C. J. Segerstrom & Sons, Segerstrom Foundation,

South Coast Plaza Partners

 

Overview. After college I worked for U. S. Senator and presidential candidate Gary Hart — on Capitol Hill, for the National Commission on Air Quality which he chaired, and on his successful 1984 New Hampshire presidential primary campaign. Before leaving Washington, D. C., I also worked for an international telecom trade group during the restructuring of ATT’s Bell System.

Since moving to California in the late 1980s, I’ve been fortunate to work with and learn much from successful entrepreneurs, visionary leaders, and highly capable and dedicated people in diverse realms. That varied experience and acquired expertise has been useful in my helping to strengthen clients’ communications, collaborative efforts, and board and program development.

South Coast Plaza. One staple of my consulting practice has been providing strategic counsel and management services for family-owned businesses, often involving real estate. Three of my mixed-use projects in southern California were 90+ acres. Although I’ve helped to plan and entitle projects big and small for developers, landowners, nonprofits and public agencies, much of my work in this realm for more than 15 years was for the Segerstroms, owners of South Coast Plaza ($2+ billion in annual retail sales) and The Offices of South Coast Plaza.

 

Noguchi Garden, California Scenario, as viewed from offices above. Commissioned by Henry Segerstrom.

 

I’ve been fortunate to work with top-tier clients, generally reporting to ownership, a president/CEO or a board of directors. At South Coast Plaza, I worked closely with the late Henry Segerstrom, the longtime co-managing partner. There was a broad array of assignments; the experience was invaluable. I managed land entitlements, supervising the work of attorneys, engineers and other professionals supporting the company’s efforts. I also managed diverse ad hoc projects, served as spokesman for non-retail issues, and was Secretary of the family foundation. Additionally I acted as deputy for owners on certain boards such as the California Business Roundtable.

Overall I’ve been chiefly responsible for entitling roughly 7 million square feet in Southern California, more than 3 million of that for Segerstrom business and cultural interests: retail stores, office buildings, homes, hotels, schools, a concert hall, a stage theater and an art museum. I like to think my role in helping to manage the company’s support for public bond measures served to strengthen county schools and infrastructure, and that my role in helping to manage the company’s charitable giving, and philanthropy for some of the family members, made a positive difference in people’s lives.

 

Segerstrom Center for the Arts, with Plaza Tower office building in the background.

 

I was proud to be part of and to represent the Segerstrom organization. They practice what they preach concerning quality, and understand enlightened self interest. Thus the Segerstrom legacy is of real and lasting value. I’ve not worked for a client who cares more about excellence than did Henry Segerstrom. Plus Henry possessed a rare combination of qualities: great vision with a keen eye for detail.

   

 

Another view of California Scenario by Isamu Noguchi.

 

Two International Elections Observation Missions in Egypt, 2014

 

 

Elections officials, sitting judges, examine windows of rooms storing ballots to find wax seals applied the night before intact, i.e., confirming no illegal entry between the first and second days of voting.

 

 

Election Day — boys on donkey w/national colors.

 

 

 

 

Situation

After a coup overthrewing Egypt’s first freely elected president, a new constitution was put to a vote and adopted. Then came a presidential election. I was on a USAID-funded observation mission managed by Democracy International.

 

Approach

83 observers from 17 countries were in 23 of 27 Egyptian governates. After meetings in Cairo, I was in Port Said near the northern entrance to the Suez in January, and then in Asyut, 350 miles south of Cairo, in May. Observers met wiith local officials, candidates and leaders in civil society, and other Egyptians.

 

Results

Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi handily won the presidential election in May of 2014 against the backdrop of a stagnant economy, fraud allegations and again — as in the election for a new constitution four months earlier — no real opposition. The presidential election saw more dissidents rounded up. Yet people looking to vote could do so; procedures worked. Democracy International concluded nevertheless that the crackdown on dissidents starting well before Election Day had a chilling effect on, crowding out political space for, opposition voices. Which might explain the low turnout. Thomas Friedman observed that “ISIS” and “SISI” are jumbles of the same letters — suggesting if neither version of authoritarianism is what people want, neither is sustainable.

 

Read about the DI mission here: http://democracyinternational.com/projects/egypt-international-election-observation-mission

Read the more detailed DI report on the presidential election observation mission here: http://democracyinternational.com/sites/default/files/Egypt%20Presidential%20Election%20Observation%20Report%20(ES)%20-%20for%20web.pdf

International Observation Mission for National Parliamentary Elections in Afghanistan

Situation

The US-based group Democracy International deployed the largest international observation mission for the September 2010 national parliamentary elections. Conditions varied dramatically across the country, though security was of paramount concern most everywhere.

Approach

Observers met in Kabul for cultural and security briefings before heading out. With domestic observers we covered the country except where tough terrain precluded easy access. In some areas voting materials were transported via donkey.

Results

While there were few systematic voting problems per se, corruption was evident. Some voters stayed home for fear of the Taliban, who threatened to cut off ink-stained fingers (the proof of having voted). Democracy at best is still percolating in Afghanistan. I spent an eye-opening time in Urūzgōn, a remote south-central province.

