{"id":6431,"date":"2012-01-02T01:03:31","date_gmt":"2012-01-02T09:03:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/?p=6431"},"modified":"2012-01-08T07:19:01","modified_gmt":"2012-01-08T15:19:01","slug":"getting-to-know-the-candidates-2012-%e2%80%93-chris-koerber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/?p=6431","title":{"rendered":"Getting to Know the Candidates, 2012 \u2013 Chris Koerber"},"content":{"rendered":"
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File courtesy of Chris Koerber, photo by Susanne Hayek, click to enlarge<\/p><\/div>\n

Chris Koerber<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Election\/Seat Sought: Special Election, remainder of 2 years of term for seat vacated by Joe Mosca’s resignation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Campaign web page:\u00a0<\/strong>www.chrisforsierramadre.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Campaign Facebook page:\u00a0 <\/strong>www.facebook.com\/ChrisForSierraMadre<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Bio Information as provided by Candidate:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our family, wife, Halcyon, children Dan and Katie, and I moved to Sierra Madre from Lakewood, CA in June of 1997.<\/p>\n

I was graduated from Kent State University in 1978 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology.\u00a0 I was able to pay for my entire schooling through my savings earned from 5 years as a newspaper carrier, summer factory work, and a partial academic scholarship from Firestone Tire Co.<\/p>\n

Moving to Long Beach in 1980 was a career decision.\u00a0 After working for a time in North Carolina, I was hired by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture as a Plant, Protection, and Quarantine (PPQ) Officer.\u00a0 PPQ is now part of the Department of Homeland Security.\u00a0 During my 11 year tenure I inspected trucks, ocean containers and boarded ocean vessels as well as Navy ships to enforce PPQ regulations.<\/p>\n

While working for USDA I met Halcyon. We married in 1984 and moved to Lakewood.\u00a0 Dan was born in \u201987 and Katie in \u201989.\u00a0 In addition to my full time job, I took courses toward the Certified Financial Planner\u00ae designation (CFP) and also started a part time tax preparer business.<\/p>\n

Looking to better support my family, I left USDA in 1991 to join New Century Insurance Services as a commission only agent selling Property\/Casualty insurance as well as life and health insurance.\u00a0\u00a0 Since I have been at New Century Insurance we have grown from 4 employees to almost 50 employees. I am currently a partner serving as Vice President of Employee Benefits and Health Insurance.\u00a0 I now work mainly in the areas of retirement plans and medical insurance for groups and individuals.<\/p>\n

Raising our children in SM was the right choice!\u00a0 Dan and Katie participated in many youth activities, including Little League, Girls\u2019 Softball, Interact, and the church youth group.<\/p>\n

Scouting is an important part of our family.\u00a0 Halcyon\u2019s dad and I both attained the rank of Eagle Scout. Dan was a member of Troop 4, Pasadena, and he, too, attained the rank of Eagle Scout. I was honored to be an Assistant Scoutmaster from 1998 \u2013 2005.\u00a0 Our monthly hikes, campouts and backpacks reinforced my love of open spaces and our local mountains.<\/p>\n

Shortly after we moved to Sierra Madre an application was made to build a high school on the Willis Estate at 1 Carter.\u00a0 I became very involved with Residents to Preserve Sierra Madre (RPSM) and was one of the first donors to their cause.\u00a0 Our efforts were successful.\u00a0 In 2004 the developer made a proposal to build several single family homes at 1 Carter.\u00a0 I also actively participated in the EIR scoping sessions and spoke several times during the Planning Commission and City Council hearings to downsize the project and help protect our mountain view.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve worked with Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy (FSHA), Katie\u2019s alma mater, since 2006 as a member of the Development Committee and Flintridge Fund subcommittee.\u00a0 We work to encourage current and past FSHA parents to support the school and keep it financially viable.<\/p>\n

As a member of the Sierra Madre Community Foundation (SMCF) from 2004 \u2013 2009 I chaired the grants subcommittee.\u00a0 I think the coolest grant that we funded was \u201cSummer Movie Nights at the Pool\u201d.<\/p>\n

The latest project that Halcyon and I started is the sale of used books on line for the Sierra Madre Friends of the Library.\u00a0 We have been able to sell several higher value books and generate additional funds for the Friends.<\/p>\n

Halcyon has also been very involved in community work. She is a past president of SM Civic Club; she has been on the Chamber of Commerce Board, Lead Docent for the Wistaria Festival vine tours, worked on the Sierra Madre Rose Float, helped with the Friends of the Library, as well as being very active at church.<\/p>\n

My passion is to partner with the community to retain Sierra Madre\u2019s unique culture and heritage and to leave to our children and grandchildren a city that is economically stable.<\/p>\n

Responses to SierraMadreNews.Net Candidate Q and A Questionnaire:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 What’s your favorite type of music?
\nA.\u00a0\u00a0Country<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 In or out of that genre, what’s your favorite album\/CD?
\nA.\u00a0\u00a0Madman Across The Water – Elton John<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 What’s your favorite movie?
\nA.\u00a0\u00a0 O Brother, Where Art Thou?<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 Who\u2019s your favorite actor?
\nA.\u00a0\u00a0Sean Connery\u00a0<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 Who\u2019s your favorite actress?
\nA.\u00a0 Sigourney Weaver – she reminds me of my wife, Halcyon<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 What’s your favorite book?
\nA.\u00a0\u00a0 The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams<\/p>\n

Q. Who’s your favorite author?
\nA.\u00a0 F. Scott Fitzgerald “The Great Gatsby”<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 What’s your favorite TV show?
\nA.\u00a0 Chopped<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 What’s your favorite meal?
\nA.\u00a0 Anything with Bacon<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 Who’s your favorite comic?
\nA.\u00a0 Jerry Seinfield<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 Your favorite sports team?
\nA.\u00a0\u00a0LA Dodgers – minus Frank McCourt<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 Who is\/was your favorite president (living or dead)?\ufffd
\nA.\u00a0 General George Washington<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 Who’s better — Mel Torme or Vic Damone?
\nA.\u00a0 Mel Torme<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 Beatles or Rolling Stones?
\nA.\u00a0 The Stones<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 U2 or Rush?
\nA.\u00a0 Rush<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 Beach Boys or Jan and Dean?
\nA.\u00a0 Beach Boys<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 Paper or plastic?
\nA.\u00a0 Trader Joes’ paper bags – have to donate them to Friends of the Library for the book sale!<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 What are your hobbies?
\nA.\u00a0\u00a0Reading American History<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0What\u2019s your favorite sport to watch?
\nA.\u00a0 Professional Hockey<\/p>\n

Q. What\u2019s your favorite sport to participate in? \u00a0\ufffd
\nA.\u00a0 Running, until the knees wore out. Now it’s walking or hiking.<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 If you could meet a famous figure from the past, who would you choose and why?
\nA.\u00a0 Jesus – how amazing would that be?<\/p>\n

Q.\u00a0 If you could meet a famous figure from today, who would it be and why?
\nA.\u00a0 The inventor of the videogame “Angry Birds.” I don’t\u00a0know if I would\u00a0congratulate or yell. Probably depends on how the last game went!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chris Koerber Election\/Seat Sought: Special Election, remainder of 2 years of term for seat vacated by Joe Mosca’s resignation Campaign web page:\u00a0www.chrisforsierramadre.com Campaign Facebook page:\u00a0 www.facebook.com\/ChrisForSierraMadre Bio Information as provided by Candidate:\u00a0 Our family, wife,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[136,30,139],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6431"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6431"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6431\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6431"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.sierramadrenews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}