STEVEN ACETI, JD

**** ****** ****

Carlsbad, CA *2011

760-***-**** cell

ac0g3z@r.postjobfree.com

EDUCATION

Juris Doctor, Albany Law School of Union University, 1981 (Admitted to practice in New York State and Federal courts 1982) (Retired status since 2005)

B.A. Political Science (Cum Laude), State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany, 1978

CURRENT EMPLOYMENT

1996-Present Strategic Advocacy Partners - Encinitas, CA

Government relations and political consultant, advising municipalities, corporations, organizations and individuals concerning federal, state and local legislation, policy issues, funding for projects or studies, and regulatory matters; campaign consultant for local and regional ballot measures to fund coastal beach nourishment and clean water projects.

1998-Present California Coastal Coalition - Encinitas, CA

Founder and Executive Director of coastal advocacy NGO comprised of coastal cities and counties to promote state and federal funding for beach nourishment, state parks, water quality, wetlands restoration, watershed management, and abatement of marine debris. Involves public outreach to and collaboration with city and county governments, regional planning associations, environmental groups, legislators, state and federal agencies, academia, the private sector, and organizing an annual conference. See: www.calcoast.org and www.coastalconference.org

PAST EMPLOYMENT

1997-2013 Self-Realization Fellowship - Encinitas, CA

Government relations representative and community liaison for worldwide religious organization, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA; worked with the California Coastal Commission, City of Encinitas, County of San Diego, and other entities on permits and various matters. Interviewed and retained attorneys and other service providers and created alliances with environmental groups statewide, consultants, academia and local governments along the California coast.

1998-2009 Marlowe & Company – Washington, D.C.

Southern California representative for lobbying firm based in Washington, D.C. that specializes in representing coastal cities and counties in Congress and assisting clients with projects and studies conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, NOAA, USGS, and USFWS, among other agencies.

1994-1997 First Nationwide Resorts - Irvine, CA

Associate General Counsel for a company that owned and managed recreational vehicle resorts. Managed litigation and bankruptcy cases being handled by law firms hired by the company. Appeared in court with outside counsel and hired outside counsel for a variety of issues related to the company’s business.

1982-1994 Litigation Attorney and Lobbyist - Albany, NY

Practiced trial law, primarily defending insured and self-insured companies and municipalities in environmental, employment, and product liability cases, in state and federal court (NY, CT, MA, VT, and NJ). Represented public and private sector clients in administrative proceedings before federal, state and local agencies for permits and other entitlements; lobbied the New York State Legislature and local governments on behalf of municipalities and corporations.

1976-1978 Legislative Aide, New York State Senator James Donovan (deceased)

Conducted legislative research, prepared legislative memoranda, and was involved in constituent outreach for Chair of the Senate Education Committee.

STATE GOVERNMENT AFFILIATIONS

California Coastal Sediment Management Workgroup (2000- )

http://www.dbw.ca.gov/csmw/

Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, San Diego Task Force (Vice-Chair, 2005-2009)

www.scwrp.org

Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project, Public Advisory Committee (1998- )

www.scwrp.org

California Sea Grant (Member, Advisory Board, 2003-2007)

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT AFFILIATIONS

San Diego Association of Government Shoreline Preservation Working Group (Member, 1998 - ) http://www.sandag.org/index.asp?committeeid=26&fuseaction=committees.detail

San Diego County Ecotourism Committee (Appointed by then County Supervisor Pam Slater-Price) (1998-1999)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT AFFILIATIONS

Environmental Advisory Committee, City of Encinitas, CA (2008)

Parks and Recreation Commissioner, City of Encinitas, CA (1998)

Beach Restoration Committee, City of Encinitas, CA (1998-2000)

Marine Debris Task Force, City of Los Angeles, CA (2005 - )

Orange County Marine Debris Task Force (Member, 2005 - )

NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

American Shore and Beach Preservation Association (Board of Directors, 1998-2009) (Chair, Legislative Committee, 1999-2009)

STATEWIDE ASSOCIATIONS

Green California, Participant in environmental advocacy collaboration (2004 - ) http://www.clcvedfund.org/what-we-do/green-california/

