Summary
Proven ethical leader with a Master of Public Affairs and Practical Politics degree.
I have spent my career in the public, private, and non-profit sectors as a business leader, senior manager, Chairman, small business owner, project leader, and consultant.
I make progress happen despite chaos and ambiguity, which I ultimately shape into focus and certainty. My deliberate and detailed-oriented approach allows me to become the expert in whatever I am doing and whomever I am assisting. This, in conjunction with my solid ability to research / organize / prioritize is what has made my resolutions so successful. My extraordinary level of dedication positions me to be an indispensible associate, as I am a peak performer who is driven by delivering nothing short of perfection.
I am well-versed in the worlds of project management, coalition building, community engagement, social advocacy, and event planning. I am bridge person who is able to translate complicated concepts into information that is easily understandable.
I am adept at taking high-level concepts and making them clear and logical.
I have a disciplined approach to analysis, consultation, and solution attainment, ensuring that relevant benchmarks are not only achieved, but surpassed. Without fail, I realize potential opportunities and maximize avenues of growth.
I consistently receive excellent reviews; I am a self-motivated team player who is able to mentor others with enthusiasm and interest, creating an environment of excitement and forward progress.
I am a forward thinking, visionary leader, and I am confident that I can exceed the goals of any undertaking.
Resume
Visionary Strategist – Ethical Leader – Social Media Expert – Certified Web Designer
City and County of San Francisco
Chairman
Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee
- Serve as liaison between public and governmental agencies - Advise the Board of Supervisors regarding policy, funding, & enforcement - Provide expertise regarding pedestrian safety and strategic planning - Work closely with: Board of Supervisors, SFMTA, SFCTA, SFPUC, DPW, SFPD, and other city departments, commissions, boards, and agencies - Facilitate San Francisco becoming the first city to launch Walk to Work Day - Make recommendations as part of the Mayor’s Pedestrian Safety Task Force regarding funding, priorities, and policies for the SF Pedestrian Safety Strategy
City and County of San Francisco
Trainer and Presenter
Department of Elections
- Presented and delivered training curriculum to 1000s of Election Officials - Served a registered-voting base of > 450,000 San Francisco citizens - Taught Election Inspector training courses and resolved ADA-related issues - Administered the oath of office on behalf of the City and County of San Francisco - Supervised: 3,200 Poll Workers, 570 Election Inspectors, 55 Field Election deputies, 22 District Leads, 30 Technicians, and 107 Sheriffs at the Election Center
City and County of San Francisco
Legislative Fellow
Office of the Mayor
- Devised comprehensive recommendations through public policy analysis - Wrote legislative briefing memos and identified implementation strategies - Scheduled activities (e.g., travel, special events, meetings, etc.)
San Francisco Transportation Plan Committee
Committee Member
San Francisco County Transportation Authority
- Create financially constrained investment scenarios for the SFTP - Draft and evaluate investment scenario equity analysis methodology
California Brain Tumor Association
Founder and Executive Director
2008 - Present
- Recipient of an honorable commendation from the SF Board of Supervisors - Testify before the US Senate / House, and appear on national TV - Recommend, plan, implement, and monitor programs, grants, and functions - Persuade San Francisco to pass a landmark health disclosure ordinance - Host didactic symposiums with 100+ attendees, featuring State Senators - Perform complex budget and legislative analyses
Environmental Health Trust
West Coast Director
2011 - 2012
