A Passion for Pleasant Hill

After living here in the 1970s and attending Pleasant Hill Elementary (PHE), I returned to Pleasant Hill in 2003 with my wife Debbie and then two young sons, Cole and Jackson. We’ve loved living here ever since.

As a product of a civic-minded family, my parents didn’t preach about community involvement, they just lead by example. Whether they started a community newspaper or volunteered at numerous organizations, they lovingly showed that leadership and service can have a positive impact on the people in their community.

Shess Family (L to R) Jackson, Debbie, Cole and Zac.

I have served the community for 10 years on the Board of Directors of the Pleasant Hill Recreation & Park District (PHR&PD), including three years as Board Chair. I’m proud of the many accomplishments during my tenure, including:

Maintaining a budget surplus every year on the Board
Creating a board policy to establish annual budget reserves
Completing a comprehensive parks and facilities master plan
Renovating Pleasant Oaks Park and purchasing Oak Park parkland adjacent to new library
Establishing marketing department to improve district branding including overhauled website
Championing and adopting a Play for All – Equity and Inclusion Policy

For 10 years, I coached several youth sports teams, including when my boys played in the Pleasant Hill Baseball Association (PHBA). In addition to coaching, I served three years as a PHBA league commissioner, organizing teams and ensuring coaches were properly trained. As a PHE parent, I held volunteer communications and fundraising support positions for the school’s education foundation.

As I've tackled new challenges in Pleasant Hill, I have always been driven by the principle that you leave something better than when you started. That driving principle, coupled with my experience, accomplishments and vision, is why I believe I am the best person to lead Pleasant Hill as your next City Councilmember.