by Garth Meyer
She was on the city Library Commission for four years, has been on the General Plan Advisory Committee for six years, and was appointed to the Public Works Commission last fall.
Candace Allen Nafissi now runs a third time for the District Three City Council seat, losing the last two races to Christian Horvath.
She gets up at 3:50 a.m. every day.
“District Three needs an advocate. We want our voices heard,” Nafissi said. “We’ve had great city council members working on small projects, what we need are bigger projects. It’s pretty common for me to hear we’re missing an advocate.”
For a bigger item, she names Artesia Boulevard.
“District Three ends two streets before it,” she said.
She named the Beach Cities Health District, headquartered in District Three, as something to be sure includes community input and retains “community character.”
The proposed Healthy Living Campus is also in the district.
“I think it’s a great project that has significant concerns that I look forward to addressing,” said Nafissi.
She grew up in Torrance and moved to Redondo Beach 13 years ago with her husband. Soon after she was appointed to the Historical Commission.
Nafissi has a Masters degree in public administration from Cal-State Long Beach and bachelors in public policy. She spent a year as the advocacy chair and then another year as the communications chair of the Associated Students of CSULB.
She now manages the South Bay Community Resource Center for L.A. Care in Wilmington, a joint project of Blue Shield.
“Combating health disparities. How do we build a community. Where there’s a gap and how to fill it,” Nafissi said.
She is endorsed by Congressman Ted Lieu – for whom she worked for as a South Bay field representative when he was a state assemblyman. Other endorsements include Redondo Beach Mayor Bill Brand, Councilmen Nils Nehrenheim, Todd Loewenstein and Zein Obagi, Jr., as well as the local police and fire unions.
“I have an insatiable drive to serve the public,” she said. “People ask, ‘How do you do it? I don’t know how I’d not do it. I always raise my hand.”
Nafissi’s two children go to Beryl Elementary School, where she is vice president of the PTA. Her husband is a Los Angeles police officer.
She now runs for city council to follow the term-limited Horvath, the subject of a special meeting Jan. 17 about whether to vacate his post over a question of residency. Horvath testified that his family moved to Torrance last year but he has, and will remain at, the original family house in Redondo Beach with roommates, until the end of his second term.
“Where Christian Horvath lives is of no interest to me,” said Nafissi. “I would hope he continues to be more forthright, open and transparent.”
She said her number one priority is to be sure the Metro Green Line extension goes down Hawthorne Boulevard instead of a right-of-way next to homes in North Redondo.
Nafissi also wants to see a Business Improvement District created for Artesia Boulevard. “When the business owner to the left does well, you do well,” Nafissi said, noting that it should start small, one block, then a second block, then a third.
“To extend (about 10 blocks) from Hawthorne to Aviation. That would be my hope,” she said.
For her city council campaign, she has knocked on doors each weeknight for three hours, as well as Saturdays, targeting 2,600 high-frequency voters.
There was time last Monday for a family trip to Disneyland.
“I’m not a fan of assuming what the issues are,” Nafissi said. “Door knocking. There’s no other literal way to do it.”
She is a member of the South Bay Sandpiper philanthropic group.
“I’m excited and I think I’m ready to serve on day one (at city council). I’m looking forward to serving this community,” she said.
During the pandemic in 2020-21, Nafissi was part of an effort to bring kids back to classrooms sooner than they were in the Redondo Unified School District, then under the direction of Superintendent Steven Keller.
“I don’t think he went to bat enough for our children,” she said. “…Our kids are grossly behind in test scores.”
The following are Nafissi’s responses to a few short Easy Reader questions:
What would you want to see happen at the AES site?
“I’d love to see park space, I’d love to see the salt marsh preserved, I’d love to see an education center, and I’d love to see an aquatic center,” Nafissi said. “We do not do enough community engagement. While I have something in mind, I’m laser-focused on what this community wants.”
Campaigning?
“I don’t know how you could not enjoy meeting great people,” she said.
Housing?
“We have a certified housing element, and I’m glad we pushed back against the state when we needed to.”
The Catalina Village project?
“I fell asleep (watching the 10-hour city council meeting) at 11:30 p.m. I woke up at 3:50 and it was still playing. I thought (the video) was a mistake,” Nafissi said. “It does seem it had significant issues in parking, in the character of the development. These things are important to people.”
Who was the last worthy representative of District Three?
“I have not encountered one,” she said. “The last three people were extremely challenging elected officials.” ER