- Championed safety legislation before local, state, and federal agencies - Developed and evaluated management, administrative, and fiscal policies - Implemented and managed program planning, research, analysis, and writing - Designed, assessed, grew, managed, and monitored strategic relationships - Analyzed public policies, determining benchmarks in comprehensive reports - Supervised staff and prioritized projects
United States Senate
Administrative Assistant
Office of Senator Edward Kennedy
- Worked in Senator Kennedy’s personal office - Participated in Senate committee hearings
Letter of Recommendation Available
State of Colorado
Communications Fellow
Governor's Office of Innovation and Technology
- Researched and wrote speeches for Governor Bill Owens
Marks Brothers Motors, LLC
Small Business Owner
- Managed a fully-licensed, bonded, and insured luxury-automobile dealership - Supervised personnel and all operations (marketing, accounting, sales, web design)
International TEFL Academy
Teacher and Tutor
Florence, Italy
- Provided tutoring services and taught English to culturally diverse groups - Mentored students, edited assignments, and drafted lesson plans
Education
University of San Francisco
2010-2011, San Francisco, CA
MA - Public Affairs and Practical Politics
- Writing for Political Professionals - San Francisco Urban Politics - Urban Public Policy - Strategic Communications - Leadership for the Common Good - Nonprofits and Public Policy - Public Affairs and Democratic Accountability - Research Methods and Applied Statistics - Campaign Theory and Practice - Beyond Bridges – Israel/Palestine
University of Colorado at Boulder
2001-2005, Boulder, CO
BA - Political Science and Philosophy of Law
- Public Speaking - Communication/Interaction Skills - Social Constructs of Femininity - Ethics: Honors - Quantitative Reasoning/Math Skills - Business – Internet - Profiles of American Enterprise - American Political Thought - Western Political Thought - Principles of Microeconomics - Principles of Macroeconomics - History of the US Since 1865 - Physics in Everyday Life - American Political Systems - Masterpieces of American Literature - World Regional Geography - Intro to International Relations - Environmental Systems – Climate - Social and Political Philosophy - Intro to Comparative Politics - Politics and Literature - History of Modern Philosophy - The Judicial System - Seminar in Political Theory - The Politics of Ideas - Environmental Systems - Twentieth-Century Philosophy - American Foreign Policy - Western European Politics - Contemporary Philosophical Discourse - International Economics and Policy
University of New South Wales
2003-2004, Sydney, Australia
Comparative Politics
- Refiguring Dreams - Coral Reef – Environmental Ecology - God, Life and the Universe - Theories in Moral Philosophy
San Francisco State University
2013, San Francisco, CA
Professional Certification in Website Design
- Adobe Photoshop - Adobe Dreamweaver - Adobe Edge Animate - Flash CS4 Professional
Anthony Real Estate School
- Legal Aspects of Real Estate - Property Management - Real Estate Finance - Real Estate Office Administration - Real Estate Practice - Residential Real Estate Appraisal
Writing Samples
Campaign Finance
Cell Phone Safety
CABTA 2012 Annual Report
Cell Phone Safety
Comparative Analysis
Cell Phone Safety
Essay
Cell Phone Safety
Facts
Cell Phone Safety
Letter to the Editor
Cell Phone Towers
Central Market Economic Strategy
Central Subway
Checkout Bags
"City Limits" by Paul Peterson
Community Policing
Containing Pension Growth
Contract Change Orders
Egyptian "Revolution"
First Five
Free MUNI for Youth
Gavin Newsom Letter
Graffiti Advisory Board
Industrial Disability Retirement
Israel - Palestine
A Balanced Perspective
Israel - Palestine
A Wall of Fear
Israel - Palestine
Analyzing the Geneva Accord
Japan
LEED Certification
Minimum Wage
Morgan Stanley's Response to September 11th
Mosque at Ground Zero
"Neoliberal City" by Jason Hackworth
Osama Bin Laden
Pedestrian Safety
19th Avenue
Pedestrian Safety
Deadly Streets of SF
Pedestrian Safety
Letter to the Mayor
Pedestrian Safety
Letter to Supervisor Mar
Proposition 21
Quality of Life and Smart Growth
Residential Parking Permits
Rita Semel
Same-Sex Marriage
School Assignments
Senator Russ Feingold
SFMTA
SRO's
Undocumented Students
Wisconsin
Videos
References
Aaron Hahn Tapper, Ph.D.