 

 

 

 

 

Assisting with Strategic Planning and Communications in Zimbabwe — 2009/2010

 

Above: Along a street in Harare, the capital

Situation

Zimbabwe in 2008 saw an electoral crisis, international sanctions, food shortages and economic collapse so bad the currency was abandoned. Under international pressure, the long-time president and opposition leaders formed a Government of National Unity. The president’s main rival became Prime Minister.

Below: Victoria Falls

Approach

My work involved provision of technical assistance to the Prime Minister’s office. Planned/conducted multi-day retreat for the Prime Minister, his cabinet and staff, where the focus was rank-ordering priorities among issues thought to be in the Prime Minister’s manageable interests.

 

Results

Zimbabwe’s assets beyond natural wonders include solid infrastructure, if tired around the edges, rich farm land, though it’s not well managed, and abundant resources including diamonds. English is the language of business and politics. Literacy exceeds U. S. levels. They have all the building blocks to be a success story, yet growth and reform remain the urgent challenges.

 

 

Below: Last denomination printed following nightmarish hyper-inflation, just before the government abandoned its currency, in 2008. When this note was introduced, it was worth roughly $3,500 U. S. In the last week of its life, it started at $350 U. S., and ended up worth $5 U. S.

 

 

Next two below: in a sculpture garden, outside Harare.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below: found on office wall

 

Two photos below: Mana Pools. Courtesy Patrick Fn’Piere.

Situation
Pakistan was in crisis following the assassination of a former Prime Minister. Security firms left the country, saying they couldn’t assure clients’ safety. Thus no one expected scheduled elections to proceed. When the surprising decision to hold near-term elections was announced, and the EU and Japanese said they would deploy observers, the U. S. followed suit, and I was made a part of the team.

Approach
My job was to assess conditions before, during and after the election, and contribute to a Democracy International report. I was in Islamabad and Lahore, a lovely city in the Punjab region.

Results
On Election Day,  Supreme Court members were under house arrest, anxiety about violence was palpable, and yet Pakistanis voted in record numbers and in surprising ways. The unexpected outcome left no doubt, whatever the problems, that the impact on official results was negligible—which in a sense made it easier to draw conclusions for our report. On a personal note, I had a magical flight from Islamabad to Lahore: good food, sparkling conversation, a clear view of K-2.

Market on Election Day

  

Polling place at end of alley

East meets West. Traditional garb + Western style, non-descript office chair. Cool music.

2005-2007
Orange County CA:

Obtaining Congressional Approvals for Environmental Infrastructure

 

Aliso Creek Trailhead

Situation

Aliso Creek is a mostly urban stream running 19 miles from Cleveland National Forest to the ocean. It’s a destabilized, polluted watershed. There’s no consensus on how to fix erosion undermining utilities, or the fouling of habitat and waters harmful to aquatic life and human health.

 

Below: “Problem” fixed…then concrete channel+drains+run-off = big problems.

 

 

 

 

Drop-structure below was designed to fight erosion, but worsened it, and to help clean water, though it didn’t. One idea was to replace large structures like this with smaller ones designed to mimic historic functions (and appear natural), theoretically to help with erosion control, wetlands restoration, aquatic life and clean-up efforts.

 

Approach

The interests of a resort operator on the ocean, weary of sewage spills and other nearby noxious conditions, were aligned with the public interest, as the County saw it, in stabilizing, cleaning up and restoring the watershed. Montage Resort & Spa paid for a sustained lobbying effort in Washington, D.C., that I directed, for a novel joint EPA-Army Corps project. It was among Orange County’s highest public project priorities.

 

Above: Ben Brown’s golf course at The Ranch, just inland of the ocean. Bridge over creek in foreground.

 

Below: Aliso Creek bridge, Coast Highway, looking to Aliso Creek County Beach.

 

Below:  View of county beach from blufftop trail at Montage Resort & Spa.

 

Results

The SUPER project — for stabilization, utility protection and environmental restoration — was approved by Congress. It was a descriptive name though one that begged for, and received, criticism, somewhat deserved. Millions were appropriated for design, permit-readiness, and construction; since then momentum has slowed and progress again seems elusive owing to controversy over particular project elements. An imperfect project can be improved but an old political saw says: best can be the enemy of good.

Helping to Advance Transportation Projects

Situation

Despite a rare consensus among landowners, local agencies and community groups favoring a new road project, officials at the regional, state and federal levels withheld approvals based on specious technical grounds as opposed to solid analytics. It became apparent that only with a concerted lobbying effort could we hope to make a difference.

 

 Approach

A campaign was waged for two years to force the Federal Highway Administration to approve the project. Fortunately resources were available to commission new technical studies and retain representation in Washington. Which means we had the ingredients for success: facts to make a case on the merits, a foot in the door to make our case.

 

Results

At one critical juncture it literally took an act of congress to override decisions being made by the Federal Highway Administration. The welcome outcome is that the resultant road improvements made in Orange County’s South Coast Metro — at the confluence of Interstate 405 and State Routes 55 and 73 — have made a big difference for this vital urban center. More than one of every hundred Americans now resides in Orange County; roughly one in ninety works in the OC.

