Attorney, data scientist, and former head of League of Women Voters Piedmont, Lorrel Plimier is one of four candidates running for two seats on the Piedmont City Council.
How long have you lived in Piedmont?
13 years
What you do for work, either in or out of your home?
I am an attorney and a data scientist. I practiced patent law for about 15 years, mostly doing patent litigation where I represented corporate clients who were protecting their patent interests. I have also raised two children, both of whom are now in high school: one at Piedmont High and one at Millennium. When my kids were finishing elementary school, I went back to school and earned a masters degree in data science. I am currently using that degree as a managing director for a technology consulting company that assists mission-driven small businesses and organizations to effectively use data and technology to further their missions.
Have you worked or volunteered in the Piedmont community (or elsewhere) previously? If so, in what capacity(ies)?
I have been volunteering in the Piedmont community since moving here. My kids went to Piedmont Play School, which is a cooperative preschool. I worked in the classroom and was the technology coordinator on their board of directors. I was also the technology rep on the Wildwood Parents Club Board. Before running for office, I was an active board member of the League of Women Voters of Piedmont and most recently served as their president for four years. I am also currently volunteering outside of Piedmont in areas that are important to me. I serve as a Director on the board of the League of Women Voters of California and am on their governance and finance committees in furtherance of their mission to “empower voters and defend democracy.”
I also have a strong affinity for my Alma Mater, Mount Holyoke College, where I am on the board of directors for the Class of 1992 and am currently in charge of running our class reunions that are held every five years.
What motivated you to run for office?
I was inspired to run for City Council to continue to make a difference in my community, a commitment I’ve had since moving to Piedmont and long before. I’m a military veteran and service has always been important to me. My husband grew up in Piedmont and when we moved to Piedmont with our young children, I was introduced to the strong volunteer culture here. I rolled up my sleeves and dug in to support my kids’ schools with my time, talents, and resources! After the 2016 election, I felt called to broaden my involvement beyond my kids’ schools. That’s when I joined the League of Women Voters to advocate for sound city policies in Piedmont. I care deeply about our community and the issues that face our city. I’d like to think one day, one of my kids might come back to raise a family here, too, and I’d like to leave Piedmont better than I found it. A tall order, I know!
What are your qualifications to be on the City Council? Any special skills or experience the voters should know about?
As an attorney, a data scientist and a long time volunteer in Piedmont, I understand our community and have the background and skills to shape policies that work for our residents. My background as an attorney gives me the experience to understand policy and potential legal implications of decisions. My experience as a data scientist means I think critically about numbers and narratives that can sometimes be taken for granted. I have a history of service and leadership, stemming from my years as an Army officer.
What do you see as the most challenging issues currently facing the city?
I think that housing, completing the community pool project, public safety, and addressing our aging infrastructure are the most challenging issues that are currently facing the city. The challenges come from competing interests, budgetary constraints, and outside forces over which the city has minimal to no agency. I talk about my stance on housing, public safety, and aging infrastructure in my responses to other questions. With respect to the community pool project, there have been numerous hurdles to overcome, but the project is nearing the finish line. Because the pool will be using new technology with its all-electric heating system, there are no best practices to follow. The contractors are in close communication with Mountain View, the one other community with an all-electric pool that is ahead of us in the process, and are being careful to avoid duplicating any of their setbacks.
What do you see as strengths of the Piedmont community?
One of the greatest strengths of the Piedmont community is the small town feel that we enjoy with great services, knowing our neighbors, and looking out for each other. I recently heard a story on NPR about two Japanese communities that were a few miles apart and both affected by an earthquake that caused days of raging fires. The community that had a history of shared activism and connection ended up suffering much less damage and many fewer lives there were lost. Because of their tight knit community, they banded together to respond to the emergency. I think Piedmont is also that sort of community. We are active in volunteerism, with our schools, and with many affinity groups. This service to our community brings us together. I know I would have my neighbors’ backs in case of an emergency and I know they’d have mine, too!
What will be your top priority if elected?
One of my main priorities for Piedmont is community engagement. This means providing numerous, diverse avenues for public conversation, partnering with the community organizations and groups that make Piedmont special, and fostering collaboration and shared ideas. If elected, I will host regular town halls for residents. This is something I have done both locally as a leader with the League of Women Voters of Piedmont, and also as a non-profit leader statewide and across the country. These meetings are a space for people to voice their concerns, and are also a catalyst for creating new solutions and ways to work together.
Do you see yourself being especially involved in any particular city issue or program, whether or not it’s your top priority?
I was not drawn to run for City Council because of a specific issue, but rather to be part of strategic planning and sound decision making. As someone who has had children through the Piedmont schools, however, the relationship between the city and the school department is important to me. I would like to see closer collaboration and communication to bolster this important relationship.
Talk about any leadership roles you’ve held and what you learned from them.
As the president of the League of Women Voters of Piedmont, I shepherded the organization through the Covid lockdown, built our membership, increased our communications reach, and improved our governance. I learned that collaboration, seeking support, and listening to diverse voices are essential to effective decisions.
As an Army officer, I led a platoon of soldiers providing communications in Germany and I was deployed to Turkey where I led a joint Army and Air Force communications team that supported the mission of enforcing the no-fly zone over Iraq. I learned that teamwork, proper training, and attention to detail is essential for mission success.
