Meet Deborah Klein Lopez, Candidate For Agoura Hills City Council

AGOURA HILLS, CA — As ballots start to hit Agoura Hills mailboxes, it’s time for locals to get to know their candidates.

Come Nov. 8, five candidates will vie for three open Agoura Hills City Council seats as Denis Weber, Mayor Deborah Klein Lopez and Mayor Pro Tem Chris Anstead all have terms ending this year. Lopez and Anstead are both running for re-election.

Agoura Hills residents will also weigh in on a number of other local elections, including the Las Virgenes Unified School District and local water district.

Visit this link for more information about the upcoming Agoura Hills election.

A number of City Council candidates answered questions to introduce themselves to Patch readers. Get to know Deborah Klein Lopez:

Age (as of Election Day)

54

Party Affiliation

I am a registered Democrat, though this is a non-partisan seat.

Family

Fabricio (husband), Amanda (daughter), Isabelle (daughter), Marcus (son). My parents also live in Agoura Hills, so we have three generations here.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

Yes, I work for the California State Assembly.

Education

Northwestern University, dual Bachelor of Arts in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences and Economics (1990)

Occupation

Field Representative for California State Assembly District 45

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I was elected to the Agoura Hills City Council in 2018 and currently serve as Mayor. I was also appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to serve as a Director of the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains, where I now hold an Associate Director position.

Campaign website

https://reelectdkl.com/

Why are you seeking elective office?

I grew up in Agoura Hills, influenced by the beautiful Santa Monica Mountains, great school district and caring community. It’s been a great honor to give back to my hometown. Over the past four years, I’ve helped modernize and improve much of what we do on the City Council, from clean energy policy to disaster recovery, land use decisions to communications and more, while always honoring our roots. The work is not done, and I look forward to continuing moving our city forward.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

As a dedicated public servant in the fields of environmental justice, education, public health, and social and economic equality, I have broad policy experience that makes me a good person to have at the decision-making table. I also maintain an unparalleled commitment to communications and accessibility with residents: four years of monthly newsletters, a robust social media presence, monthly meetings with constituents as Mayor and more. Unlike some of the other candidates, I have the experience, history, commitment and fortitude to make the best decisions for our town - while keeping people engaged in the process.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

1. Environmental Sustainability: Climate change is here, and Agoura Hills has seen its fair share of effects from increased greenhouse gas emissions. Severe drought, all-year fire season, floods, and winds that shut down our power have shown we are not immune. Over the past four years, I have prioritized doing our part to preserve our planet. Leading Agoura Hills to 100% renewable energy via my role on Clean Power Alliance is one of my proudest achievements, a single action that immediately reduced our carbon footprint by 10%. I supported our Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and have lobbied for state and federal funding that will make us more resilient, from microgrids to creating a Citywide Master Bike Plan. Over the next four years, I will continue to focus on Agoura Hills’ sustainability.
2. Disaster Preparedness and Response: Much of my work has focused on recovery and preparedness. Two days after I was elected, the Woolsey Fire ripped through Agoura Hills. Even before being sworn in, I jumped on social media to provide a steady stream of accurate information to the community. I have pushed for enhanced emergency notifications which has also helped with floods, heat, high winds, power shut-offs and more. Thanks to my initiatives, residents can now get emergency notifications by text, email, phone, or all three! Keeping our community safe and prepared will always be a top priority for me.
3. Land Use and Development: One of my first goals on the Council was to revisit and revise the decade-plus-old Agoura Village Specific Plan, highlighting the need to bring in a Citizens Advisory Group. And as the housing crisis in California has worsened, I’ve advocated with our State leaders to respect and honor our local knowledge of land-use planning. I have also done extensive outreach to educate our residents on extremely complex housing policy and include them in the public decision-making process.
4. Public Health and Safety: The COVID-19 crisis tested our residents and businesses in ways we had never faced, but we made it through. I started joining County Public Health briefings before COVID-19 even hit our shores, staying on top of the latest news as it unfolded. I helped push for vaccine clinics and testing sights, and joined my fellow Councilmembers to visit every single restaurant in town to promote newly-created outdoor dining options. During the darkest days, I updated my website daily to keep people up-to-date on our latest numbers. Public health and safety will always be my #1 priority.
5. Open Space and Connectivity: As an avid hiker whose respect for the Santa Monica Mountains knows no bounds, I have always been a champion of open space and connectivity. Even before I was elected, I advocated for land purchases in and around Agoura Hills, including Triangle Ranch, to ensure that our native habitat could survive and thrive. So it was with immense pride that I welcomed dignitaries, public and private partners, and the community at large to the groundbreaking of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing at Liberty Canyon last April. As I said in my speech, “we know what the mountain lions know: that Agoura Hills is a very special place. And now the world will know it, too.”
6. Communications: Being connected with our community is the basis of everything we do. I’ve led the charge on increasing our social media presence, updating our website, rebranding our look and making the City more accessible than ever. Most importantly, I’ve reached out to the community in ways that have never been done before, like sending out monthly newsletters, getting a City presence on NextDoor, addressing questions and controversial topics on social media platforms and so much more. My monthly “Mayor’s Table” gatherings have also provided an opportunity to engage in meaningful in-person discussions.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