 

Below: Interchange/ramps, South Coast Plaza area

 

 

 

 

Participating in the Public Life of a California City

 

Situation

In 1994, Orange County declared bankruptcy. Laguna thus faced less county funding along with other newfound challenges, owing largely to expensive lawsuits and costly natural disasters. A 1993 firestorm destroyed hundreds of homes while denuding the hills, contributing to an historic flood that damaged downtown businesses. There was no easy consensus on how to rebuild the city’s fire- and flood damaged areas, or how best to deal with the implications of appreciably less outside financial support. Additionally there was debate concerning sewer spills, the price of long-deferred proper maintenance; pending land use decisions affecting high-profile coastal properties; and the proper response to more people seeking to develop in areas, notably the hills, where at one time building was prohibitively expensive — but where, thanks to big spikes in land values, it began to make sense. It was a time of divisiveness in what was generally a close-knit community.

 

Approach

While in office I was involved in efforts to resolve legal disputes, find funding to upgrade antiquated infrastructure, strengthen hillside open space conservation efforts, streamline a complex Design Review process and cultivate stable funding for the visual and performing arts, longstanding staples of Laguna Beach culture. Additionally I championed redevelopment of a gateguarded private neighborhood, with a half-empty mobile home park and no public beach access, into a high-end resort and good-sized public park with unrivaled public access — for the enhanced access, the new public amenities and what it would predictably do, and has done, to broaden the city’s tax base.

 

Results

Laguna Beach is unusual for a small-sized city, with assets beyond natural beauty including a hospital, a four-year accredited arts college, strong K-12 schools, popular arts festivals, and Orange County’s oldest stage theater and art museum. It would be hard for a part-time politician to fatally mess that up, and it was a privilege to serve. I’m proud of contributions made to health and safety, particularly preservation of the Community Clinic, a (rare) affordable housing project, and the upgrade in building codes after a destructive wildfire; to the arts, especially with the Business Tax for the Arts that funds public art, arts education, and community arts programs; to fiscal stability, by increasing discretionary revenues with the Montage bed tax; and to the environment, by supporting conservation and best practices in general. While grateful for the experience, I was toast after two Council terms, twice serving as mayor. Despite its modest population, Laguna has a lot of politics per capita…it was time to redirect my energies.

 

 

Laguna’s lovely. On one side are hills and canyons, and on the other, the Pacific. In between are eclectic neighborhoods and charming, small scale arts and commercial areas. There’s a strong and independent community feeling, thanks to many independent spirits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1990—
Laguna Canyon Project:

Facilitating an Open Space Purchase Agreement and Directing a Bond Campaign

 

Situation

A longstanding, contentious dispute over development in Laguna Canyon, California—a largely unspoiled coastal canyon roughly equidistant between Malibu and Mexico—was coming to a head in the late 1980s, after The Irvine Company won Orange County approval for a large planned community. After popular protests and legal maneuvers, the parties to litigation and other stakeholders agreed to hire a facilitator, hoping to resolve the conflict one way or the other.

 

Approach

I was jointly retained by The Irvine Company, Orange County Board of Supervisors, the cities of Irvine and Laguna Beach, Sierra Club, Audubon Society and local community and environmental leaders. Initially I managed opinion research, the outcome proving helpful in framing our talks. The key to success may have been this beginning: longtime rivals agreeing on polling questions, one after another… as a prelude to negotiations.

 

Results

I facilitated six months of multi-party negotiations. One early challenge was agreeing on assumptions of value. The Irvine Company ultimately agreed to sell its Laguna Canyon property over five years — for preservation in lieu of development — at a substantial discount from what the parties to the negotiation agreed was fair market value. Environmentalists agreed, should they ever fail to pay on time for the next phased parcel take-down, to waive their rights to legally challenge any phase of the company’s County-approved build-out. After facilitating this agreement, I was hired to direct a related property tax bond campaign that received 79.7 percent voter approval, third highest in California history. Laguna Canyon now is part of a 22,000 acre coastal park, the second largest urban wilderness greenbelt in the country.

 

 

Managing Media & Special Events for the Dalai Lama

 

Situation

A nonprofit group, East West Foundation, arranged for the Dalai Lama of Tibet to be the keynote speaker at a weeklong, multi-disciplinary event exploring Eastern and Western approaches to psychological well being. Prior to the event, word arrived he would likely receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Appropriate plans were made for the eventuality.

Approach

My role with the Foundation initially was fundraising, with ad hoc management assignments. I then managed the Dalai Lama’s first press conference after he had won the Nobel, and handled his media requests for some time thereafter. I also assisted in the production and promotion of previously unplanned events, some public, some private.

Results

Excerpts from the Dalai Lama’s 1989 press conference were broadcast for some time worldwide. The attention helped advance awareness of Tibet and Tibetans’ concerns. Being in the presence of the Dalai Lama left a lifelong impression. He possessed and displayed in poignant ways two qualities rarely found in the same person, namely power and humility. My time with the Dalai Lama ranks along with the success of the 1990 Laguna Canyon campaign and Gary Hart’s 1984 New Hampshire presidential primary victory as among my most memorable experiences.