Program Director and Professor
Abraham's Vision - University of San Francisco
ajhahntapper@usfca.edu (415) 422-2378
Letter of Recomendation Available Upon Request
Aaron Hahn Tapper is the Director of the Swig Program in Jewish Studies and Social Justice and current Swig Chair in Judaic Studies. Aaron completed his Ph.D. in the Religious Studies Department at the University of California, Santa Barbara, writing his Dissertation on the relationship between the socio-political context of Israel and Palestine, religious law, and power. He holds an MTS from Harvard Divinity School and a BA from the Johns Hopkins University. Before coming to USF he served as Adjunct Faculty in the Religious Studies Department at CSU Northridge. Aaron is academically fluent in multiple dialects of Hebrew and Arabic. Aaron has received numerous awards and fellowships for his work, including the Harvard University Frederick Sheldon Traveling Fellowship, a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, and the Wexner Graduate Fellowship. In 2003, he founded Abraham's Vision, a conflict transformation organization working with American-based populations of Jews, Muslims, Israelis, and Palestinians, for whom he has served as Co-Executive Director since that time. Since September 2008 he has also served as the Co-Executive Director of the Center for Transformative Education, a new educational initiative aiming to create empowering educational programs to transform societies into their potential, which he co-founded.
Antoinette “Toni” Stein, Ph.D.
Environmental Engineer
State of California - Department of General Services
tweil@igc.org (650) 823-7662 Toni Stein is an Environmental Engineer with a PhD and seven years of experience in industry bringing a scientific engineering perspective to research and development in manufacturing industry applications. Toni has six years of experience working for the State of California in, the Department of Public Health in the Indoor Air Quality Program and in the Department of General Services in the Environmentally Preferable Purchasing Program. She has been deeply involved in the development of many sustainability standards for a variety of products and their life cycle phases. Toni has also has served on a number of boards and Commissions including the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Hearing Board, and the Solid Waste Advisory Board in San Mateo County. She co-founded the Zero Waste Task Force of San Mateo, Santa Clara and San Benito County in California a project of the non-profit Acterra and more recently co-founded of the Eastbay Citizens Climate Lobby working to develop nationwide GHG policies.
Bret Bocook, Esq.
CEO and Founder
Worldslaw.com
bbocook@worldslaw.com (650) 387-1903
"In a nutshell: Zack is truly amazing.... He is brilliant, articulate, and kind. Any involvement you can have with Zack will enhance your life: I can assure anyone of that! If you need a reference on Zack, you may call me on my mobile at 650.387.1903."
Bret Bocook is an attorney in Palo Alto, former Olympic-level rower, father of a kindergartener, and has primary stage 3 brain cancer. Bret is the CEO and Founder of Worldslaw and Angel's Camp.
Brian Weiner, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of San Francisco
weinerb@usfca.edu (415) 422-6861
Letter of Recommendation Available Upon Request
Brian Weiner received his B.A. from Princeton University, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. He specializes in political theory (from the ancients to contemporary theory), American political theory, and public law. He teaches courses in the areas of political theory, law, and American politics. Professor Weiner also teaches Literature and Political Thought and Democratic Theory and Democratic Transitions. He is a member of the Honors Program in the Humanities, where he teaches a course on the Enlightenment (From Baroque to Enlightenment). He also serves as a Pre-Law Advisor and faculty sponsor of the Student Pre-Law Society. Weiner was the recipient of the 2003-2004 University Distinguished Teaching Award. Weiner's book, Sins of the Parents: The Politics of National Apologies in the United States, was published by Temple University Press.
Corey Cook, Ph.D.
Director - Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good
University of San Francisco
cdcook@usfca.edu (415) 422-6163
Letter of Recomendation Available Upon Request
Prior to joining the faculty at USF, Corey Cook has taught courses in American politics at the University of Wisconsin, San Jose State University, Rutgers University, and San Francisco State University. His doctoral dissertation considers the impact of race and gender on political representation and explores the contemporary significance of identity politics. Cook has published academic articles in the DuBois Journal of Social Science Research on Race, Presidential Studies Quarterly, and American Politics Research. Dr. Cook has completed research projects surrounding the usage of Ranked Choice Voting in San Francisco and a manuscript about promoting civic engagement through community-based research. His current research focuses on election results and political geography in California. He teaches courses in American Politics specializing in political institutions, urban and state politics, and the dynamics of political representation.
