Published August 18th, 2010
Four Contenders Vie for Two Lafayette City Council Seats
By Cathy Tyson
Wanted: Two city council member to serve four-year terms - no pay, no benefits, lots of night meetings, occasional angry constituents to deal with. Job comes with cold pizza and roughly one hundred failed roads and a public with no appetite for a new tax to pay for repair. In alphabetical order, here are the candidates for Lafayette City Council in the November 2nd general election.
Incumbent Brandt Andersson has been a practicing attorney since 1992, for the last three years a principal at the Law Offices of Andersson and Andersson in Walnut Creek. Prior to that he was a Staff Scientist and Principal Investigator at the Energy and Environment Division of the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory.
Education:
- J.D. Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley
- M. Arch., and S.B. Art and Design, both at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Civic Positions:
- Mayor, City of Lafayette
- Council Member, Lafayette City Council
- Member, Contra Costa
Climate Change Task Force
- Member, Lafayette Environmental Strategies Committee
- Chair, Lafayette Public Safety Implementation Committee
- Chair, Orinda Planning Commission
Challenger Traci Reilly is an active mother of three boys, ages 14, 12 and 9. After college graduation she worked in pharmaceutical sales for McNeil, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson. After the arrival of her children, she chose to stay home and focus on raising the boys and school issues.
Education:
- Bachelor of Science, Marketing Finance, California State University, Sacramento
Civic positions:
- President (twice), Executive Board Member, Lafayette Juniors
- Executive Board, Lafayette Elementary PTA
- Co-chairperson (twice) Lafayette Elementary School Carnival
- Chairperson, Lafayette Elementary Hot Lunch 2003 - 2007
- Executive Board, Stanley Middle School PTA
- Legislative Board Member, Las Trampas Creek PTA
- Co-chair, Measure P (Parcel Tax for Police)
- Chairperson and Commissioner, Crime Prevention Commission
- Led creation and implementation of the "No Solicitor" Ordinance adopted 2/2009
Challenger Dino Riggio is the youngest candidate, graduating from high school in 1999. He was raised in Lafayette and went to grade school at St. Perpetua. His family has lived in Lafayette for over 40 years. He's the broker/owner of Area Pro Realty East Bay.
Education:
- Graduate of Acalanes High School
- B.A., Accounting, University of Colorado, Boulder
- Currently in last year of law school at John F Kennedy University
Civic participation:
- Acting member, student government at J.F. Kennedy University
- School Board, St. Perpetua School
- Charter Member of Young Professionals Network, Contra Costa County Association of Realtors
Long time incumbent Don Tatzin has served on the City Council for 25 years and has been Mayor five times. He's a management consultant for a leading strategic planning consulting firm. He has also served as Executive Vice President for an entertainment company and was CEO and CFO for a high-tech manufacturing company. Finally, he's served as Grand Director for a major Bay Area philanthropic foundation.
Education:
- Bachelor of Science in Urban Studies and Planning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Bachelor of Science, Economics, MIT
- Master of City Planning, MIT
- Master of Economics, Australian National University
Civic participation:
- Member, Lafayette City Council 1985-present
- Mayor, Lafayette 1987, 1991, 1997, 2002, 2009
- Board Member and Chair, Contra Costa Transportation Authority
- Co-chair, Lafayette ballot measure campaign
- Committee member, Police Services and Road Improvement
- Board member, Lafayette Community Foundation
- City Council appointed non-voting Board member of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation, 2008 present
- Chair, Library Building Committee
- Board Member and Chair, Lamorinda School Bus Transportation Authority
- Chair, Hillside Task Force
- Mayor's Conference Alternate Representative, Local Area Formation Commission
- Chair, Contra Costa Mayors' Conference
- Lafayette Planning Commissioner
- Commissioner and Chair, Lafayette Parks and Recreation
- Member, Lafayette School District Planning Committee

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