Candidate Statement of Qualifications
I, DMITRI BELSER, hereby declare that I am a candidate for an elective office in the City of Berkeley, and make the following statement:
1. That my name is Dmitri Belser
2. The office for which I am a candidate is City Councilmember, District Three
3. That my residence is 2024 Parker Street, Berkeley California 94704
4. The place of my birth is Brookline Massachusetts
5. My present occupation is Executive Director, Center for Accessible Technology
6. I have held the following public offices: Commissioner, City of Berkeley Commission on Disability
7. Record of community service: President, Ed Roberts Campus. Board Treasurer, Building Education Center. Board Secretary, Arrowsmith Academy. Board Secretary, Computer Technologies Program. Member, Adeline-Alcatraz Merchants Association.
8. I am a taxpayer in the City of Berkeley.
9. South Berkeley is a vibrant neighborhood, beautiful and diverse. But it also needs to be a safe place for the residents, with thriving commercial areas. I believe District Three needs a Councilmember who is responsive, willing to get involved and react to problems and opportunities as they arise. As President of the Ed Roberts Campus, I managed the design, fundraising and construction, working with BART, the City of Berkeley, the neighborhood and the various agencies involved in the project. This has informed my vision for Berkeley: diverse groups collaborating to get things done. We found that the whole was bigger than the sum of the parts, and I was honored to lead that successful effort. My partner and I have restored six historic houses in the District, raised our children here, and lived here for 24 years. I’ve seen how addressing blighted properties can help turn a neighborhood around. The disability community again needs a voice on the City Council to ensure that the City remain accessible for all our citizens. I may be blind, but I have a vision for the City of Berkeley. I invite you to join me in creating that vision. Visit dmitri4council.com to learn more.
10. I refer to the following residents of the City of Berkeley:
Laurie Capitelli, Berkeley City Councilmember
Zona Roberts, Community Activist
Mary Lou Breslin, Senior Policy Advisor - Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)
Susan Henderson, President, Ed Roberts Campus; (for identification purposes only)
Madelyn Stelmach, Commissioner, Commission on Disability
Iris Starr, City Planner
Joan Leon, resident, Consultant
Joan L Breves, Executive Director, Computer Technologies Program
Ken Stein, Program Administrator, City of S.F. Mayor’s Office on Disability
Nancy Ferreyra, Disability Advocate, Bookkeeper
Joan Starr, Digital Librarian
Marilyn Golden, Senior Policy Analyst, Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
|