Malibu leader named Citizen of the Year





John Sibert, a Malibu City Council member, was named this year’s Citizen of the Year by the Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation at the organization’s annual banquet at Malibou Lake on May 10.

Following tradition, the honoree was kept a secret throughout the evening. Federation president Kim Lamorie gave the room full of guests the opportunity to guess his identity by listing his achievements.

“The admiration and response to this year’s honoree is profound and a tribute to this citizen’s efforts in enhancing and protecting the quality of life in our mountain and coastal communities,” Lamorie said. “Our Citizen of the Year, above all else, is a person who has made a difference, a leader, a standout. Passion, conviction and an unwavering environmental ethic are all defining features.”

Lamorie said the VIP chosen as this year’s top citizen served in several “collaborative groups . . . whose mission is to protect and preserve our coastal and mountain watersheds.”

The environmental champion helped complete award-winning projects designed to improve water quality in Malibu Creek, Malibu Lagoon and Surfrider Beach, she said.

Before revealing his name, Lamorie said the Citizen of the Year had shared his “extraordinary scientific background and expertise” with numerous organizations that yielded “accurate and impactful results.”

Sibert helped lead efforts at the state and regional levels for redistricting in Los Angeles County. He advocated for environmental protection of the mountains and coastal communities “at every hearing, at every meeting,” Lamorie said.

“He made a difference to all communities in the Santa Monica Mountains and along our seashore in order to effect multibeneficial regional solutions that continue to protect and preserve our environment.”

Sibert was surprised when his name was finally announced.

“I am honored,” he said when he accepted the award.

“The issues won’t go away,” Sibert said about environmental problems. “We need to do more with the Santa Monica Mountains and the Malibu Creek watershed.”

He added that the Council of Governments could make an impact in the future by talking to state agencies about the needs of the area.

Speaker after speaker noted that Sibert brings scientific expertise to environmental debates.

State Sen. Fran Pavley (DCalabasas) said Sibert never missed a meeting during the debate about redistricting and always used scientific evidence to bolster discussion about water quality and other environmental issues.

“You really made a difference,” she said.

Assemblymember Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) and Sibert worked together for many years on the Santa Monica Bay Commission.

“He’s always been rock solid,” Bloom said.

Los Angeles Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said Sibert deserved the honor. “There’s something about a politician who actually believes in science and evidence,” he said.

A former managing partner of GFG China Holdings and Global Financial Group, Sibert evaluated investment opportunities in laterstage U.S. technology companies, primarily focused on energy, environment and biotechnology.

He was chief operating officer of the California State University Institute, overseeing commercialization of technology activities from the 23 CSU campuses, and the founding executive director of the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation. He also directed exploratory research and developed alternative energy technology for the Atlantic Richfield Company.

Sibert has worked as a chemistry professor and administrator at Yale University, California Institute of Technology and Cal State universities.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *