Meet Moraga Town Council Candidate Alexis Mapel

LAMORINDA, CA — Patch reached out to all the candidates for Moraga Town Council.

Four candidates are running for two at-large seats on the Moraga Town Council.

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We sent out questionnaires and reprinted their answers verbatim. Below, read the responses of Alexis Mapel, a candidate for a seat on the Moraga Town Council.

Alexis Mapel, 47, is running for a seat on the Moraga Town Council. In the questionnaire, Mapel identified wildfire safety, responsible development, and long-term financial sustainability as priorities.

What is your educational background?

BS in Marine Biology at Northeastern University, Masters in Social Work at Fordham University

What is your professional background?

I worked in medical social work and case management for nearly a decade primarily in critical care, end-of-life care, and oncology in NY and Boston. I then transition to the Pharmaceutical Industry where I have been a people/program leader for Patient Education Programs. I am currently a Regional Director at Dyne Therapeutics for our Access and Education Program.

Have you ever held public office, whether appointive or elective?

I am the current Chair of the Planning Commission and have been since March 2025. I have been a member of the Planning Commission for 4 1/2 years.

What are the top three issues facing your district right now?

1. Wildfire safety, emergency preparedness and evacuation planning
2. Responsible development and revitalization of our town "centers"- we have opportunities ito make our town centers more attractive and useful while potentially combining housing, restaurants, retail, community spaces and services. However, this must be done well so that we address concerns about traffic, density, parking and neighborhood character.
3. Longterm financial sustainability while also maintaining our roads, drainage, wildfire mitigation efforts.

What is one specific policy you would implement in your first 100 days?

In my first 100 days, I would propose a policy that strengthens transparency and community engagement around major decisions. Before the Council considers a significant development or infrastructure project, residents should have clear, accessible information about its potential impacts, which may include traffic, evacuation and public safety, infrastructure, finances, and our parks and open spaces along with providing meaningful opportunities to provide input early in the process. I believe good decisions come from getting residents involved before decisions are effectively made, not after.

What is your plan to enact this plan and how would you measure success after one year?

I would ask the Council to ask staff to develop a policy, establish a one-page impact-summary and propose a community outreach before major decisions reach the council decision making point. I would ask that the summary include the legal limitiations that the council has on each issue to try to ensure that the responses remain within the scope of Town Council authority.

What is one specific change you would make to improve livability in your district?

I believe there is opportunity to add additional pedestrian crosswalks throughout town with "signals" for traffic to promote walkable/bikable Moraga and ensure the safety of our pedestrians.

How would you improve transparency or accountability in your local government?

There is great opporutnity in front of us to provide additional forums to allow for more consistent and continuous feedback from our community members. Town Halls, public announcements, direct emails to residents, etc. It's incredibly important to me that as a Town Council, we understand the concerns, desires and topics of importance of our residents so that we can use that lens when exploring projects and plans and seek answers and guidance that would lead to increased transparency to our town.

What makes you a better choice than your opponents?

I bring a combination of community involvement, experience on the Moraga Planning Commission, and years of professional leadership where I've had to bring people with different perspectives together, work through complex issues, and turn plans into results.
Professionally, I've spent my career leading teams, managing complex programs, working across organizations and listening to people with very different viewpoints. I know how to ask difficult questions, build consensus and hold people accountable for results. I am also the definition of the Sandwich generation, which I see as an incredible gift that allows me to have an understanding and view of the impact of decisions on those age 5 to 85.

But perhaps most importantly, I want residents to feel that Town government is accessible to them. I believe community engagement needs to happen early and often, not after decisions are already well underway.

I'm not running to change what Moraga is. I'm running because I love what Moraga is, and I want to help make sure we're protecting what we love and planning for what we need.