In the midst of his second term on the Mill Valley City Council, Vice Mayor Andy Berman wears many hats. He is Mill Valley's representative on the board of , the Southern Marin Emergency Medical Paramedic System (SMEMPS) and the Marin Telecommunication Agency. He's also the chair of the city's , which is the .
For his day job, Berman is executive vice president at education technology company ePals. He's lived in Mill Valley for 15 years with his wife Sabra and their four children.
Family Guy
For Berman, spending time with family free from the pressures of work is always one of the weekend's highlights. Berman makes sure that his family has dinner together during at least two of the weekend nights. "I live all week for this time," he says.
Playing Catch Up
Away from the pressures of the day job, the weekend gives Berman the perfect opportunity to catch up on his City Council work. "I read my packets, have meetings, make the calls I need to return, and prepare for sessions coming up," he says.
Berman keeps a hefty load with City Council and countywide work, which includes chairing the Marin Telecommunications Agency, the Southern Marin Emergency Medical & Paramedics System, and co-chairing the Sewerage Agency of Southern Marin.
Staying Balanced, Yogi Style
When he first moved to California in 1989, Berman experienced lower back pain for the first time. A California colleague recommended that he try a "yoga class," because it might be "really good for your back."
"I wasn't quite ready to jump into "California living" that much, but the pain persisted, so I tried it. I've been doing it ever since," he says.
Berman's been attending Alice Rocky's Iyengar style hatha yoga class every Saturday morning for the past 20 years. Berman jokes that this is the longest standing relationship he's had with any woman, other than his wife, of course.
Vice-Mayoral Duties
Berman spends part of his weekend preparing for the upcoming week, and attending any event that Mayor Garry Lion can't make. Berman especially has had his hands full with work as the chair of the General Plan Advisory Committee.
"Preparing for this important 18-month process, and being intimately involved with every step it takes, has been a major priority for my weekends," said Berman.
The Great Escape
"If there's one thing I sometimes do alone in Mill Valley that I really enjoy, it's taking a run on the hills; it's a great escape, so close, and you seem so far away," said Berman.
Berman stays fit, and perceives the as an "annual treat." This year, he took off at the start line shoulder to shoulder with City Manager Jim McCann.