David Carpenter, Ph.D.
Director of the Institute for Health and the Environment
University of Albany
carpent@uamail.albany.edu (518) 525-2660
"Zach has demonstrated real ability to communicate with a wide assortment of people in an effective fashion and has shown industry, responsibility and innovation in his work. He is an energetic and bright person who will be productive and effective in any position in which he is given responsibility."
David Carpenter serves as director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at UAlbany's School of Public Health. He previously served as director of the Wadsworth Laboratory of the New York State Department of Health. Carpenter was recently named to New York's Renewable Energy Task Force, charged with implementing plans to reduce electricity use through new energy efficiency programs in industry and government. Carpenter, who received his doctorate from Harvard Medical School, has 220 publications, 37 reviews and book chapters and 12 other publications to his credit.
David Ryan
Faculty Director and Professor
University of San Francisco
ryand@usfca.edu (415) 422-5524
Letter of Recomendation Available Upon Request
Devra Davis, Ph.D. MPH
Nobel Prize Laureate and Author
Environmental Health Trust
ddavis@ehtrust.org (202) 427-2206
“As the family struggled with the bleak prospects, they learned that Alan (Marks) was not alone. Just ten days after Alan got the devastating news, Senator Ted Kennedy had a major convulsive seizure and faced the very same diagnosis – a glioma of the brain. The Markses’ son Zack had just finished interning with the senator.
He remembered the hours he had seen the senator with his cell phone held next to his head. Zack had a sinking feeling that there might be some connection between his dad’s diagnosis and that of Senator Kennedy. He soon learned that the Kennedy family had strong suspicions that the senator’s tumor was in some way connected to his cell phone use.” -
Davis, Devra L. Disconnect. New York: Penguin Group, 2010. Print
Devra Lee Davis is an American epidemiologist and writer. Her career has spanned all areas of academia, public policy, and scientific research. While Senior Advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Health in the Department of Health and Human Services, she counseled leading officials in the United States, United Nations, European Environment Agency, Pan American Health Organization, World Health Organization, and World Bank. She has also authored more than 190 publications in books and journals. Devra co-founded the Environmental Health Trust in 2007.
James Johnson
CEO and President
Vortis Technologies, Ltd.
jim@jamesrjohnson.net (650) 595-8888 James Johnson co-founded Vortis Technologies, whcih operates as a wireless antenna technology company.
Jason Elliott
Legislative Director
San Francisco Mayor's Office
jason.elliott@sfgov.org (415) 554-6141
Letter of Recomendation Available Upon Request
Graduating from Harvard Univesity, Jason Elliott serves as the San Francisco Mayor's Legislative Director.
John Alex Lowell
Chair of NCNC Conference Inclusion Task Force
San Francisco Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee
jxlowell.jal@gmail.com
"Zack Marks has an engaged leadership style in his new responsibility of leading as the Chairperson of the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee of the City and County of San Francisco. That he has approached pedestrian safety in a proactive way reflects his blessed intention and methodology."
Kevin Hickey
Senior Manager and Professor
Jewish Vocational Services - University of San Francisco
kevinphickey@yahoo.com (415) 391-3600
Kevin Hickey serves as the Senior Manager of High School Workforce Programs at Jewish Vocational Service and holds appointments on the San Francisco Transition Age Youth Steering Committee, and the San Francisco Unified School District Community Based Organization Advisory Board. Kevin is active with Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth and the Family Budget Coalition. His research interests include children and youth groups, nonprofit service providers as advocates, and coalition building. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from San Francisco State University and a Master of Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco. Before his current career, Kevin proudly served as a nuclear reactor operator in the United States Navy. Kevin is committed to strengthening the work of the nonprofit sector and its key role in representative democracy.
Lloyd Morgan
Senior Research Fellow
Environmental Health Trust
lloyd.l.morgan@gmail.com (510) 841-4362
"Zack is an extraordinarily capable young man who I have seen carry out several complex programs to completion without a hitch and each had a stellar result."
