Tony is a longtime activist, who was recruited to join CESP in 2008, by former Executive Director, Patricia Jones. That relationship grew out of a common interest in the community activism and official meetings that were part of the rewrite of the City of Richmond’s General Plan.
In the past, Tony has been involved in union activities, advocacy for health care reform and the struggles against racism, sexism, and militarism.
Tony is one of the original members of the Richmond Progressive Alliance (RPA) and remains active with the RPA. Tony is a League of American Cyclist’s, League Certified Instructor (LCI), and occasionally, helps more experienced instructors and others, with the teaching of street riding skills. He is a member of Bike East Bay (formerly the East Bay Bicycle Coalition) and has been active from time to time, with Bike East Bay. Tony has volunteered in community bicycle events, doing free repairs and in the safe cycling classes, riding “clean up” (herding the stragglers and adjusting bicycles on the fly). Tony was an early member of the Richmond Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee and tried, mightily, to get pedestrians involved, especially people with mobility issues, such as the visually impaired.
Tony is a regular, but infrequent volunteer with Saffron Strand, which is a small, all-volunteer program dedicated to equipping the homeless with the basic skill set they need in order to enter and succeed in the programs that will allow them to become productive members of society, some for the first time in their lives. Tony has functioned as a “Guy Friday” for Saffron Strand, a role he also plays with CESP.
Tony is a “utilitarian” bicyclist, a transit worker, transit rider and transit advocate. He has a strong interest in advocating for sustainable urban environments and hopes to be a continuing part of advocating for “people” oriented spaces and places. This interest segues into having a particular interest in advocating for open spaces and parks in the urban environment. As a Bay Arean, Tony shares a deep, abiding desire to protect the shoreline and shoreline open spaces for all stakeholders, be they fauna, flora or fungus.
Tony believes that protecting our shorelines and their open spaces is one of the most important environmental challenges we face as a species, in this special place we call home, the Bay Area.