Article in todays Folsom Telegraph
http://www.folsomtel...ories/04kyc.txtHowell balances career, service to community
Vice Mayor tries for third council term
By: Gloria Beverage
Tuesday, September 19, 2006 5:00 PM PDT
Kerri Howell describes herself as the original Type A multi-tasker.
It's the best explanation for how this Folsom resident accomplishes what she does.
A civil and corrosion engineer, Howell is president of Atlantic Consultants, Inc. in Folsom. She has two engineering degrees and licenses.
"I have done work all over the world," she said. "I'm pretty well-respected in my field, particularly on the corrosive engineering side."
Howell decided in fourth grade to pursue a career as an engineer. The men in her family inspired her career choice. Her father worked as an electrical engineer for Raytheon. Her grandfather was a contractor. An uncle worked as a mason.
"I just thought I could do that stuff," she said. "It wasn't until I was in college that a professor made a comment about women engineers.
"There are a lot more women engineers today than when I started out, but I don't let stuff like that bother me," Howell continued.
There are times, however, when she surprises a client.
"It's happened a few different times because my voice is so deep and my name doesn't give away that I'm female," she said adding, "Women don't get to be successful in engineering without being able to make their opinions known."
Nor is Howell afraid to express her opinions while discussing issues on the Folsom City Council.
"It's about having opinions and being able to stand up for them and doing what, in the long run, is the best for the majority of the residents," she explained.
Howell, who has served on the council since 1998, said she has cast the lone dissenting vote countless times.
"I'm one of those people where we can have a discussion, agree to disagree and so long as I feel that you know where I'm coming from, it is OK if you disagree with me," she explained. "I'm not a carrier of grudges. I stand up for what I believe in."
In seeking a third term on the council, Howell spells out what she believes is important.
"We need to make sure the (Folsom Dam) bridge not only gets started, but gets finished," she said. "We've got to get the Railroad Block project moving. That is going to be the critical factor in the redevelopment of the Historic District."
And Howell wants to ensure the city maintains its good financial position.
"We've still got some traffic issues to attend to," she said. "With the construction of the new bridge, it's probably going to get worse before it gets better.
She also wants to see the city move forward with plans to annex the land in the city's Sphere of Influence along Highway 50. "I was one of those people who helped obtain the MOU (Memo of Understanding) with the county," she said. "I want to make sure we maintain the open space we agreed to - protect the oak trees and habitat - and that we can provide the services (streets, sewers, public safety).
"That property will be developed eventually," she said. "I think it is in our best interest for the city to be the guardian of the development of that property as opposed to the county or another jurisdiction."
A resident of Folsom for more than 20 years, Howell says the city is unique in many ways. "It has remained that way because many people have worked hard to insure it does," she said. "People move here and say they've moved to this picturesque little town."
Howell, who serves on numerous professional committees, represents the city at regional boards and is active with Rotary Annes and Andys, still finds time to respond to e-mails and phone calls from residents.
Over the years Howell and her husband of 25 years, Frank Buckley, have hosted about a dozen exchange students through the Rotary program.
"We got really busy and forgot to have kids," she said. "We may have been to more Folsom High School graduations than most people in Folsom. The kids have come from Germany, Spain, Holland, South Africa, England, Brazil, Japan and a few that I have probably forgotten.
Although both travel extensively for their jobs, the couple often visits their oceanfront property in Maine. "We sit on my front porch and watch the ocean and spend time with my family," she said.
Know Your Candidate
Name: Kerri Howell, 47
Hometown: Originally from the East Coast; Has lived in Folsom since 1985
Family: Married for 25 years to Frank Buckley. We got really busy and forgot to have kids, but have hosted about a dozen exchange students through the Rotary program, she said. The couple also shares their home with two Maine Coon cats and a Cocker Spaniel.
Occupation: President of Atlantic Consultants, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in civil and corrosion engineering in Folsom.
Why shes running: Howell wants to maintain our quality of life and Folsoms small town charm, balancing growth between business and residential development, and ensuring the residents of Folsom are well represented in local government.
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Vote for Kerri
A VETERAN
Whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve - is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount "up to and including their life".
That is HONOR, and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.
-Author unknown-
