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Published on 03/01/1999 All articles from this issue

Local rising stars

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By Joanne Griffith Domingue

Town Crier Staff Writer

The Town Crier offers 8 who could emerge among Los Altos' next generation of leaders

We wanted to know who the new leaders in Los Altos might be, as we head into the new millennium.

The staff talked to people all over town, asking for suggestions. Here's a sampling of the comments people offered when suggesting a candidate: "She gives of herself." "He's done a ton of stuff." "She can make things happen." "He's the type of guy you can count on."

There are many volunteers throughout the city. There are many more who have given their time in past years.

But we wanted to know who might be on the horizon. Our list grew long. Los Altos is blessed with talented people who want to give back to the community.

We developed criteria. We wanted residents who are already volunteering in some capacity, many on more than one commission, committee, or task force.

We discovered something. People volunteer because they "have a good heart." "They want things to go well for the community."

A spirit of altruism comes from each. And, despite some sentiments that volunteerism among younger generations is dwindling, we found that isn't the case here.

A profile of the eight people on our list yielded some interesting statistics. The average age is 41. All are married; six of the eight have from one to four children who range in age from 19 months to 12 years.

There's a strong local connection: Six of the eight attended California schools, from Chico (two) to Stanford (two) to Foothill College and the University of Phoenix in San Jose.

Half the group is from this area: two are native to Los Altos, moved away and have come back to raise their families; another grew up here and a fourth is from Palo Alto.

The group has been active in community volunteerism for an average of 3.5 years.

Several see themselves possibly running for city council in the years ahead.

Others do not see themselves in elective office.

Here, in alphabetical order, are our nominations for the rising stars for local leadership in the new millennium.

Kurt Ayers

Kurt Ayers is a guy who saw a problem, got to work on it, and has made a difference.

When Ayers heard King Lear talking about traffic problems during the November 1997 city council election, "I raised my hand," Ayers said.

His little girl, 5 years old at the time, couldn't ride her tricycle in front of their house because of speeders zooming by.

That bothered Ayers.

The day after the election, when Lear was elected to the council, he called Ayers.

Together they formed the neighborhood traffic advisory task force. Lear was the council connection and Ayers became the chairman.

Through the efforts of the group, working also with city hall and the police department, Los Altos now has two motorcycle traffic officers.

This was the first foray into community volunteerism for Ayers, a 51-year-old who grew up in Los Altos, moved away and has been back two years "this time around."

"I had a lot of people tell me that you can't fight city hall," Ayers said. "But you can work with city hall."

He recently volunteered for the city's blue ribbon budget advisory committee.

Curtis Cole

Curtis Cole volunteers "because I'm an optimist about human nature. An individual can make a difference," he said.

This 40-year-old father of two currently serves on the planning commission, the residential design guidelines task force, the citizen's financial advisory committee. He's on the school district's long-range facilities planning commission and was the fund-raising chairman for the school district's bond campaign.

And that's just some of the work this guy does.

He can see himself running for city council in the future. But currently he plans to complete his term on the planning commission.

He admits this all "takes a lot of time. My wife is more supportive than I could reasonable expect."

Each time she has had a baby, he has quit his job and worked as an independent contractor. Currently Cole, who has a graduate degree in computer science from Stanford and is an independent software programmer, currently works for Intuit.

His wife Debby Meredith is a senior vice president at Netscape.

Kathy Lera

Kathy Lera, 41, grew up in Los Altos. And she believes in community volunteering because her parents, long-time Los Altos residents Mel and Margaret Thompson, "were always very active in the things we did," she said.

When in high school, Lera happened to work at the Los Altos Chamber of Commerce during the bicentennial celebrations in town.

So when she heard about the city's millennium committee, she signed on. "I thought - that's fun. I thought it'd be cool to have been involved with the bicentennial and now with the millennium."

Lera describes herself as someone who will do "whatever it takes to get the job done."

But since she has a busy professional life, she carefully rations her volunteer time.

Lera, 12 years ago with two colleagues, founded APLER, a Campbell-based international sales and marketing company. Her name is the L in APLER. The three, Aghassi, Phillips and Lera, added the "er" to APL to maker it easier to say.

