eGundo.com’s mission is to explore the good in Gundo and a big part of the good in Gundo is the people that live here.
We recently had the opportunity to talk with Lance Giroux, a 2018 El Segundo City Council Candidate, Vice President of Sales of Dynasty Footwear, and President of El Segundo Little League, to learn more about who he is and why he’s a shining example of the good in Gundo.
When did you move to El Segundo?
I have been a Resident, Homeowner and Vice President of a Local company here in El Segundo for 18 Years. My wife Gina and I have 2 children. Luc is 12 and a 6th grader at ESMS and Lia is 10 and a 4th grader at Center Street. I was hired by Dynasty Footwear (Located on the corner of Maple and Sepulveda) in 2000 and relocated here from the East Coast.
What do you do for a living?
I am the Vice President of Sales of Dynasty Footwear. We are a Sales and Design company that partners with Manufacturers in China and Italy to produce footwear for sale in major retailers in the United States. Our clients include the likes of Target, Kohl’s, JC Penney, Walmart, DSW and many more. The part I enjoy most about my job is that no two days are the same. The retail landscape is very challenging and ever-changing. I particularly love coming up with different strategic solutions to the problems we face as a company. This industry has also afforded me the opportunity to live and work in both China and Mexico, as well as doing business in countries throughout Europe. I have been very fortunate to have the opportunities to work in so many diverse environments.
Can you tell us something about you that people might not know?
I have had the opportunity to live and work in 3 different countries and 5 different states. I am proficient in Spanish and still retain some Mandarin from my time in China. I was also a college baseball player at Boston College.
What do you love most about El Segundo?
I love being part of such a great community. You really cannot beat the combination of Schools, City services and recreational activities we have here. I remember saying to my wife Gina when we first came here in 2000 that I would have done anything to be able to grow up in a community like this. It is a place that I don’t like to leave once I am here, and a place I cannot wait to come back to when I am away.
Can you share an example of the Good in Gundo?
One of the many great things about El Segundo is that their so many “good” things that happen on a daily basis, but the one that stands out most for me is the Challenger Division in our Little League. Beth Muraida runs this adaptive baseball program for individuals with physical and intellectual challenges. Each year we have between 25-35 Players and our own Majors players made up of 11 and 12 yr olds help at the games that are played each Sunday. It is an incredible program and something I am very proud to be a part of.
Can you tell us about your involvement in town prior to running for City Council?
I have currently the President of El Segundo Little League and have been on the Board of Directors for 5 years total. I was formerly the President of the El Segundo Girls Softball League and on that Board for 3 years. Currently an active member of Kiwanis.
What made you want to run for El Segundo City Council?
My wife and I fell in love with this City 18 years ago. We put down roots and have raised a family here. It is our home. I have a vested interest in preserving the identity of the Community while growing in a responsible way so we continue to prosper into the future. I feel the combination of my 28 Years of international and domestic business experience, my 18 years as a member of the community and my community involvement in leadership positions brings a unique skill set and perspective to the position of City Council member. I am not running for any one issue or for the title it comes with. I am running because I truly want to do the job and I feel I can make a difference.
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Candidate Views Questions
We asked each candidate to provide their views on several major topics as part of the 2018 El Segundo City Council Candidate Forums (note that we limited Candidates to 400 characters for each response. Many of these questions require an in-depth response which they each gave at several Candidate Forums).
