Speakers

Mark Lorenzen has been the Fire Chief of the Menlo Park Fire Protection District since February of 2022.  Prior to that Mark was with the Ventura County Fire Protection District for 31 years serving as the Fire Chief for the last 10 years. Mark has a Bachelors degree in Business Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a Masters degree in Public Administration from California State University at Dominguez Hills. He is also a licensed Certified Public Accountant.  Prior to moving to Menlo Park, Mark was a resident of Santa Barbara for 52 years and has three grown children.

Dr. Lan Jiang conducts research related to consumer psychology and behavior. Her primary research interests are in the areas of online user communities, interpersonal influences, and customer involvement. Jiang’s research has been published in top marketing journals such as the Journal of Consumer Research and Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and covered by Harvard Business Review and NPR, among others. Dr. Jiang serves on the editorial review board of the Journal of Consumer Marketing, and reviews for the Journal of Consumer Research. Prior to joining Menlo, Dr. Jiang taught at University of Oregon, City University of Hong Kong and Santa Clara University, after receiving her PhD from the University of British Columbia. Beside academics, Dr. Jiang consults for non-profit organizations, and actively engages in social initiatives in the areas of sustainability and education.

Steven Pifer is a senior fellow at Brookings Institution's Center on the US and Europe as well as the Director of Brookings' Arms Control Initiative. He was formerly senior advisor with the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C., and the third US Ambassador to Ukraine from 1998 to 2000.  Steven graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. in Economics. 

Steven served at the US Embassies in Warsaw, London and Moscow, and as an advisor on the US delegation to the negotiations on intermediate-range nuclear forces in Geneva.  From 1978 to 2004 he was a foreign service officer with the US Dept of State.  From 1996 to 1997, he served as special assistant to the President and Senior Director for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia on the National Security Council. Pifer is also the author of "The Opportunity: Next Steps in Reducing Nuclear Arms".

  

Seas are rising and the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority (SFCJPA) is considering ways to protect the East Palo Alto and Menlo Park shoreline communities, and critical shore area habitats. The Strategy to Advance Flood Protection, Ecosystems and Recreation along San Francisco (SAFER) Bay Project will include engineered and natural flood protection features, habitat restoration, and recreation improvements. The SFCJPA has initiated its environmental review process. We want you to know about the project and we want your input.