Lera said she knows she was lucky "growing up here. I want to see it continue - with kids safe and creeks to explore - for the next generation."

Her husband also grew up in town and is a retired Los Altos police officer.

Nancy Lippe

Nancy Lippe, currently vice chairwoman of the Los Altos Parks and Recreation Commission, lights up when she talks about her current project, Adopt-a-Park. Through this program local residents will be able to volunteer in local parks.

In fact, she was interviewed for this story sitting on a bench in Shoup Park.

She credits Kris Casto with the adopt-a-park idea. "I thought it was a great idea, and I ran with it."

Volunteering has always been a part of her life. "I have a lot of energy. This is a way to work on projects I really like. It's a great way to reach out, to make things happen, to meet people."

Lippe, a Stanford graduate and mother of four, took a year off from college - to train for the 1980 Olympics.

"It was such a thrill to make the team," she said. "But very disappointing not to go to Moscow." In 1980 the United States boycotted the Olympics because the U.S.S.R. had invaded Afghanistan.

Lippe does not see herself running for city council. "Probably not. I'd rather spend my time on projects where I can be more independent."

Her husband is a senior vice president at Synopsis.

Leslie Lodestro

Leslie Lodestro said she felt "a bit like a fraud" about being on the Town Crier list of rising stars.

But her talents for neighborhood organizing and her knowledge and sense of homes and their contribution to a community's history is extraordinary.

She currently lives in a 1950s-era ranch house on Jay Street. "It's not glitzy, but we like it that way." She worries about "old ranchers being torn down and huge houses going up. The ranchers are a part of our history in Los Altos. Someday, they will be historic neighborhoods."

She organized her neighbors to appeal a two-story design for a home on her street. The new owners want to raze the "rancher" and build a new house. She and her neighbors don't want a two-story house on their street, and they want their street to be allowed to remain "consistent."

It was her parents who bought and restored one of the oldest homes in Los Altos, the Winchester/Merriman house on Edgewood Lane.

With her sister, she owns what's known as the Cobbler's Cottage in Palo Alto, built in 1840.

She lived in an Eichler home in Palo Alto before moving to Los Altos. Lots of people don't like Eichlers, she said, but if you tear them down you lose a piece of history.

After her Jay Street organizing, "once you go through a process, you have a body of knowledge." And she'd be happy to remain involved, perhaps on the planning commission.

David and Cindy Luedtke

These two, who met as high school sweethearts in Wisconsin, work together as a team.

When they moved to town, "the first people we met were such examples of community involvement - Roy and Penny Lave, Marge and Mike Bruno, Bob and Marion Grimm," Dave said. These folks were examples of "the same sore of team approach" that the Luedtke's enjoy.

Dave, who turned 40 yesterday, owns an architectural and engineering company in Santa Clara.

He freely offers his expertise as a volunteer for community projects.

He will be the project manager during construction for the new History House educational wing. "I'll be busy," he said, as though he isn't already.

He also works with the Festival of Lights committee, doing maintenance. "I fix the puppets and lights," he said, and has done that for 10 years.

Dave will be coming up with conceptual drawings for the Bus Barn to help with the decision of remodeling vs. expanding. "But that won't start until after History House is done," he said.

He can see himself considering the city council in five or 10 years.

Now, he's so busy, "I'm not interested in that level."

Cindy, 39, is vice president of the Bank of Los Altos. She's been a leader in the Rotary Club's program, Partners For New Generations, which recruits volunteers to work with youth.

Both are also busy with their two children, 4 and 6. Cindy does not see herself on a city commission or council. "Probably not. Dave has the talent and background to be on a commission."

Mark Smallhouse

Mark Smallhouse, 38, is active in the city's millennium celebration committee. He's second vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and will become president in June of 2000. And he serves on the city's parks and recreation commission.

Smallhouse, an attorney in downtown Los Altos, grew up here, went away to school and to practice law. But he came back to Los Altos in 1994, to live and to work.

"I didn't plan to come back," he said. "But a year after law school I was homesick."

He said he's thought about running for city council, "and gets asked about it all the time. But it's a time thing." And he's a busy guy.

He asked about other people on the list.

"They all have a deep appreciation of the town. They volunteer. They're leaders."