Six people with a history of public service in Beverly Hills have confirmed their candidacy for two City Council seats opening up in the 2024 election, with others likely to follow before the official nomination period ends on Dec. 13.
Several had submitted documents with the Fair Political Practices Commission before the official nomination period began on Nov. 13, allowing them to open bank accounts and lay the foundations for their campaigns early. However, prospective candidates aren’t officially considered on the ballot until they file with the City Clerk’s office.
As of press time, Alissa Roston, Mary Wells, Sharon Persovski, Myra Demeter, Craig Corman and Nooshin Meshkaty had made their City Council bids official.
Corman has lived in Beverly Hills for over 50 years and is a retired attorney who specialized in entertainment industry issues. He was a Beverly Hills Planning Commissioner for three terms from 2009 to 2017 and is now a member of the Beverly Hills Cultural Heritage Commission.
“Beverly Hills is facing unprecedented challenges that need to be effectively managed if we’re going to maintain the quality of life we’ve all come to expect and enjoy,” Corman told the Courier in a statement earlier this month. “I’ve lived in Beverly Hills for a long time, so I understand the history of the city and how it has changed and developed, and I have a proven track record of solving difficult problems.”
Meshkaty (see separate profile) is a computer scientist who has worked in the aerospace industry since 1988, and a longtime resident with a history of civic engagement.
Demeter and Persovski filed their paperwork last week, securing their spots on the ballot on Nov. 22.
Demeter is a professor with a Ph.D. in mathematics education who has taught at UCLA, Brooklyn College and the University of Hawaii Hilo. She has called Beverly Hills home for 27 years and has been involved in local government for decades. She currently sits on the Beverly Hills Planning Commission and has been a Neighborhood Watch Block Captain for 15 years.
“I am running to be a voice for our residents to maintain our quality of life and world-class services as Beverly Hills enters a period of immense change, external pressures and opportunities,” Demeter told the Courier in a statement.
Persovski is a former member of the Architectural Commission and the founder of a nonprofit called Smiles Through Art.
Wells confirmed her candidacy with city officials on Nov. 16. She sits on the Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education and was its president as schools reopened following the pandemic.
Roston was also a former Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education president and was previously the local Rotary Club President and a member of the Parks and Recreation Commissioner. She formalized her bid for City Council on Nov. 13, the same day the nomination period opened.
At least one other prospective candidate, owner and president of Quay Entertainment Tiffany Davis, has announced her intention to run but had not yet submitted her nomination forms as of press time.