Director: Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States (CBTRUS) Member: Bioelectromagnetics Society (BEMS) Member: Brain Tumor Epidemiology Consortium (BTEC) Member: University of California, San Franciso Retired Electronic Engineer and Political Activist
Maxwell Anderson
Councilmember - District 3
City of Berkeley
manderson@cityofberkeley.info (510) 981-7130
Letter of Recomendation Available
Registered Nurse, Retired Berkeley Planning Commission, 1989-1997 Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board, 1996-2004 Berkeley Charter Review Commission, 2004
Robin Brasso
Independent Education Management Professional
San Francisco Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee
robinbrasso@yahoo.com
"Zack is well organized, thoughtful, conscientious and very hard-working. After being appointed to the Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee with only one year of service, he was voted in as Chair. That means he had the confidence of the entire committee. I believe this young man will do well at anything to which he sets his mind."
Robin Brasso is passionate about protecting the rights of women, the environment, education, single payer universal healthcare, and preserving our democracy. After teaching in public middle schools in San Francisco for 37 years, she has retired to a life dedicated to civic engagement and political activism. As a long-time educator and active in the teacher’s union, Ms. Brasso has a long history of political activism on education and other social issues. The first campaign she worked on was the Lyndon Johnson campaign for President. In addition to the SFDWIA board, Ms. Brasso also serves on the board of the Democratic Women’s Forum, OWL, and the board of Raoul Wallenberg Jewish Democratic Club. She is a member of the League of Women Voters, SF Women's Political Committee, the Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women and serves as a member of numerous other Democratic clubs. Robin holds a BA and an M.A. degree as well as several teaching credentials from SFSU.
Yelena Kravtsova
Training Director - Department of Elections
City and County of San Francisco
yelena.kravtsova@sfgov.org (818) 653-8916
Endorsements
Abraham's Vision
Abraham’s Vision is a conflict transformation organization that explores group and individual identities through experiential and political education. Examining social relations within and between the Jewish, Muslim, Israeli, and Palestinian communities, we empower participants to practice alternatives to the status quo.
Angel's Camp
Angel's Camp is a replicable, self-sustaining, and entrepreneurial system of homeless rehabilitation centers. We address the root causes of homelessness in a revolutionary way -- by combining profitable business operations with treatment, housing, and training facilities. We connect local business and academic groups to provide a unique program of support to build a ladder-up out of homelessness.
Environmental Health Trust
Environmental Health Trust educates individuals, health professionals and communities about controllable environmental health risks and policy changes needed to reduce those risks. Currently, EHT focuses on raising awareness on the negative impacts of unsafe cell phone use and performing cutting edge research on cell phone radiation.
MePeace
MEPEACE is a network for peace with thousands of peacemakers and millions of page visits on mepeace.org. This network is designed to: (1) Exemplify peace and realize peace online and on the ground, (2) Empower people and orgs with interaction, information and inspiration, and (3) Enable a movement for peace with internet and networking technologies.
San Francisco SPCA
Founded in 1868, the SF SPCA is a community-supported nonprofit dedicated to saving, protecting and caring for cats and dogs. The SF SPCA runs an animal assisted therapy dog program.
Rabbis for Human Rights
Rabbis for Human Rights is the only rabbinic voice of conscience in Israel, defending human rights of marginalized communities within Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The organization was founded in 1988, and today has over 100 members-all Israelis and all ordained Orthodox, Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Renewal rabbis as well as some rabbinical students.
San Francisco Young Democrats
San Francisco Young Democrats (SFYD) is a passionate group of young people between the ages of 18 and 35 who work to promote the interests of San Franciscans 35 and under. We are young profesionals, students, legislative staff, and organizers who believe it isn't just going to be our city someday, we believe it's our city right now.
Vortis Technologies
Vortis is a new Antenna Technology called an Interferometric Antenna Array. It splits and separates signal forward and reward of your head (figure 8 patter) like a light house to reduce potential health risks. Vortis Inside your cellphone makes it Green, Powerful, Safer, clearer and faster.
Comments
“Stay strong and courageous. Your work is of great importance.”
- California State Senator Mark Leno -
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I am in awe of you, Zack. You are going to do great things.
