Arne Simonsen
Council Member, City of Antioch
Chair, Delta Protection Commission
ABAG Legislation & Governmental Organization Committee Member
Past President, East Bay Division, League of California Cities

 Arne was born in San Francisco in 1946. My family lived in San Francisco and Daly City, before his family moved to Lafayette in 1958.

Arne was one of the original paperboys for a new newspaper called "The Green Sheet," which became the Contra Costa Times.

His family became involved in 4-H, where he held several offices up through being President of the Lafayette 4-H Club. Arne raised sheep and participated in the gardening and home economics programs. He was very active at the Contra Costa County Fair and became President of the Contra Costa County Junior Fair Board. Arne was the first male to win the PG&E cooking contest at the Fair, and then 3 years in a row. He spent every summer at the Fair in Antioch .

Arne joined the Naval Reserve while still in high school, and after graduating from Acalanes High School he attended DVC until he went on active duty in 1966.

Arne's Naval career lasted 24 years as a Russian linguist and cryptanalyst. He served overseas, on submarines, surface ships and flight duty. Arne retired as a Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9) in 1987 during his last tour as the National Security Agency Representative to the Defense Language Institute/Foreign Language Center at the Presidio of Monterey.

Arne met his wife Sylvia in  They have been married for 42 years and have three grown children who all graduated from Antioch High School .

Arne earned his Associate in Arts Degree in 1976 and his Bachelor in Science Degree in 1982 from the University of the State of New York . Arne also graduated 1st in his class in Advance Russian from the National Cryptologic School .

After retiring from the Navy in 1987, Arne moved his family to Antioch and went to work for his parents' heating and air conditioning company. When they retired he split off and formed his own successful heating and air conditioning company with his children in 1993, retiring a second time in 2003.

Arne has been actively involved in the National Federation of Independent Business, the Better Business Bureau, the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, and in the decision making process for the City of Antioch .