As a business owner I am constantly evaluating the direction of the company based on key metrics. I learned that strategic planning, the ability to pivot when necessary, and humility are essential for business development.
Share an example of your decision-making style.
When I worked in my kids’ preschool, there was a vacuum we used every day after the kids were done playing. It was very heavy and hard to push, so I asked if we could replace it. I was told this comes up every year with every new cohort of parents and that it wasn’t an option to replace the vacuum. It was a very expensive vacuum cleaner, we couldn’t afford to replace it, and less expensive vacuum cleaners would not be able to handle the small toys and liquids they would inevitably encounter on the rug of a preschool classroom!
All of this was true. But after poking around online, I also discovered that the vacuum was broken. One quick, inexpensive trip to the repair shop and the vacuum zoomed across the rug.
While this is a simple example, it highlights my style of asking questions and not accepting the status quo just because we’ve always done things a certain way. I have an analytical and data hungry mind. I make decisions with common sense and ethics at the forefront.
What project have you worked on that you are especially proud of?
One project that I am especially proud of is my work in spearheading a national group of LWV leaders from across the country to come together and share best practices for using a specific technology platform. The group has been going strong for three years, has grown to include over 200 local organizations, and now covers much more than just the original tech platform. I’m still on the steering committee and am proud of the work that we do to help local Leagues be more impactful in their communities to empower voters.
City Council members must navigate a wide range of community opinions and demands. How will you handle those pressures?
I have learned a lot about navigating community opinions and demands in my years with LWV. One thing that is the most important to me is to really listen. Each person’s opinion is unique to their situation and can provide valuable insight. The decisions the council makes will not always please everybody, but I believe that listening with empathy and hearing the concerns of our community members is an important part of any government.
What should the city’s priorities be when it comes to upgrading city infrastructure?
When it comes to upgrading the city’s infrastructure, I think the priority should be on public safety. While all of our city buildings require critical upgrades, our police and fire stations should be a top concern. Part of public safety is also maintaining our streets and sidewalks, including for pedestrian safety and ADA compliance.
What are your views on public safety?
Everyone deserves to feel safe in their homes and communities. In March, voters passed a renewed City Services Tax that had my full support. With the funds from this tax, Piedmont was able to hire two additional dispatchers for Police and Fire emergency response, and we are upgrading our dispatch center. I stand behind our well-funded Police and Fire Departments that are poised to respond to the needs of our community.
Public safety is also about addressing our aging infrastructure, mitigating hazards like the very real threats of wildfires and earthquakes, and maintaining our disaster preparedness efforts. It’s also about continuing to prioritize sidewalk and street repair, and supporting our Safer Streets program.
Piedmont is required by the state to meet new affordable housing goals. What is your view on the approach the city has taken so far to comply with the law?
Housing is one of the most significant issues that the Piedmont City Council faces and I expect this will remain true for the foreseeable future. It’s well known that California and the Bay Area are experiencing a housing crisis. In our community, where there is very little publicly owned property and limited sources of funding, compliance with state and regional mandates requires creativity, leadership, and vision. It’s important to remain fiscally responsible when exploring avenues of compliance and this includes minimizing legal exposure for the city.
I think the city’s approach to housing compliance has generally been pretty good. There has been a lot of community outreach and involvement and I think we could use even more, especially opportunities for community engagement that allow for conversation. Doing so increases transparency and builds trust in our local government, something that cannot be overstated.
Piedmont has recently received an award for its sustainability accomplishments and goals. What would you do to further Piedmont’s Climate Action Plan?
Our climate action policy needs to be forward thinking and creative. We can and should make sure that we minimize our emissions and climate impact with respect to our municipal activities including city vehicles and buildings. The vast majority (95%) of our city-wide emissions, however, are from transportation and residential energy. The individual choices of the residents living in Piedmont are the major driver for achieving the goals set out in our Climate Action Plan.
The city can impact these individual choices in a number of ways. From a transportation perspective, we can prioritize having walkable and bikeable streets, and work with regional transportation agencies to maintain viable public transportation options. We can also provide the community with fast charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. From a home emissions standpoint, we can provide both incentives and easy access to resources that can assist with assessment of homes and options for electrification.
What do you think about current recreational opportunities in Piedmont, and do you have other ideas for adding, subtracting or changing programs?
The Piedmont Recreation Department is highly valued in our community and for good reason! The Rec Department provides before and after school programs with Schoolmates, so many summer camps and school vacation camps, and youth sports programs. There are also more adult recreation opportunities than any one person could possibly take advantage of. I think the Rec Department has done a good job of listening to the community and adding programs where there is a need or demand. Our aquatic programs have been sorely missed and having those back in the mix will be most welcomed!
Do you have a website to share with voters? If so, please add URL below.
https://www.lorrelplimier.com/
Is there anything else you’d like to share with voters about your candidacy?
There is a lot on our ballots this election and voting all the way down the ballot is important. Many of the important decisions that affect our daily lives happen locally.
If elected, I will continue to serve my community with thoughtful, common sense leadership and I will work hard to be a part of creating a warm, welcoming Piedmont for all of our residents.
I would be honored to have your vote!