In addition to the many accomplishments listed above, I have been very active in our local school district, serving as Parent Faculty Club president at all three of my children’s schools and managing a four-city, two-county parcel tax measure which secured more than $27 million worth of stable funding for our school district. It passed with nearly 80% of the vote, a record for the district.

In addition, for nearly 18 years, I managed a weekly winter shelter and dinner program for the homeless and underserved population of the Conejo Valley, coordinating hundreds of volunteers each year and keeping the most vulnerable members of our community off the streets overnight.

In my professional life, I have managed large multinational projects and clients, served as a financial analyst and currency trader, and I speak fluent Spanish as well.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The best advice ever shared with me was: from Bryan Stevenson of the Equal Justice Institute. His advice: “Get proximate.” You can’t understand or change the problems of the world if you are not willing to get close to the issues. “Getting proximate” may be uncomfortable, but it’s the only way to face our challenges with knowledge and compassion.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am endorsed by many trusted members of the community:
Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014
Sierra Club
Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters
Conejo Climate Coalition
National Women’s Political Caucus SFV

Julia Brownley, U.S. Congresswoman
Henry Stern, California State Senator
Ben Allen, California State Senator
Richard Bloom, California State Assemblymember
Jacqui Irwin, California State Assemblymember
Jesse Gabriel, California State Assemblymember

Illece Buckley Weber, Agoura Hills City Councilmember and Former Mayor
Penny Sylvester, Agoura Hills City Councilmember
Jeremy Wolf, Chair, Agoura Hills Planning Commissioner
John Asuncion, Agoura Hills Planning Commissioner
Murtaza Mogri, Agoura Hills Planning Commissioner
Fran Pavley, First Mayor of Agoura Hills and Former State Assemblymember and Senator
Dan Kuperberg, Former Agoura Hills Mayor and City Councilmember
Ed Corridori, Former Agoura Hills Mayor and City Councilmember
Jeff Reinhardt, Former Agoura Hills Mayor and City Councilmember
Linda Northrup, Former Agoura Hills Mayor and City Councilmember
Louise Rishoff, Former Agoura Hills Mayor and City Councilmember
John Edelston, Former Agoura Hills Mayor and City Councilmember
Curtis Zacuto, Former Agoura Hills Planning Commissioner
Kate Anderson, Former Agoura Hills Planning Commissioner
Karen Kent, Agoura Hills Cultural Arts Council Member

Jay Lewitt, President, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District
Linda Menges, President, Las Virgenes Unified School Board
Lesli Stein, Las Virgenes Unified School Board Member
Angela Cutbill, Las Virgenes Unified School Board Member
Kate Vadhera, Las Virgenes Unified School Board Member
Dave Moorman, Former Las Virgenes Unified School Board Member
Suresh Radhakrishnan, President, Fountainwood Homeowners Association
Jess Thomas, President, Old Agoura Homeowners Association
Danny Farkash, Old Agoura Homeowners Association
Kiyomi Kowalski, Community Leader
Andy Pavley, Retired Educator
Rachel and Matt McKagan, Las Virgenes Unified School District Teachers
Marisa DeFalco, Owner, Italia Deli
Nazrul Alam, Owner, Lal Mirch Indian Restaurant
And MANY individual members of the community.

Editor's note: This article has been edited to reflect that Chris Anstead is running for re-election.