Cheryl Parker for Del Rey Oaks City Council

Why Cheryl for City Council?

Del Rey Oaks is at an important crossroads. Decisions made over the next several years about growth, infrastructure, public safety, and financial sustainability will shape our community for decades to come. These are complex issues that require thoughtful leadership, sound judgment, and a willingness to ask difficult questions before commitments are made.

Throughout her nearly two-decade career as a licensed civil engineer, Cheryl Parker has helped communities solve complex infrastructure and environmental challenges. She has worked with local governments, state agencies, federal partners, utilities, consultants, and contractors to deliver projects that protect public resources, meet regulatory requirements, and serve the public interest.

That experience has taught her to evaluate facts before forming conclusions, weigh long-term costs alongside short-term needs, and make decisions based on evidence rather than assumptions. Engineers are trained to identify risks, solve problems collaboratively, and plan for the future — qualities that are just as valuable in public service as they are in engineering.

Cheryl isn't running because she's a career politician. She's running because she believes Del Rey Oaks deserves practical, transparent, and accountable leadership grounded in professional experience and a genuine commitment to the community she calls home.

She will bring an engineer's approach to City Hall: listening first, asking the right questions, evaluating the facts, and making decisions that protect taxpayers while preserving the character and quality of life that make Del Rey Oaks such a special place to live.

What Cheryl Will Bring to City Council

Nearly 20 years of engineering and public infrastructure experience.
A proven record of managing complex public projects and protecting taxpayer investments.
Experience collaborating across local, state, federal, and regional agencies.
A commitment to transparent government and meaningful public participation.
Independent, fact-based decision-making focused on the long-term interests of Del Rey Oaks.

Meet Cheryl

Putting Down Roots in Del Rey Oaks

Cheryl has called Del Rey Oaks home since 2020. Like many residents, she came here looking for a place to put down roots, and she found it. She and her husband have spent the past five years renovating their home in DRO and investing in their home, their neighborhood, and the future of Del Rey Oaks.

She grew up in a small rural town, where she learned early on what it means to truly rely on your neighbors and to show up for them in return. Those lessons stayed with Cheryl, shaped by the years she spent watching her grandmother, an immigrant from England. She taught Cheryl firsthand about the dignity of elder care, the realities of living on a fixed income, and just how much it matters when a community is there to catch you when you fall.

Cheryl Parker on a trail in Del Rey Oaks

A Career Built on Accountability

Cheryl has spent nearly twenty years solving complex public infrastructure challenges. As a licensed Civil Engineer with a Master's degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering, she has worked at most levels of government and in private consulting, giving her firsthand experience with how projects are planned, funded, designed, regulated, and built.

Her career includes transportation engineering, environmental protection, drinking water systems, utility infrastructure, regulatory compliance, capital improvement planning, and federal civil engineering. She understands how to evaluate technical reports, identify risks before they become expensive problems, and ensure public dollars are spent wisely.

That is exactly what council members do.

As a volunteer with Engineers Without Borders, Cheryl helped design and construct a clean water system for a rural community in Honduras, providing reliable drinking water to families who had never before had dependable access. The experience reinforced her belief that good engineering improves lives, and that thoughtful public infrastructure is one of government's most important responsibilities.

Cheryl Parker at the City of Del Rey Oaks sign

A Critical Juncture for Del Rey Oaks

Del Rey Oaks is weighing major decisions on the development of its remaining Fort Ord land, working through serious infrastructure questions, and facing real financial pressure that could affect its future as an independent city. These aren't routine issues — they require careful analysis, technical judgment, and someone willing to ask hard questions before decisions are made.

Del Rey Oaks is making decisions that will define the city for generations. Those decisions deserve more than opinions — they deserve careful analysis, technical expertise, financial accountability, and meaningful public engagement. Cheryl is running because she has spent her career making exactly these kinds of decisions.

On The Issues

Cheryl's platform is built on the values of the residents — open process, real expertise, and a seat at the table for every neighbor

🏗️

Fort Ord Lands

Development that serves residents, present and future through a transparent process to allow for real public input before decisions are made.

Del Rey Oaks sits on the edge of one of the most significant land development opportunities on the Monterey Peninsula. How we develop the former Fort Ord parcels will shape our city for generations. Cheryl believes in integrating the natural world into developed space, not paving over it. Cheryl's experience reviewing engineering reports, environmental requirements, utility infrastructure, and public works projects allows her to ask the questions that protect residents before major commitments are made and make sure the public is fully informed.

A transparent process to allow for real public input before decisions are made.
Prioritize development that serves residents, present and future

🔧

Infrastructure

18 years as a licensed civil engineer, delivering infrastructure projects on time, within budget, and with minimal impact on residents.

Infrastructure problems happen everywhere and they require knowledgeable, experienced people to solve them. Infrastructure is more than fixing roads and pipes. It's evaluating life-cycle costs, prioritizing projects, securing grants, managing contractors, and making sure taxpayers receive lasting value for every dollar received. A licensed civil engineer on the council changes the dynamic: Cheryl knows what questions to ask, and how to work through the answers.

Transparent oversight on all public infrastructure projects
Hold contractors to their commitments

📣

Public Voice

Open government works best when residents are informed, engaged, and invited to participate before decisions are made.

Del Rey Oaks is strongest when every resident has the opportunity to help shape the decisions that affect our community. Public participation shouldn't be treated as a formality at the end of the process — it should be an essential part of how the City conducts business.

