John Sibert’s service to Malibu began more than 30 years ago — several years before Malibu was even incorporated as a city.
He became a board member of the Malibu Township Council (MTC) shortly after purchasing a home on Point Dume in 1985, and that’s when his involvement with city government got started.
The local movement to incorporate Malibu began when LA County decided “to build a gravity sewer down the middle of PCH,” Sibert recalled. Over fears a sewer system would bring massive development to Malibu, Sibert represented MTC to county officials who met regularly for two years to negotiate the end of the county’s plan.
Sibert also co-founded “Save Our Coast” and helped organize buses to oppose the sewer-building effort. After its defeat, MTC presented Sibert with a plaque declaring him a “Malibu Community Treasure for his fight against the Bad Guys,” which still hangs on his wall.
Sibert later served five years on the Planning Commission. He was elected to Malibu City Council in April 2008, then re-elected from April 2012 to December 2016. During his eight years in office, he served two nine-month terms each as Malibu Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem.
During his tenure on city council, Sibert represented Malibu on numerous committees, councils and commissions.
As mayor, Sibert helped reach an agreement with the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board and signed an MOU for wastewater management in the Civic Center area.
As city council member, he advised the city’s Clean Water Program, developed an ocean friendly demonstration garden at his home, helped oversee the completion of environmental-award-winning Legacy Park, and was instrumental in the design and completion of Las Flores and Trancas city parks.
Sibert also helped approve the design of the new City Hall and the Malibu Library renovations to meet LEED certification criteria.
In 2014, he received the “Citizen of the Year” award from the Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation for “protecting the environment in the Santa Monica Mountains, and working with the California Redistricting Commission to maintain the integrity of State Assembly and Senate districts.”
In his private life, Sibert obtained his Ph.D. from UC-San Diego after serving honorably in the USMC. He’s been Managing Partner of Global Financial Group’s China Holdings, founding Executive Director of the Alaska Science & Technology Foundation, COO of the California State University Institute, research manager/director for ARCO, and a chemistry professor/administrator at Yale, Cal Tech and Cal State.