Representing Area 5 – The Alphabet Streets

Welcome! My name is May Sung, and I am honored to run to be your voice on the Pacific Palisades Community Council.

My Roots in the Palisades

I have been a proud Palisades resident since 2005 and an Alphabet Streets homeowner since 2017, where I live with my husband, our two children, four dogs, and two cats. Our children attended Marquez Charter Elementary, Paul Revere Charter Middle School, and Palisades Charter High School.

We lost our home in the Alphabets, our previous home in the El Medio Bluffs, and my business in the Palisades Fire. Currently, our family is rebuilding our home. Navigating this deeply personal challenge has fueled my unwavering dedication to our neighborhood’s safety, resilience, and recovery. To help our community bounce back together, I took proactive steps by sharing professional knowledge, organizing local brush clearances, hosting essential rebuild webinars, connecting neighbors with necessary resources, sharing upcoming events, and securing vendor discounts for neighbors who are also rebuilding their homes.

Proven Community Leadership

I believe in showing up for our neighborhood. My ongoing commitment to the Palisades includes serving as:

• Coordinator: Alphabet Streets Block Captains

• Founding Member: Team Palisades Steering Committee and the Community Recovery Coordination Council (CRCC)

• Member: PPCC Infrastructure Committee

• Former Board Member: Friends of Marquez Elementary

Action-Driven Fire Recovery

To help our community bounce back, I have turned my personal experience into concrete community action:

• Financial Advocacy: Spearheaded a permit fee waiver campaign through the City Council and elimination of grading bonds less than $15,000, successfully easing the financial burden for families rebuilding their homes.

• Hazard Mitigation: Spearheaded our community's brush clearance initiative, coordinating the removal of over 25 tons of hazardous brush to make our neighborhoods safer and more fire-resilient.

• Rebuilding Support: Personally helped hundreds of Palisadians navigate the complex rebuilding process by answering questions, resolving permitting bottlenecks, and connecting neighbors with the right resources.

• Leveraging Resources: Brought in WestEdge Design Fair resources and other professional experts, such as builders, architects, landscape architects, insurance industry, and IBHS to directly benefit our entire community during the recovery process.

• Helping the Vulnerable: Provided affordable designs through Case Study 2.0 and New California Classics catalogues to help seniors and those in need.

Professional Expertise

I bring a trained architect’s perspective to our local challenges. I am the founder of Palisades based SUBU Design Architecture, a Fulbright Fellow, and hold architecture degrees from UC Berkeley and the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. I am eager to apply my professional background in design, planning, and project management directly to our neighborhood's needs.

My Vision for Area 5

If elected, I pledge to actively champion:

• Resilient Infrastructure: Securing our neighborhood against future emergencies and become a Firewise neighborhood.

• Transparent Rebuilding: Streamlining the process for residents recovering and rebuilding.

• Thoughtful Planning: Protecting the unique character and charm of the Alphabet Streets.

• Your Voice: Ensuring the specific needs of Alphabet Streets residents are always heard at the Council level and advocating in the neighborhood’s interest with governmental entities.

I would be deeply honored to earn your vote. Let's work together to build a stronger, safer, and more connected Alphabet Streets.

Together, we make Alphabet the alphaBEST.