Although Mark Brodsky has been involved with a few Los Gatos community groups in the past, the Monte Sereno resident says he's ready to take on government responsibilities for his own city by running for council.

Working with Los Gatos officials, Brodsky says, has given him "the ability not to be affected by the bureaucracy."

Besides, Brodsky says, he has interacted with current council members enough to know that he will work well with them if he wins a seat. He hopes incumbent Barbara Nesbet will be reelected, since Brodsky wants the chance to serve on council with her. "I can't say enough good stuff about Barbara," Brodsky said.

What has also come out of working with various community organizations is Brodsky's focus on protecting the Winchester Boulevard area. Brodsky was, and continues to be, one of the citizens active in promoting pedestrian safety at the intersection of Winchester and Daves Avenue. Most recently, Brodsky came before the Monte Sereno City Council with a plan to temporarily close off one of Winchester's northbound lanes, just south of Vineland Avenue.

"Closing off one lane is a step in the process," Brodsky said. The extra lane would create a safe walkway on the east side of Winchester and "make the road look like a neighborhood road," Brodsky said.

The next step, Brodsky said, is to narrow the crosswalks and put in landscaping that would encourage drivers to slow down.

"I believe Monte Sereno should immediately take the area of Winchester that it owns and make that change," Brodsky said.

Winchester was perhaps the most controversial issue to come before the city in the past year, with a handful of Los Gatos and Monte Sereno residents banding together in public hearings to plead for what was ultimately a stoplight at Winchester and Daves.

"Nobody who knew the importance of the Winchester debate was running for city council," Brodsky said. "Somebody had to get involved who understood what quality we want in Monte Sereno. Do we want it to look like Monte Sereno or Milpitas? I don't want it to look like Milpitas."

As a council member, Brodsky says, he would take steps for the historic preservation of the city, as reflected in new home designs. "When we say 'Los Gatos,' we have a mental image of what a Los Gatos home looks like, but when we say 'Monte Sereno,' we don't have a mental image of what a Monte Sereno home looks like."

Monte Sereno government should draw up a list, with photos, of suggested architectural styles for potential home builders for a more uniform historic look in the city, Brodsky says. "We are part of this gateway to Los Gatos and part of the entryway to Silicon Valley."

"While we're all in agreement that we don't want the McMansions of Southern California, I think it would behoove the city to say, 'Here are the examples that the city would like,' " Brodsky said. Homeowners can build whatever they want, Brodsky said, "but we're recommending what the city's style is."

Ultimately, however, it's up to the residents to design whatever kind of homes they desire. "I believe the homeowner really does know best," Brodsky said. The city should try to "support the dreams and designs of its citizens" and make an effort to accommodate the homeowner, not vice versa, Brodsky says.

Brodsky himself has had experience in creating a home to fit his dreams and designs. He and his wife, Marleen, moved into their Grosvenor Court house 12 years ago. They have since remodeled it to suit their tastes, and tastefully decorated their home with Asian art and other classic pieces.

Brodsky is somewhat of an expert in Asian cultures, having traveled to the continent on business 28 times in the past four years. He also lived in Singapore for a time at the start of his career.

Admittedly, Brodsky can speak very little in the way of Asian languages, but offers, "I can curse in some."

Brodsky says his two greatest passions in life are Marleen and sailing. The Brodskys went to Paris for a romantic vacation last year and take weekly ballroom dance lessons.

As for sailing, Brodsky has completed his fifth professional lesson for advanced coastal cruising, often taking his small boat for a spin around San Francisco Bay. "I want to continue to build my confidence as a captain," Brodsky said.

Married for 12 years, Brodsky and his wife each brought a son and a daughter to their blended family. The youngest of the four children is 19, the oldest 26. Brodsky's own daughter lives in San Francisco and is currently the technical stage manager for Baz Luhrmann's production of La Boheme. "It's wonderful as a parent when your kids are too busy for you," Brodsky said.

Brodsky is just as proud of his profession as he is of his children. He founded a company in San Jose that laser-engraves industrial items, and in the late 1990s he developed a laser technology for which he obtained a patent.

A self-described "geek," Brodsky says his professional philosophy extends to his work in city government. "A systems engineer tries to optimize systems within boundary conditions with the caveat that it will all work," Brodsky said. And that's what he promises to do - come up with plausible and workable solutions for problems in Monte Sereno.

Mark Brodsky

Age: 52

Occupation: Systems integrator for his own laser business

Education: Bachelor's degree in industrial and systems engineering from San José State University

Community Involvement: Served on the Los Gatos Boulevard Community Alliance and the Los Gatos General Plan Review Board; member and past president of the Mexican-American Toastmasters; past member of the Neighborhood Alliance; past member of the board of Congregation Beth David

Family: Wife Marleen, two grown children, two grown stepchildren