Nancy Nadel
Encyclopedia
Nancy Nadel is a U.S. politician, businesswoman, and member of the Oakland City Council
serving her fourth consecutive term. After two terms on the Board of the East Bay Municipal Utility District
, Nadel was elected to the District Three Downtown-West Oakland City Council seat in 1996. In 2006, Nadel ran unsuccessfully for Mayor. In 2008, Nadel was re-elected to her fourth consecutive term on Oakland's City Council in a contentious race with two other candidates. Nadel is the founder of a chocolate business.
in 1966 with a B.A.
in Fine arts, from S.F. State
in 1979 with a B.S.
in Geology
, and from UC Berkeley in 1981 with a M.S.
in Engineering geoscience. Prior to joining the Council, she was a teacher, an artist, a geophysicist, an oil and gas industry scientist,http://www.smartvoter.org/2008/06/03/ca/alm/vote/nadel_n/, a small business owner and an environmental engineer with the U.S. E.P.A.. Her writings on water policy, affirmative action, environmental justice and sustainable development have been published in journals and periodicals.
where she served two terms.
She is a member of the Association of Bay Area Governments
(ABAG) Executive Committee, ABAG Regional Planning Committee, and chairs the ABAG Earthquake Hazards Outreach Review Committee.
, most of Oakland's Central Business District (CBD) including all of Downtown and the Lakeside Apartments District
, but excluding the Civic Center
district south of 14th Street, and Chinatown
. District Three also includes Jack London Square, the Jack London District, Pill Hill, and West Oakland
.
Nadel is the current chair of the City Council's Public Works Committee.
Greg Hodge, who was elected to the Oakland School Board in 2000 and 2004, who garnered 20% of the vote. Community building coordinator Africa Williams ran as a write-in candidate.
During the election, Nadel was the subject of ballot access controversy after one of her opponents, Greg Hodge, filed for ballot access with what a judge would later rule to be the required signatures.
On March 14, 2008, two Nadel supporters, one of whom is an Oakland Attorney who made a contribution to Nadel's campaign on March 7, inspected
the signatures on Hodge's petition to access the ballot. They scrutinized the address of one of the voters who signed the petition, which led to the City Clerk reversing her decision. Nadel maintains she played no role in striking Hodge's name from the ballot Hodge ended up filing suit for successful reinstatement to the ballot.
, Chabot Space and Science Center
, and Oakland Museum of California
.
After initially opposing an earlier version of the anti-nepotism ordinance along with fellow Councilmember Jane Brunner, which died in the Finance and Management Agency Committee in September 2008, a revised version of the ordinance proposal passed the full Council on November 18, 2008 on a 6-0 vote with the cronyism amendment attached.
. Her last Coffee Hours was scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2008.
who finished in second place behind the winner, former mayor Ron Dellums
.
, and mother of an adult daughter.
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
serving her fourth consecutive term. After two terms on the Board of the East Bay Municipal Utility District
East Bay Municipal Utility District
East Bay Municipal Utility District , colloquially referred to as "East Bay Mud", provides water and sewage treatment for customers in portions of Alameda County and Contra Costa County in California, on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay, including the cities of Richmond, El Cerrito, Hercules,...
, Nadel was elected to the District Three Downtown-West Oakland City Council seat in 1996. In 2006, Nadel ran unsuccessfully for Mayor. In 2008, Nadel was re-elected to her fourth consecutive term on Oakland's City Council in a contentious race with two other candidates. Nadel is the founder of a chocolate business.
Background
Nadel graduated from Alfred UniversityAlfred University
Alfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
in 1966 with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Fine arts, from S.F. State
San Francisco State University
San Francisco State University is a public university located in San Francisco, California. As part of the 23-campus California State University system, the university offers over 100 areas of study from nine academic colleges...
in 1979 with a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, and from UC Berkeley in 1981 with a M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in Engineering geoscience. Prior to joining the Council, she was a teacher, an artist, a geophysicist, an oil and gas industry scientist,http://www.smartvoter.org/2008/06/03/ca/alm/vote/nadel_n/, a small business owner and an environmental engineer with the U.S. E.P.A.. Her writings on water policy, affirmative action, environmental justice and sustainable development have been published in journals and periodicals.
