Candidate for
Councilmember; City of Seaside

Thomas M. Mancini Council Member City of Seaside

Mr. Mancini was born in Providence, Rhode Island, July 9, 1938. He graduated from Colt Memorial High School (located in Bristol, RI) in 1955. After a short stay at the University of Rhode Island, Mr. Mancini entered the U. S. Army. In August 1957, he married his wife, Merrilyn. They have five children and nine grandchildren, the oldest is 21 and the youngest is four. One granddaughter is attending UC Santa Barbara where she is studying marine biology.

His enlisted military assignments overseas included tours of duty at Fort Dix, NJ, a three year tour of duty in Japan, two years as an aircraft mechanic/instructor at Fort Rucker, Alabama followed by graduation from Infantry OCS at Fort Benning, GA. Upon graduation from Airborne and Heavy Weapons Platoon Leader schools, he was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in the Republic of South Viet Nam.

From 1966-1967, he was infantry rifle platoon leader with the 1st Cav; from 1969-1970, he was a Tactics Advisor with the Republic of South Vietnam Infantry School at Thu Duc near Saigon. He returned to the United States in June 1970 and attended the Infantry Officers' Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. Following graduation, the Mancini family was assigned to Fort Ord in August 1971.

While at Fort Ord, Mr. Mancini attended Golden Gate University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1975, and a Masters degree in Public Administration in 1978.

In 1975, the Mancinis purchased a home in Seaside. He retired from the Army as an Infantry Captain in September 1978. Between then and now, he has sold insurance; managed an automobile transmission rebuild/repair shop in San Jose; worked as a civilian contractor with the Saudi Arabian National Guard at Riyadh; worked in the city of Marina's Public Works Department; and was City Manager of San Juan Bautista from 1988-1992. From 1992 to 2003, the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District employed him as a full time substitute teacher. He retired in June 2003. He has lived in Oaxaca, Mexico for two months where he attended the Instituto Cultural Oaxaca to improve his Spanish.

First elected to the Seaside Council in November 1994, he was re-elected in 1998 and 2002 and was Mayor Pro Tem from 1999 to 2001. Mr. Mancini represents the City of Seaside on the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (FORA), Monterey Salinas Transit (MST) + where he has been the Vice-chair for three years. He also served on the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments (AMBAG) board for six years, and the Monterey Regional Waste Management board (MRWMB) for five years.

Mr. Mancini is the only council member from Seaside to graduate from the League of California Cities' Elected Officials Leadership Academy.