Former Richmond City Council Member and former Contra Costa Community College District Board Member David MacDiarmid died yesterday. Until David and Carol moved to Elk Grove last year to be closer to their daughter, they were also my neighbors for the last 25 years.

David served on the Richmond City Council during the 1980s and provided pivotal leadership and vision at a time when political forces in Richmond were locked in a struggle over the future of the waterfront. Industrial interests wanted to lock up the waterfront for industrial expansion, but David favored the mix of recreational, housing  and commercial uses combined with public access that we enjoy today. His vision prevailed, and we all benefit from it.

He also clashed with Chevron and the powerful firefighters union, drawing a fusillade of false political hit pieces that contributed to his defeat in the City Council race of 1991. The loss of David’s leadership on the City Council was a factor in my decision to first run for election in 1993. For years, I depended on David to provide the history of how we got to many of the challenges I encountered after my election in 1995. He knew where a lot of skeletons were buried.

In 1994, David ran for and was successfully elected to the Contra Costa College District Board, where he served until 2006.  

When I receive it, I will share additional information, including any plans for a memorial service.