EBMUD and ABAG
Nadel began her political career on the Board of Directors of the East Bay Municipal Utility DistrictEast Bay Municipal Utility District
East Bay Municipal Utility District , colloquially referred to as "East Bay Mud", provides water and sewage treatment for customers in portions of Alameda County and Contra Costa County in California, on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay, including the cities of Richmond, El Cerrito, Hercules,...
where she served two terms.
She is a member of the Association of Bay Area Governments
Association of Bay Area Governments
The Association of Bay Area Governments is a regional planning agency incorporating various local governments in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. It deals with land use, housing, environmental quality, and economic development. Non-profit organizations as well as governmental...
(ABAG) Executive Committee, ABAG Regional Planning Committee, and chairs the ABAG Earthquake Hazards Outreach Review Committee.
Oakland City Council
Nadel was elected to Oakland's District Three "Downtown-West Oakland" City Council seat in 1996. The district includes Adams PointAdams Point, Oakland, California
Adams Point is a neighborhood of Oakland, California. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Merritt, directly adjacent to Downtown Oakland and the Grand Lake district. It is a triangle bounded by Grand Avenue on the south, Harrison Street on the northwest, and the MacArthur Freeway on the...
, most of Oakland's Central Business District (CBD) including all of Downtown and the Lakeside Apartments District
Lakeside Apartments District, Oakland, California
The Lakeside Apartments District neighborhood, also known as The Gold Coast, and simply as The Lakeside, is one of Oakland, California's historic residential neighborhoods between its Downtown district and Lake Merritt...
, but excluding the Civic Center
Civic Center, Oakland, California
Oakland's Civic Center neighborhood is a residential and public building district on the east side of Oakland's Central Business District. Its borders are roughly Downtown and Harrison Street to the west, the East Lake Neighborhood and Lakeshore Avenue to the east, the Lakeside Apartments District...
district south of 14th Street, and Chinatown
Chinatown, Oakland, California
The Chinatown neighborhood in Oakland, California, is a pan-Asian neighborhood which reflects Oakland's diverse Asian American community. It is frequently referred to as "Oakland Chinatown" in order to distinguish it from nearby San Francisco's Chinatown...
. District Three also includes Jack London Square, the Jack London District, Pill Hill, and West Oakland
West Oakland, Oakland, California
West Oakland is a neighborhood situated in the northwestern corner of Oakland, California along the waterfront near the Port of Oakland and San Francisco – Oakland Bay Bridge. It lies at an elevation of 13 feet .-History:...
.
Nadel is the current chair of the City Council's Public Works Committee.
2008 City Council Election
On Tuesday June 3, 2008, in the 2008 District 3 City Council election, Nadel was re-elected for her fourth consecutive term with 51.6% of the vote, narrowly avoiding a run-off election. Her two challengers, both West Oakland residents as is Nadel, were Sean Sullivan, Oakland Covenant House Director, who finished with 27%, and Oakland attorneyLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Greg Hodge, who was elected to the Oakland School Board in 2000 and 2004, who garnered 20% of the vote. Community building coordinator Africa Williams ran as a write-in candidate.
During the election, Nadel was the subject of ballot access controversy after one of her opponents, Greg Hodge, filed for ballot access with what a judge would later rule to be the required signatures.
On March 14, 2008, two Nadel supporters, one of whom is an Oakland Attorney who made a contribution to Nadel's campaign on March 7, inspected
Inspection
An inspection is, most generally, an organized examination or formal evaluation exercise. In engineering activities inspection involves the measurements, tests, and gauges applied to certain characteristics in regard to an object or activity...
the signatures on Hodge's petition to access the ballot. They scrutinized the address of one of the voters who signed the petition, which led to the City Clerk reversing her decision. Nadel maintains she played no role in striking Hodge's name from the ballot Hodge ended up filing suit for successful reinstatement to the ballot.