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Zachary, your ability to turn such a tragedy into selfless advocacy speaks volumes.
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My young daughter of 20 months will not be getting a cell phone because
of the knowledge I have because of people like you.
Thank you, thank you.
Let
me assure you, that your willingness to not be silent is an inspiration.
May you be blessed with strength and inscribed in the book of life.
Take good care of yourself, Zack.
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What a bold act of love, and of regaining power for the family.
You will make the difference you seek.
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Zachary – I appreciate your efforts and commend your strength.
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Keep on speaking, keep on fighting.
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You are right, the crazy ones do bring about change !
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Thank you very much for taking the time to inform me.
I will help you with your path to educate as many people that I know.
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Your website is amazing !
I sent it to everyone on my email list.
It’s easy to navigate and so well written and informative.
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You have my deep admiration for educating the public about the dangers of cell phones.
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Thank you Zachary for what you’re doing.
Great website.
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I visited your website and bookmarked it and will use it as a reference point in my book.
I can promise you that.
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CABTA is phenomenal and a tribute to your father, Zack.
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You are surviving, and you are thriving
through your determination to make a difference.
My heart is with you.
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The contents of your letter and the website are so well written, powerful and tragic.
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I am so proud that you went to DC.
God bless you for your activism and courage.
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I am pleased you are in this battle for the long term.
I know the past years and coming months have been hard you,
but your message will help others I know…
that’s something to be proud of.
I’m proud of your efforts!
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Keep up the good fight.
I will have a heart to heart with my children.
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Zack…the ripple effect of your positive and bold action will be felt around the world.
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Most people take their anger and their sorrow and spin a cocoon around themselves.
But your site has something I’ve never seen before.
It’s the first website of this sort that I’ve visited and had an immediate emotional response to.
Is it the photos or the font or the music?
It’s all of that and something intangible that tells me Zack is a deep and thoughtful man.
He is taking his pain and using it for good,
and that guarantees his eventual healing.
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Your website blew me away and I cried as read each section.
It is powerful — especially knowing this comes from the victim’s son.
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Zack – Just a note to let you know you and your family are in our prayers.
We are praying for a full recovery of course, we are also praying that God will bring
peace and comfort to you and your family during your period of healing.
What a terrifying ordeal to be forced to experience.
The web site is really amazing.
What a great job – again.
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I was touched by the fact that you have created this website,
which I have visited and I think it is great !!!!
I have read many articles.
I think it is awesome you have done that, in support of your Dad
and I really like the shot on the front with you and your Dad a long time ago.
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I am filled with pride over your testimony yet saddened for
what you have been and will be going through.
Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you.
I am a firm believer that God has placed this burden on you for a reason,
and I think that reason is because you have the guts to do the battle that needs to be done.
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I know for myself, you have enlightened me on a mission to
protect myself and most of all my kids from over-use of a cell phone.
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Your testimony was powerful and a definite memorable moment in the hearing.
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Thanks so much. I will be forwarding your website to all my family and friends.
Incredible, your poise, openness and compassion in telling your story
and the risks associated with cell phone use was amazing.
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Thanks so much for being such a wonderful example.
I doubt many folks I know would have the courage to do what you are doing.
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Thank you for your work, keep on getting louder!
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I think it’s great what you are doing for families of brain cancer patients.
We are Californians, but have lived in Eastern WA since 1981.
I wish WA had something like your organization. We had no one to help us.
Transcript
California Brain Tumor Association
Founded in 2008, the California Brain Tumor Association is a leading non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to safeguarding public health. We contend that it is inexcusable to allow technological advances invented to enrich our lives rob us of our lives instead.
The California Brain Tumor Association…
• Educates individuals and communities about controllable environmental health risks
• Sponsors cutting-edge research carried out by world-class collaborators
• Publishes articles in peer reviewed publications about research results, and critiques of articles published by others, related to cell phones and other environmental health hazards
• Develops and promotes constructive policy changes that rely on our research and input from relevant experts
• Advances research efforts to develop safer cell phones
San Francisco Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee
PSAC
Contact
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments.
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