Meet The Candidate: Mark Shiffer For Alexandria City Council

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Mark Shiffer, a director of engineering, is one of 13 candidates seeking election to the Alexandria City Council in the 2021 primary.

On June 8, a Democratic primary will be held for Alexandria mayor and City Council, along with statewide races like governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and House of Delegates. Voters will choose up to six candidates in the City Council race, determining who will be on the ballot for the November general election.

Shiffer, who works for Redhorse Corporation, has over 20 years of technology experience. He is also on the board of the Cambridge Climate Institute, a climate change research nonprofit he founded with his wife, Nadya. Shiffer and his wife live in Alexandria with their two children who attend Alexandria City Public Schools.

For more information about the election in Alexandria, visit www.alexandriava.gov/Elections.

Learn more about Mark Shiffer and why he is running for Alexandria City Council in 2021:

Age (as of Election Day)

49

Position sought (mayor, city council, school board, etc.)

City Council

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

wife: Nadya Vinogradova-Shiffer, NASA-HQ Physical Oceanography Program Manager and Program Scientist (climate scientist)
children: Andrei Shiffer, 14 (ACPS)
Kira Shiffer, 6 (ACPS)

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My wife works for NASA.

Education

Mathematics, Cornell University
Computer Science, Cal State University - Long Beach
Computational Neuroscience - Boston University

Occupation

Director of Engineering - 20 years in Big Data and Artificial Intelligence

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

none

Campaign website

www.markshiffer.info

Why are you seeking elective office?

I think there are a number of complex issues and challenges facing the city. I have experience solving challenging problems, and building teams to do so. I want to bring my talents and broad experience to the city to help address those challenges.

The single most pressing issue facing our (board, district, etc.) is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

flooding and infrastructure.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

While all the candidates are coming from a good place, I am one of two with a background in actually making data driven decisions. In addition, I have background both as a problem solving engineer and as an executive. This gives me the experience needed to oversee an organization (the city) without having the wool pulled over my eyes.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

They are constantly behind the curve. From infrastructure investment (which has lead to flooding) to pushing for affordable housing ownership to backing off of the misguided Taylor Run "restoration", the current city council doesn't seem to act until there's an emergency. In addition, they are good at listening to staff but not to the community.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

I think they did a good job. I would have focused more on residents who may be facing rent issues.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Fixing infrastructure to stop flooding. Universal pre-k. Better environmental stewardship. Affordable housing ownership and more availability of affordable housing. Alternative energy. Ethics. I would like to help fulfill the promise of our city and get done what our residents want to get done.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My life has been solving hard problems and building teams and fostering collaboration to solve hard problems. I was the first in my family to graduate college and have gone on to a successful career as a tech executive. I founded a successful climate science non-profit with my wife. And I am in the process of raising two wonderful children.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

The only limits to what we can accomplish are those that we place on ourselves.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Please find out more at www.markshiffer.info