2009 ballot measure
She favors a US$45 parcel tax, however she would like to spend 45% of it on arts and culture programs to the detriment of the Oakland ZooOakland Zoo
Oakland Zoo, in the past known as the Knowland Zoo, is a zoo located in southeastern Oakland, California, United States. Oakland Zoo is relatively small for a city of its size, but it contains modern exhibits. Most of its animals are kept in relatively "natural" habitats, and expanded natural...
, Chabot Space and Science Center
Chabot Space and Science Center
Chabot Space and Science Center, located in Oakland, California, is a hands-on center featuring interactive exhibits, a digital planetarium, a large screen theater, hands-on activities and three powerful telescopes....
, and Oakland Museum of California
Oakland Museum of California
Oakland Museum of California or Oakland Museum is a museum dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of California located in Oakland, California....
.
2009 youth curfew proposal
She is opposed to a proposal for a youth curfew to keep child prostitutes off the streets, claiming increased contact with the police will be traumatic for them and that instead increased youth services and activities would be of better use. This explanation was decried as "absurd" since other council members said it was "ridiculous" to expect youth centers to be open at 2 or 3 AM and that there was no good reason for minors to be out that late at night. The curfew would have allowed police to take minors to their guardians or to a reception center with counseling services between the hours of 10PM (11PM Friday and Saturday) and 5AM.Anti-cronyism
During the context of the 2008 Anti-Nepotism ordinance, Nadel wanted the ordinance to go beyond nepotism to include "cronyism" or any questionable relationship involving city workers. "I personally know about cronyism things that have occurred so I have no problem putting that in. The cronyism and nepotism is legendary and it goes back for 30 years."After initially opposing an earlier version of the anti-nepotism ordinance along with fellow Councilmember Jane Brunner, which died in the Finance and Management Agency Committee in September 2008, a revised version of the ordinance proposal passed the full Council on November 18, 2008 on a 6-0 vote with the cronyism amendment attached.
Staff
Nadel's official City Council staff of three full-time public servants includes a scheduler, a constituent liaison, and a policy aide.Constituent outreach
For several years, Nadel scheduled monthly "Constituent Coffee Hours" at World Ground Cafe in the Jack London District. In the fall of 2008, Nadel ended these open monthly meetings, preferring instead to meet directly with the Board of the Jack London District Association (JLDA), a neighborhood associationNeighborhood association
A neighborhood association is a group of residents or property owners who advocate for or organize activities within a neighborhood. An association may have elected leaders and voluntary dues....
. Her last Coffee Hours was scheduled for Saturday, October 25, 2008.
2006 Mayoral campaign
Nadel ran unsuccessfully for Mayor of Oakland in 2006, placing third of six candidates, behind City Council President Ignacio De La FuenteIgnacio De La Fuente
Ignacio De La Fuente is an Oakland City Councilmember. He was also the President of Oakland's City Council until January 2009, when he became vice mayor of Oakland.-Background:...
who finished in second place behind the winner, former mayor Ron Dellums
Ron Dellums
Ronald Vernie "Ron" Dellums served as Oakland's forty-fifth mayor. From 1971 to 1998, he was elected to thirteen terms as a Member of the U.S...
.
Businesswoman
Nadel is the founder of a locally-operated chocolate-making business and sources the company's cocoa beans from Venezuela and Jamaica.Personal life
A West Oakland resident, Nadel is the widow of Chappell HayesChappell Hayes
Chappell Hayes was a political activist in West Oakland.Hayes campaigned against polluting industries in West Oakland. Hayes fought against reconstruction of the Cypress Street Viaduct through the center of West Oakland, forced the port to spend millions on environmental initiatives and helped get...
, and mother of an adult daughter.