Throughout her engineering career, Cheryl has worked with residents, public agencies, regulators, and community stakeholders to solve complex challenges. She understands that the best solutions come from listening carefully, evaluating different perspectives, and making decisions based on facts, transparency, and meaningful public input.

Cheryl believes City Hall should actively encourage participation by making information accessible, restoring opportunities for residents to serve, and ensuring advisory committees are fully staffed and empowered to provide thoughtful recommendations before major decisions are made.

Ensure all City advisory committees are fully staffed and actively engaged in serving the community.
Provide timely, accessible information so residents have adequate time to understand and comment on important issues before decisions are made.
Promote transparency by clearly communicating the reasons behind Council decisions and how public input was considered.

✈️

Airport Noise

Using engineering expertise to ensure decisions are guided by current data, sound science, and the voices of Del Rey Oaks residents.

The last comprehensive airport noise study for Monterey Regional Airport was completed in 2008. Since then, aircraft technology, flight operations, and surrounding land uses have evolved, and the airport is relocating a major taxiway. Del Rey Oaks residents deserve to know whether the data used to evaluate aircraft noise and its impacts still reflects today's conditions.

As a licensed civil engineer, Cheryl understands how technical studies, environmental analyses, and infrastructure projects are developed and evaluated. She knows the importance of using current, reliable data, not outdated assumptions, to make informed public policy decisions. She will ask the right questions, examine the supporting evidence, and advocate for decisions based on facts and transparency.

Cheryl believes Del Rey Oaks should have a strong voice in regional discussions about airport operations and their impact on our community. Residents deserve meaningful representation, clear communication, and an opportunity to help influence decisions that affect their quality of life.

Advocate for an updated 14 CFR Part 150 Noise Compatibility Study and Noise Exposure Maps that reflect current airport operations and community conditions.
Ensure Del Rey Oaks has meaningful representation in regional airport noise and planning discussions.
Support establishing a local noise monitoring baseline to better understand conditions in affected neighborhoods.

🌱

Garden Center

A valuable public asset deserves an open process, thoughtful planning, and a use that benefits both today's residents and future generations.

The former Garden Center property is one of Del Rey Oaks' most valuable community assets. Decisions about its future should be made through a transparent, competitive public process that gives residents meaningful opportunities to shape the outcome. Cheryl believes any future use should reflect community priorities while creating long-term value for the City through a sustainable revenue stream that helps support essential public services.

Conduct an open and transparent public process before any commitments are made.
Ensure residents have meaningful opportunities to help guide the property's future.
Evaluate proposals based on long-term community benefit, fiscal responsibility, and compatibility with Del Rey Oaks' character.
Support a use that generates sustainable revenue to strengthen the City's financial future while meeting community needs.

🤝

Community

A city our size punches above its weight when we build strong regional relationships — and below it when we don't show up.

We share infrastructure, services, and challenges with our neighbors on the Monterey Peninsula. Throughout her career Cheryl has worked with local governments, state agencies, federal partners, utilities, consultants, and contractors. She understands that successful regional partnerships require preparation, collaboration, and accountability. On council, Cheryl will actively build those relationships and make sure DRO has a voice in regional decisions.

Active participation in regional planning bodies
DRO represented wherever regional decisions are made

🛡️

Public Safety

Building a safer Del Rey Oaks through smart planning, resilient infrastructure, and strong community partnerships.

Public safety begins long before someone calls 911. It starts with safe streets, well-designed intersections, accessible sidewalks, reliable infrastructure, and thoughtful planning that helps prevent accidents before they happen.

As a licensed civil engineer, Cheryl understands how engineering decisions directly affect public safety. Throughout her career, she has worked on transportation, water, and infrastructure projects where protecting the public is always the highest priority. She believes every City Council decision should consider its impact on safety, accessibility, and the long-term well-being of residents.

Public safety also means preparing for the unexpected. Whether it's an earthquake, wildfire, severe storm, or prolonged utility outage, Del Rey Oaks should be ready to respond and recover. Cheryl supports resilient infrastructure, emergency preparedness planning, and strong regional partnerships to help ensure our community is prepared for whatever challenges lie ahead.

Cheryl also believes strong public safety depends on supporting the dedicated Public Safety Officers who serve Del Rey Oaks while fostering trust, communication, and collaboration between residents and first responders.

Improve pedestrian safety, accessibility, and traffic operations throughout the city.
Invest in resilient infrastructure that protects public health and safety today while preparing for future challenges.
Support our Public Safety Officers with the tools and resources they need to serve the community effectively.

🌳

Preservation

Protecting the character, natural beauty, and quality of life that make Del Rey Oaks a special place to call home.

As Del Rey Oaks grows, we have a responsibility to preserve the open spaces, tree canopy, neighborhoods, and small-town character that define our community. Cheryl believes thoughtful planning can balance responsible growth with environmental stewardship, ensuring future generations enjoy the same natural beauty and sense of community that residents value today.

Protect parks, open spaces, and the natural areas that make Del Rey Oaks unique.
Encourage development that complements the City's character and respects surrounding neighborhoods.
Explore opportunities to expand community green space, including the potential for a Frog Pond 2.
Support long-term planning that preserves our community's identity while preparing responsibly for the future.

Putting knowledge & experience to work for the city