US Olympian Adam Van Grack Running For Rockville City Council

ROCKVILLE, MD — Adam Van Grack is a 47-year-old former member of the U.S. Olympic Canoe/Kayak team, is on the Nov. 7 ballot in the Rockville City Council race.

Van Grack is one of 12 candidates running to fill seven seats on the city council. The other candidates are Danniel Belay, Kate Fulton, Richard Gottfried, Harold Hodges, Barry Jackson, Ricky F. Mui, David Myles, Anita Neal Powell, Paul Scott, Izola (Zola) Shaw, and Marissa Valeri.

Rockville City voters will also be casting ballots in the mayor's race, with Monique Ashton and Mark Pierzchala running for that office.

Related: Ballots For Rockville City Election To Be Mailed To Registered Voters

Patch invited each of the candidates running in the Rockville City Race to fill out a questionnaire about their campaigns. Patch does not edit the responses of candidates to its election questionnaire. The following are Van Grack's responses.

Name

Adam Van Grack

Position sought

Rockville City Council

Age (at the time of election)

47

Campaign Website

https://www.vangrack.org/

Family: Names, ages and any pertinent detail you wish to share.

My son, Caleb, attends Robert Frost Middle School and Rockville City Camps (just like me when I was his age!).

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My father, Steven, was the Mayor of Rockville from 1985 to 1987.

Education

Ritchie Park Elementary School (1988) / Robert Frost Middle School (1990) / Richard Montgomery High School (1994) / Washington University in St. Louis (1998, Degree: A.B. in Political Science) / Washington University School of Law (2002, Degree: J.D.)

Occupation - Please include years of experience

Commercial Litigation Attorney since 2002 (focus on property law, contract law, land use law, and environmental law)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

Previous Governor Appointee, Maryland Juvenile Justice Advisory Council / Previous Legislative Staff Appointee, U.S. Senator Paul S. Sarbanes / Previous Elected Chair, USA Canoe/Kayak (U.S. Olympic Governing Body) / Current Appointed Member, Public Policy Committee, Rockville Chamber of Commerce

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for the Rockville City Council to give back to the city where I was raised and to make Rockville as safe and successful as it can be now and for generations to come. I started a small business in Rockville, and I work as an attorney at that law firm which has been a member of the Rockville Chamber of Commerce since its inception. Having seen the changes in Rockville over the past four decades, I believe the city can achieve greater success in its engagement with all of our neighborhoods, public safety and security, government transparency, reinvigorating Rockville Town Center, stopping wasteful spending, promoting diversity in the city government, and better public lands management and environmental policies.

The single most pressing issue facing voters is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

Public safety and security. I am committed to implementing comprehensive measures that will ensure a safer environment for all Rockville residents. First, the city needs to increase the number of police officers and provide better financial support for the Rockville Police Department (RPD) and the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department (RVFD). Additionally, we need a greater focus on strengthening community policing efforts, increasing the RPD's RockView program, improving emergency response systems, and enhancing public safety infrastructure. We should also increase the financial incentives for individuals and small businesses to afford security cameras to deter crime (without government access). As a prior member of the Maryland Juvenile Justice Advisory Council, I provided assistance to the state government through the Council's guidance on strategies to increase public safety and reduce recidivism of youth offenders. I want to assist Rockville in the same way.

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

I was raised in Rockville; own a small business in Rockville; and regularly interpret city, county, state, and federal laws as part of my job as an attorney in Rockville. These unique qualities provide me with a perspective of experiencing four decades of Rockville's growth, an understanding of the needs of Rockville's small businesses, and the ability (through code drafting, code enforcement, budget priorities, and land use planning) to help make Rockville as safe and successful as it can be now and for generations to come.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)?

The current Mayor and Council (1) has not provided adequate financial support for the Rockville Police Department (RPD) or the Rockville Volunteer Fire Department (RVFD) (the RPD did not receive the amount of funding that they requested this year and the RVFD received zero dollars), (2) has not followed the guidance of the 2019 Urban Land Institute TAP Report on how to correct problems in Rockville Town Center (link to the Report is on my website), and (3) has not operated with reasonable governmental transparency (there have been too many closed meetings).

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

My priorities for Rockville are:

1. Improving public safety and security. (as noted above)
2. Ensuring that the city supports and engages with all neighborhoods. In order to build a strong and inclusive Rockville, it is essential to engage with all neighborhoods within our community. By actively involving residents from all corners of the city, we can foster a sense of belonging and create a more inclusive city.
3. Enhancing government transparency. By increasing transparency throughout the city government, we empower citizens with the information needed to make informed decisions and hold officials accountable.
4. Reinvigorating Rockville Town Center and stopping wasteful spending. Fixing Rockville Town Center without wasting city funds is critical to maintaining our community's unique character and saving tax dollars for more support of Rockville’s residents.
5. Promoting diversity in the city government. We need to ensure that the city is supporting all of its residents, in all neighborhoods and in all economic backgrounds.
6. Fostering better public lands management and environmental policies. It is important for Rockville to properly manage its public lands and pass laws which properly safe-guard Rockville's environment and natural resources (including ensuring that only local plants and trees are used on public lands).

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

As just one example, in 2016, the U.S. National Governing Body for canoe and kayak sports (USA Canoe/Kayak) was facing significant problems entering that Olympic year. Around that time, I was asked by many athletes and organizations to help solve USA Canoe/Kayak's problems. In quick succession, I was elected to the Board and then elected Chair of USA Canoe/Kayak. Immediately, I worked to correct past mistakes, solve many of the problems, and make sure our U.S. Olympic Team had the support it needed to attend and compete in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

As relayed by 2016 U.S. Olympian Ashley Nee: "Leading up to the 2016 Rio Olympics, Adam Van Grack represented Team USA as the Chair of USA Canoe/Kayak. At some crucial points, it really did fall on him to make sure the bylaws and rules were in place and followed. In my opinion, Adam’s leadership and efforts are the reason why my Olympic race happened. Without Adam's leadership, our team might not have been able to compete. Instead, Adam’s work was a shifting force that enabled every single American athlete on Team USA to out perform results compared to the previous Olympic Games.

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

Getting results for Rockville also means working with our County, State, and Federal leaders to make our city stronger. Relationships with our government partners are critical in supportive services and also in funding assistance. I have worked for many years to establish relationships with our regional elected officials. Thus, I am proud to be endorsed by over twenty current and former elected officials, including State Senator Cheryl Kagan, Delegate Joe Vogel, Delegate Ryan Spiegel, U.S. Congressman Glenn Ivey, Montgomery County Sheriff Maxwell Uy, County Councilmember Sidney Katz, and County Councilmember Andrew Friedson. With these relationships, I will be effective in working collaboratively with our County State and Federal Government Partners.