| Your views on Public Safety | |
| Public safety is one of the main reasons that we all come to El Segundo. Our Police and Fire are vital to the community and we need to take proper steps to ensure that we are properly staffed and that they have the resources to keep our city and its residents safe. We need to be fiscally responsible in how we proceed, but cannot sacrifice the level of safety in our community. | |
| Your views on Quality of Life | |
| With the wonderful array of parks, restaurants, recreational activities for both adults and kids, and all in an incredible community … we are all fortunate to have a great quality of life here in El Segundo. I strive to enhance what we offer to all of the residents in the community so we can have an even better quality of life going forward with additional great restaurants and activities. | |
| Your views on Education | |
| We are fortunate to have award-winning schools in our city, but we must continue to improve what we offer. Education is an ever-evolving environment and we must supply our schools and educators with the right tools and technology to challenge our students. We have a responsibility as a community to prioritize our education system and continue to develop our future leaders. | |
| Your views on the School Bond Measure | |
| I am in favor of the School Bond Measure not only because I have children in our schools, but because it is vital to our City and community to continue to have the very best schools we are able to provide. As technology and teaching strategies evolve, we must be in a position to evolve with them. Our children and all of the children who come through our system in the future deserve our help. | |
| Your views on Infrastructure & Civic Strength | |
| We have put off financing our infrastructure improvements too long. This puts us in a reactionary position rather than being proactive. We need to look forward and handle issues today rather than continuing to push them down the road for someone else to handle. I also believe we can enhance our strength as a community through transparency. With transparency comes trust and understanding. | |
| Your views on City Finances | |
| We are a business-centric City. 92% of our revenues come from business activities. We are perfectly positioned as a city to generate increased revenues, but we need to strategize the best ways to do that that are in the best interests of our community. While the unfunded pension liability is a daunting obstacle, I believe we have the means and ability to continue to thrive and grow as a city. | |
| Your views on Measure C | |
| I believe it is a positive move in the right direction for our city. It is a proactive approach to help keep revenues in El Segundo. The measure is worded in a way that gives us some latitude as a city. It could result in an additional 9 Million in revenues from the city that will mainly be generated by visitors to our businesses. Measure C is a good thing for El Segundo. | |
| Your views on Business Development & Retention | |
| El Segundo is primed for business growth. We possess some of the best real estate values, lowest tax rates and diverse corporate and creative workspaces in the area. We need actively market El Segundo as a business destination. Marketing strategies can be conceptualized and developed as we work more closely with our current businesses and our Economic Development Advisory Council. | |
| Your views on the new Aquatics Center | |
| I have many concerns about the aquatics center. First among these is how we plan on being able to generate enough revenue to justify the 14 million dollar price tag and offset the approximately 750,000 in costs per year. I also feel that we cannot continue to put off needed renovations to the Plunge by funneling resources to the Aquatics Center. This needs to be closely looked at and studied. | |
| Your views on Residential Development East of Sepulveda | |
| I am against re-zoning because it will fundamentally change the city and community as a whole. The west side is where our community lives, plays and learns. The east side of El Segundo exists to generate the necessary revenue to provide us all the quality of life we have grown to love. We cannot take away parcels of land that we rely upon for revenues. This is a bad idea for El Segundo. | |
| Your views on Police & Fire Pensions | |
| We, along with every other city who has CALPERS, are currently in a difficult financial situation. We are already taking steps to put ourselves in a better position by both refinancing and paying down the debt. We must continue to seek avenues to cut into this debt through revenue generation and fiscal responsibility, but at the same time be mindful to not let our level of safety fall. | |
| Your views on the Lakes & the Top Golf Deal | |
| I feel we are now in the best possible position. We have a full Request for Proposal process playing out now and hope to get multiple options for the Lakes Facility. If Top Golf decides to re-submit a proposal it can be put up against all of the other ideas and we will then truly have a fair comparison. I look forward to seeing what comes back and strive for transparency in the process. | |
| Your views on Home Prices & Rental Costs | |
| El Segundo is a place that everyone wants to be part of. It is because we have such a wonderful community, top schools and great Emergency services that our home prices and rental costs are what they are. As long as the demand outweighs the supply costs will continue to rise. I believe Smoky Hollow is part of the answer to helping create housing opportunities that are more attainable. |
Note from the Editor: We nominated all 4 candidates as “Good in Gundo” and all but one chose to participate in our nomination. We believe all candidates who have run in the past and who will run in the future deserve the label “Good in Gundo” and look forward to featuring them as well.
Learn more about Lance at his campaign website https://lance2018.com/about-lance/
