Pamela Bensoussan
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Pamela Bensoussan
Pamela Bensoussan was elected to the City Council in November 2008, after many years of service on Chula Vista boards, commissions and civic organizations. A long time resident of Chula Vista, she was born and raised here. Career and studies took her to Paris in the mid 1970s where she gained an international perspective on economics, history and society. In 1984 she returned home to Chula Vista, with her two small children. Pamela is a professional certified art and antique appraiser, accredited by the American Society of Appraisers, and is a two-term president of the society’s San Diego chapter.
A strong advocate for responsible development, Pamela chaired the City’s Redevelopment Advisory Committee during its first year and served several years on the Third Avenue Village Design Committee. She believes that growth and redevelopment in Western Chula Vista can be achieved without sacrificing our neighborhoods and quality of life. She is committed to making this goal a reality and, together with Councilman Steve Castaneda, has established the City Council’s first Western Revitalization Subcommittee.
While serving five years on the City’s Resource Conservation Commission Pamela learned about land use, environmental resources and the state Environmental Quality Act. From this experience she gained an understanding of the delicate balance required in planning for future development and environmental sustainability. This interest prompted her to become part of the Council Subcommittee on Energy with her colleague Councilman Castaneda. She is also proud to be the City’s representative to ICLEI, the Worldwide “Think Globally, Act Locally” organization of local governments for sustainability.
Pamela also served on the General Plan Update Environmental Subcommittee and later on the General Plan Steering Committee. By the time she was appointed to the Planning Commission, Pamela had invested years working towards solving the city’s growth problems and crafting a visionary plan to help us achieve economic health, prosperity and a good quality of life for future generations. Pamela recognizes that regional planning is important to accomplish these goals and is an active member of the South County Economic Redevelopment Council, serving on their Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Pamela lives in the Historic Greg Rogers House on Second Avenue and is keenly aware of our City’s architectural and cultural history. While serving on the Heritage Museum Executive Board she co-founded the city’s first historic home tour that raised money annually for the Heritage Museum and preservation efforts in Chula Vista. Those activities inspired her to lead the effort for an updated historic preservation ordinance for the city and she has served on two committees to study and craft those policies. Passionate about preserving our connections to the past, she is working with Mayor Cheryl Cox to lead the preparations for the city’s centennial celebration – which will take place in 2011. She opens her home regularly for tours and events and to students at Greg Rogers Elementary School helping them learn about early Chula Vista through experiencing one of the city’s original orchard houses.
One of our city’s major attractions is the award winning Chula Vista Nature Center, nestled in the Sweetwater Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, providing wetland-related programs and exhibits to the community and visitors. Councilwoman Bensoussan and Mayor Cox formed the council’s Nature Center Subcommittee to help shepherd the center through a sustainability plan that will guarantee preservation of this community jewel for future generations.
Other boards and committees that Pamela serves on are the Otay Valley Regional Park, the SANDAG Bayshore Bikeway Committee, the Animal Care Facility Subcommittee, the City/Schools Task Force, and the Friends of the Villa Montezuma.
Excited to be a member of this City Council that will bring the community much closer to realizing our goals of executing our Bayfront Master Plan and building a University and Research Technology Center, Pamela understands that it’s during challenging times that we become the most creative and inventive. She is committed to making our dreams for our community come true.
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