Meow Meow Foundation principals Doug Forbes and Elena Matyas met with Pasadena Mayor Terry Tornek on August 22 to discuss public and private water safety concerns, specifically involving children.

Forbes and Matyas advised the mayor and city Public Information Officer Lisa Derderian that drowning and near drowning adversely affects children and minorities. Tornek said that he and government officials would support coordinated water safety education and implementation efforts.

Forbes and Matyas said they were working closely with Pasadena’s Rose Bowl Aquatics Center on a strategic partnership that would foster implementation of drowning and near drowning prevention programming.

Derderian suggested staging a joint press conference about water safety at the Aquatics Center, in advance of the forthcoming Labor Day weekend. All parties agreed, however, to announce a more formal rollout at a later date.

Tornek served as a member of the Springfield, Massachusetts City Council before accepting a job as Pasadena’s planning director. He helped rewrite Pasadena’s Zoning Ordinance and General Plan and redevelopment plan for Old Pasadena.

Tornek originally built a career in real estate as a developer and manager of residential & commercial properties all over Southern California. He remained active in Pasadena affairs through his 20-year service as a Board Member of Pasadena Neighborhood Housing Services, a non-profit organization devoted to affordable housing. Tornek was appointed to the Planning Commission in 2005, elected to represent District 7 on the City Council in 2009-2014 and was then elected as Mayor in 2015.