Meet Your City Council Members

 

Index

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 Steve Young-Mayor

Steve was raised in Burbank California where he graduated from Burbank High School in 1969.  He earned a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley in 1973, and went on to earn his MA in Urban Policy and Administration from San Francisco State University in 1975. 
 
Steve has spent 28 years in local governments, managing various projects in the fields of Community Development, Redevelopment,  Affordable Housing, Neighborhood Preservation and Economic Development in various cities in California and Virginia.  
 
In 1999, Steve was appointed Director of Community Development for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA). In that position, his duties included overseeing the redevelopment and revitalization of the closed Air Force bases at Mather and McClellan. He also was responsible for the funding, oversight and  preservation of California's historic Sacramento Delta town of Locke, and worked closely with the Sacramento Sheriff and District Attorney in efforts to reduce crime in Sacramento's most vulnerable neighborhoods. 
 
In 2008, Steve retired from SHRA, and, with his wife Marty and their daughter Cora, moved to Costa Rica to experience a different culture, learn a new language, and broaden their horizons. While in Costa Rica, Steve and Marty volunteered with local programs and schools teaching English as a second language to young adults. 
Upon Cora’s graduation from The European School in Costa Rica in 2012, she started college at the University of Puget Sound. At that time Steve and Marty moved back to the US, settling in Benicia.  
 
In 2013, Steve was appointed to the Benicia Planning Commission where he served for four years. In his first attempt at elected office, Steve was elected to the Benicia City Council in November of 2016 and elected to Mayor in November of 2020.
 
Steve also serves on the following committees:
  • ABAG
  • League of California Cities
  • Finance Committee
  • Traffic, Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Committee
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 Tom Campbell-Vice Mayor

Tom Campbell was born and raised on a small farm in central California. He has lived in Benicia for the past 35 years, and currently operates an orthodontic practice in downtown Benicia.  Tom is actively involved in the local community including sponsoring numerous swimming, softball, soccer, little league and basketball teams.
 
Prior to being elected as a City Council Member in 1999, Mr. Campbell was a member of Benicia’s Planning Commission.  Additionally, Tom was one of the original members of S.W.I.M., a committee that focused on the community pool and enhancing related services.  He also served as the chairman of the Napa-Solano Dental Society Community Health Committee.
 
Tom’s educational background is extensive; he holds degrees in Chemistry, Law, Business, as well as a D.D.S from the University of California at Los Angeles.  He also has M.S. and Orthodontic degrees from Marquette University.

Tom also serves in the following committees:

  • Soltrans Joint Powers Authority
  • Sky Valley Area Open Span (Ad Hoc Committee)
  • Valero Citizens Advisory Committee (CAP) (Ad Hoc Committee)
  • Youth Action Coalition
  • School District Liaison

E-mail Vice Mayor Campbell

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 Christina Strawbridge-Council Member

Christina and her family moved to Benicia in 1985. Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, she has been involved in retail since high school. She worked for FIDM Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising as a lecturer and field representative and as a free lance consultant specializing in merchandising and marketing for small companies.She currently owns Christina S in Downtown Benicia.

Christina served on the City Council from 2011-2016 and chaired the Economic Development Board in 2011. During her term on EDB she spearheaded the formation of the successful tourism effort "Great Day by the Bay". She has participated on several boards and commissions through the years including Benicia Main Street, Benicia Old Town Theatre Group, and Benicia State Parks Association. As the event coordinator for Benicia Main Street, she helped start the Benicia Certified Market in 1993, the Waterfront Festival and championed the revitalization of the Downtown.

Christina has benefited many local non profits with her fundraising for over 30 years that include Soroptimist, Community Action Council, Benicia State Parks and Relay For Life of Benicia. She has been married to Scott since 1971 (they met in grade school). They have 2 sons, Andrew who lives in Benicia and is a teacher at Hamilton Middle School and Christopher who lives and works in New York City.

Email Council Member Strawbridge

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 Lionel Largaespada-Council Member

Lionel Largaespada was elected to the Benicia City Council in November 2018 and is serving his first term.  Lionel, his wife Jennifer and two daughters have called Benicia home since 2005. 
 
Before his election, Largaespada served as chairman of the Benicia Economic Development Board. 
 
In addition to the Economic Development Board, he served on the Advocacy Committee at the Benicia Chamber of Commerce and the Design Committee at Benicia Main Street.  His community service to Benicia includes advising Carquinez Village, mentoring at Benicia Middle School and volunteering for the Matthew Turner Elementary Parent Teacher Association.  He is also a member of the Benicia Historical Society, Native Sons of the Golden West – Benicia Parlor, and a capo in the Benicia Bocce Ball League. 
 
Largaespada is an accomplished marketing professional and client services specialist with more than 20 years of experience executing large scale marketing campaigns and technical projects for a variety of private and publicly traded companies.  Over his career, he has developed award winning media campaigns and presented on a wide range of marketing topics at several industry events.  Currently, he is director of marketing and business development for a land survey services firm based in Benicia.
 
A Bay Area native he received a Bachelor of Arts degree at Saint Mary’s College majoring in Government and minoring in Philosophy, and a Master of Science degree from Boston University majoring in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Advertising.

 

Lionel also serves on the following committees: 

  • Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), Alternate
  • Benicia Leaders Roundtable
  • Benicia Reads
  • Benicia Traffic, Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Committee, Vice Chair
  • Sky Valley Area Open Space
  • Solano Open Space
  • Solano Transportation Authority (STA), Alternate
  • SolTrans Joint Powers Authority
  • Valero Citizens Advisory Committee (CAP), Alternate

Email Council Member Largaespada

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 Trevor Macenski-Council Member

Trevor Macenski (muh-sen-ski) is a native Californian, spending his childhood years in Huntington Beach, before relocating to the North Bay with his family. Landing in Novato Mr. Macenski attended Novato High School, then went to the College of Marin, before transferring to the University of California, Davis, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning. He then went on to study at The Johns Hopkins University, where he graduated with a Masters of Science degree in Environmental Policy.

 

After living in the Sacramento metro area for close to ten years, when deciding where to live and raise a family, Mr. Macenski and his wife Kimberly moved back to the Bay Area, fell in love with Benicia, and moved to town in 2013. They now have three children all who attend local schools and participate in community activities.

 

Since moving to town, Mr. Macenski has been an active member of Benicia, serving the community in many leadership positions on local boards and commissions including the Planning Commission, Historic Preservation Design Review Commission, Soltrans Community Advisory Board, and Valero Community Advisory Panel. In 2020, Mr. Macenski became the youngest elected City Council representative in recent documented history. 

 

In his professional life, Mr. Macenski is an Environmental and Urban Planner consultant with a focus on local, regional, and state government on the interface of community development and the natural environment. As an experienced environmental impact assessment practitioner and urban planner he advises clients on compliance and policy strategies under state and federal law. Having served as adjunct faculty at UC Davis, lecturing on environmental impact assessment methodologies, Mr. Macenski regularly provides informative presentations on environmental and urban planning topics to public agencies, private organizations, and educational institutions at all levels, frequently lecturing at the Association of Environmental Professionals and American Planning Association conferences. 

E-mail Council Member Macenski

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