Getting Involved

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

― Dr. Seuss, "The Lorax"

I’ve always believed that our politicians can’t improve our lives without our involvement. We need to participate if we expect things to change. 

In 2020, Beverly Hills created a small business task force and a program called OpenBH to help save the city’s businesses during the pandemic. The city council and city staffers committed themselves to providing tools and assistance to help the business triangle weather the storm. 

I jumped on their zoom calls at first to see if I could offer suggestions and a small retailer perspective. What I learned is that there are other owners like me with a goal larger than their own success. We all wanted Beverly Hills to survive and thrive. 

I’ve been more politically active since I joined the National Retail Federation pre-Covid and started lobbying and writing op-eds on issues ranging from tariffs to credit card swipe reform. 

When Beverly Hills relaunched their TeamBH program in 2022, I immediately applied. Since 1996, over 800 residents and members of the business community have not only familiarized themselves with all aspects of government, city services, and community development but also prepared themselves to be more engaged and involved in activities to benefit the Beverly Hills community. 

Over ten weeks we met with city employees who are passionate about their jobs and the city. With tremendous enthusiasm, they taught us about the extensive resources the city has from a real-time watch command center at BHPD to our own water treatment plant to our numerous community service programs. 

If you have any interest in public service, I highly recommend starting with this program. You’ll not only walk away more informed and motivated to help but also, you’ll make new friends. 

At the end of the day, it’s connection and community that improves the quality of our life. 

In 1923 the Beverly Hills 8, a group of celebrity residents, used their fame and connections to protect their beloved city from being annexed by Los Angeles. The city was saved by a mere 170 votes. 

A few weeks ago, I submitted a letter to the Beverly Hills Courier in support of the Cheval Blanc Hotel project. There’s a city vote scheduled May 23 that will decide the fate of this project and its projected revenue to Beverly Hills of over $780 million over 30 years. 

In 1906, Charles Canfield, a partner of Rodeo Land and Water Company, who turned a failed drilling project into a residential community, decreed that the new development of Beverly Hills would feature the best of everything. 

As a resident and business owner in Canfield’s vision, I hope my community efforts will help preserve the beauty and excellence he strived to create.