Adapt LA (Participant in climate change stakeholders group formed by the City of Los Angeles, USC Sea Grant and others (2012 - )

California Shore and Beach Preservation Association (Member, Board of Directors, 1997-2001) (Chair, Coastal Policy Committee, 1998-2001)

LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS

Downtown Encinitas MainStreet Association, Encinitas, CA; (Board of Directors, 1998-2009); (Executive Committee, 2001-2009) (President, 2005-2007)

Encinitas Chamber of Commerce, Encinitas, CA; (Board of Directors, 1997-2000) (Chair, Legislative Committee, 1998-2000)

Capitol Region Chamber of Commerce, Albany, NY; (Member, 1982-1992) (Board of Directors, 1988-1992)

March of Dimes, Northeastern New York Chapter, Albany, NY; (Board of Directors, 1987-1994) (Executive Committee, 1989-1994) (President, 1992-1994)

CAMPAIGN EXPERIENCE

Proposition R (1998): Co-chaired "Citizens for Sand" (with former City of Encinitas Mayors Jerome Stocks and James Bond), a campaign committee that advocated for passage of a ballot measure to raise the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) in Encinitas to create a dedicated source of funding for beach restoration projects (PASSED: 70%-30%).

Proposition C (2005): Co-Chaired "Citizens for Clean Water" (with Marco Gonzalez, Esq., then President of Surfrider Foundation’s San Diego Chapter), a campaign committee that advocated for passage of a ballot measure to create a dedicated source of funding for the city of Encinitas' Clean Water Program (LOST: 60%-40% due to a well-funded opposition campaign by federal, state and local taxpayer rights groups).

Proposition K (2008): Chaired "Citizens for Sand," a campaign committee that advocated for passage of a ballot measure to impose a TOT on short-term rental properties in the city of Encinitas to be included in an existing dedicated fund for beach restoration projects (WON: 76%-24%).

Worked on the statewide campaign committees formed to pass Propositions 12, 13, 40, 50 and 84, which generated more than $21

billion dollars (aggregate) for parks, open space, clean water, wetlands restoration and coast and ocean programs

Worked on numerous federal, state and local campaigns in New York and was active in politics (1976-1996).

ADVOCACY HIGHLIGHTS

Currently seeking funds from the state Natural Resources Agency, the State Coastal Conservancy and the Ocean Protection Council to purchase or lease a dredge vessel to conduct periodic beach restoration projects up and down California’s coast.

Working with Green California on a number of environmental bills.

Co-wrote and advocated for passage of AB 64 (Ducheny, 1999), the Public Beach Restoration Act, creating the state’s first dedicated fund for beach nourishment projects and leading to the creation of the state’s Coastal Sediment Management Workgroup.

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Sponsored and advocated for passage of SB 658 (Kuehl, 2001) and its successor, AB 2838 (Pavley, 2002); both of which would have created a permanent source of funding for projects and studies in coastal counties. (Both bills were vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger.)

Advocated in Sacramento to pass SB 1658 (Kehoe), which authorized SANDAG to proceed with a “Quality of Life” ballot measure, which, if it had been approved by the region’s voters in November 2016, would have increased the county’s sales tax by a half cent to fund open space, clean water and beach restoration projects.

Negotiated with the Department of Boating & Waterways to allocate roughly $18 million to SANDAG for its 2001 Regional Beach Sand Project (RBSP I) and assisted SANDAG in obtaining a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission and permits from state and federal agencies for RBSP I.

Negotiated with the Department of Boating & Waterways to allocate roughly $25 million to SANDAG for its 2012 Regional Beach Sand Project (RBSP II) and assisted SANDAG in obtaining a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission for and permits from state and federal agencies for RBSP II.

Negotiated with the state Natural Resources Agency, the State Coastal Conservancy, and the Ocean Protection Council for $5 million in Prop 84 funds to study, design and construct an artificial reef/sand retention device at Fletcher Cove (Solana Beach) to compliment SANDAG’s RPSP II

Helped negotiate the passage of a federal appropriations request, authored by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-San Francisco) and Rep. Sam Farr (D-Monterey), to allocate from NOAA’s budget $500,000 to the state’s Natural Resources Agency for its “Thank You Ocean” campaign.

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