Ex-Chamber Chief Seeks Council Seat

A former Chamber of Commerce president announced Thursday that she would become the second candidate to enter the November race for two seats on the Camarillo City Council.

Sherry Cole, who works as a district coordinator for the Pleasant Valley School District, said her experience in both business and the public sector qualifies her for a seat on the five-member panel.

“My top priority is strengthening the relationships among business, government and education to preserve and improve Camarillo’s quality of life,” Cole said in a prepared statement.

“The foundation is there, and we can strengthen this interaction,” she said. “I have proven leadership skills, employment experience in both public and private sectors and the educational background necessary to lead our City Council.”

A board member of the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce for the past six years, Cole promised that if she is elected, she will work to preserve the greenbelt between Oxnard and Camarillo. Cole joins city Planning Commissioner William Q. Liebmann as the only candidates so far to announce their intentions to seek seats on the council.

Mayor David M. Smith has said he will not seek another term, and Councilman Mike Morgan is vacating his seat in favor of a runoff election against Kathy Long for Maggie Kildee’s seat on the County Board of Supervisors.