Judge David Finkel Ken Genser 10 January 2010
Dear friends and colleagues: In addition to our working together on many SMRR issues for decades, Ken and I shared two years on the City Council, from 1988-1990. They were Ken's first two and my last two years [before I left the Council for the bench]. The growth in Ken's stature and insight was exponential during the 21 years of his service on the Council. In the beginning Ken fought endlessly and sometimes aimlessly for the values he held dear. With experience Ken became a statesman who evaluated the possibilities and diplomatically steered the Council from possibility to realization. It was a delight watching Ken grow and mature. In my opinion, for at least the past decade Ken was the most reliable member of the Council. During my tenure on the SMC Board of Trustees he was the first Council member I turned to for support for the College. Similarly, he was a trusted advocate of the arts in Santa Monica, which my wife Bruria and and I are extremely thankful for. I still owe him a lunch, and won't eat one without thinking about him for a long time.