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Stepper campaigning for second council term
She wants to continue working regionally on traffic, preparing for disaster

by Jordan M. Doronila

Danville Mayor Karen Stepper kicked off her re-election campaign at Ha's Restaurant on Hartz Avenue last week. She is seeking her second term on the Town Council; this year she is serving her turn as town mayor.

Around 100 residents showed up and registered at the Stepper's kickoff, received nametags, ate Chinese food and mingled. Danville Councilwoman Candace Anderson also attended the event. Stepper shook hands, chatted and laughed with her supporters.

"It was a kind of a drop-by-after-work event," said Stepper, who has been on the council for three-and-a-half years.

Stepper, who is a certified public accountant, said her political platform involves reinforcing Danville's small town atmosphere while encouraging residents to shop locally; improving traffic congestion; cooperating with other towns in the region; and making sure the community is prepared in times of disasters.

She said attracting more shoppers to do business in Danville puts more money into the town. And she said it's important for the town to work with neighboring communities.

"We have to cooperate with others," she said. "A lot of what we do is regionally oriented. Money doesn't come externally without strings. Danville has so many ways of reaching out to people."

She said the town's involvement in the Tri-Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, a group that provides information to people who visit Dublin, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Livermore, helps Danville regionally.

Stepper said she has had a wonderful time working on the Town Council.

"It's been a rewarding experience in a lot of ways," she said. "I've been very impressed with the dedication of our staff."

"I've been amazed at (the number) of volunteer organizations out there," she added.

As early as she can remember, Stepper has been involved in the community, she said. She was involved in 20 clubs in high school when she lived in Illinois.

"I enjoy interacting with people and problem-solving," she said.

One of her favorite aspects of being a councilwoman is participating in focused public meetings.

"I love meetings," she said. "I think they are very valuable."

"They also provide (an opportunity for) networking with other people in the community. It's also a place for generating ideas," she said.

"It's not new for me," she added. "That's the way I live my life."

Stepper said she received her undergraduate degree in mathematics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned her masters of business administration at California State University Hayward.

She said moving to California was something she had wanted to do for a long time.

"I was always told people that I was going to live in California," she said. "It's a place where a lot of things start. It's open to new ideas."

Now, after being here for 32 years, she said her initial impressions about the Golden State were true.

"There's nothing like the landscape in California," she said.

She enjoys skiing and the ocean. She is also a soccer coach for girls under 16 in Dublin. She lives in Danville with her husband Tony. They have two grown children, Shawn, 33, and Shannon Minor, 30.

Prior to becoming a council member, Stepper was a trustee with the San Ramon Valley Unified School District for nine years. She has been president of Mustang Soccer for three years.

She is currently president of the Exchange Club of San Ramon Valley, commissioner of Contra Costa Transportation Authority, an alternate for the Council of Mayors for Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and is a member of the League of California Cities-Revenue and Taxation Policy Committee.