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Mayor Steve Pougnet has been a resident of Palm Springs since 2001, and has served as an elected official since 2003 when he was first elected to City Council. Elected Mayor of Palm Springs in 2007, Steve is currently serving his second term in office. His accomplishments include creating and launching Palm Springs’ Hotel Incentive Program, which resulted in over 1,000 jobs, $150 million in economic investment, and 1,600 new hotel rooms. Also notable is the initiation and adoption by City Council of the City’s Sustainability Master Plan which includes a report card to ensure that it is an actionable blueprint for making Palm Springs greener and more energy-efficient.

Mary Jardin is the co-founder and Director of Marketing for The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies, a theatrical revue of music, song, and dance, from the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s...performed by a cast old enough to have lived it. In 2006, Mary received the Palm Springs Athena Award, given annually to notable women in the community for professional excellence, public service and active assistance to other women. She's currently serving as the 2012 Athena Awards chairwoman. In May of 2007, she was recognized by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who honored the Follies as the 37th Senate District Small Business of the Year, selected by Senator Jim Battin, who stated, "The Follies exudes entrepreneurial spirit, creativity, hard work and dedication, the very elements that make small businesses the backbone of our state." Currently Mary sits on the Executive Committee for the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism and is on its Marketing Committee, is a member of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and is a member of the Leisure Sales Committee of the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority.

Jean-Claude Constant is the Owner/Host of Pomme-Frite, a restaurant specializing in French & Belgian Cuisine. Jean-Claude brings the ambience of a cafe in Brussels in his native Belgium to the heart of downtown Palm Springs.  Jean-Claude, you opened Pomme-Frite in 1999, and I have enjoyed dining there ever since! What …

Palm Springs City Councilmember Paul Lewin is the third generation of his family to call Palm Springs home. His parents and grandparents owned the iconic Adagio Galleries and B. Lewin Galleries in Palm Springs for decades. Paul began working in the family business in 1985, at age 14, starting as …

David Lee is a nine-time Emmy award-winning director, producer, and writer. He wrote and produced The Jeffersons and Cheers, and co-created, wrote and directed Wings and Frasier. David also has many live theatre credits. He lives in Palm Springs where he’s active in local philanthropic endeavors. David, you have such …

Ginny Foat is Palm Springs’ only female City Council member. She serves as the executive director of the Mizell Senior Center and her leadership has led to an unprecedented past couple of years at Mizell–including helping to expand their Meals on Wheels program for homebound seniors to the entire Coachella …

Mark Nichols is a highly regarded interior designer located in the epicenter of modernism: Palm Springs. He is committed to creating refined contemporary interiors appropriate for the home’s architecture and the surrounding natural environment. Named to Metropolitan Home’s list of Designers to Watch, Mark’s designs have also been featured on HGTV …

America’s Premier Wellness Expert, Scott Cole, earned the title of National Aerobic Champion, starred in the infamous ABS OF STEEL video series, and created conscious DVD programs like America’s top-selling DISCOVER TAI CHI DVD series, and GET FIT AMERICA FOR KIDS (Winner of NAPPA Best Fitness DVD for children). Named one of the …

Barbara Keller is a noted businesswoman and philanthropist, and an Association of Fundraising Professionals Volunteer of the Year. Along with her husband, Jerry, she owns Acqua Pazza California Bistro in Rancho Mirage and LULU California Bistro in Palm Springs. In recognition for her outstanding contributions to the community, she recently …

Johannes Bacher is the Chef/Owner of Johannes Restaurant in Palm Springs.  Known as the “Eclectic Chef,” Johannes was born and raised in the small mountain village of Koessen in Tirol, Austria. Inspired by his mother, he began making cookies and cakes for friends and neighbors at the age of seven before …