be on the Library Board of Trustees where I am fortunate enough to protect and preserve a great asset and resource. I have been so impressed with the quality of people who stand up in this City and volunteer their time. In all of my positions I feel it is important to create an inclusive environment where disagreement works to create a stronger outcome, instead of creating a divisive environment. On all my committees and if elected to City Council I approach my position as represent all the people of Sierra Madre, rather than a small faction or special interest.
What truly drives me to run for this position is that I am the father to an amazing 11-year-old son, who was born and raised in Sierra Madre. A few weeks ago, he and I discussed whether I should run for City Council, and he urged me to take the leap. A few days later we were crossing a street in Los Angeles, and I looked at his wide-eyed expression and asked him what he was thinking about. My son responded that he felt lucky to be living in Sierra Madre, and that he couldn’t live anywhere else. I asked him why, and he said that he felt so safe in Sierra Madre. Later I inquired what else it is that he liked about Sierra Madre, he replied it is “amazing,” “full of great people,” and “I like it because it isn’t full of large buildings, but is small and calm.” I have stepped into this political arena to ensure that this town doesn’t change, and that one day my son can raise his kids in Sierra Madre and they will be blessed with the same amazing community in which I have been fortunate enough to raise my child.
Responses to SierraMadre News.Net Candidate Q and A Questionnaire:
Q. What’s your favorite type of music?
A. It depends on my mood. If I am cooking I have to listen to Latin, Opera when I am introspective, and Pop when I am in the car with my son (it grows on you).
Q. In or out of that genre, what’s your favorite album/CD?
A. Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon
Q. What’s your favorite movie?
A. Star Wars Trilogy
Q. Who’s your favorite actor?
A. Cary Grant
Q. Who’s your favorite actress?
A. That is a hard one, I can’t decide between Katharine Hepburn and Sophia Loren.
Q. What’s your favorite book?
A. A Short History of Nearly Everything
Q. Who’s your favorite author?
A. Michael Connelly
Q. What’s your favorite TV show?
A. I don’t really watch that much television, so can’t say. Maybe college football, if that counts as a TV show???
Q. What’s your favorite meal?
A. A hotdog and a very cold beer on a Summer day at Dodger Stadium
Q. Who’s your favorite comic?
A. Richard Pryor in a movie where he is starring with Gene Wilder
Q. Your favorite sports team?
A. University of California Berkeley, GO BEARS!
Q. Who is/was your favorite president (living or dead)?
A. Abraham Lincoln, he knew when to compromise and when he should not.
Q. Who’s better — Mel Torme or Vic Damone?
A. No question – Mel Torme, come on, he wrote the Christmas Song.
Q. Beatles or Rolling Stones?
A. Tough one, but I have to go with the Beatles.
Q. U2 or Rush?
A. Got to be U2
Q. Beach Boys or Jan and Dean?
A. Beach Boys
Q. Paper or plastic?
A. Paper, since I tend to forget my re-usable bags when I go to the store.
Q. What are your hobbies?
A. Hiking, backpacking, collecting wild edible mushrooms (the legal kind), kayaking, brewing beer, and playing softball.
Q. What’s your favorite sport to watch?
A. College Football, with Formula One racing as a close second.
Q. What’s your favorite sport to participate in? �
A. Softball
Q. If you could meet a famous figure from the past, who would you choose and why?
A. Jesus. I have a lot of questions for him, and I could think of no other historical figure that has impacted the world to a greater extent.
Q. If you could meet a famous figure from today, who would it be and why?
A. The Dalai Lama. I would just be honored to meet a man who (like Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King) could preach peace and understanding in the face of such hate and fear.