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Anyone who knows Max van Balgooy knows he has a passion for preserving the past. But he said it is his passion for shaping a better future that inspired him to run for Rockville City Council.

The 47-year-old Twinbrook resident, who serves as president of the Rockville Historic District Commission and works as director of education for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said both personal and public motivations are behind his candidacy.

"The personal reason is that my whole life has been devoted to community service," he said. "It's very fulfilling for me."

His public motivation is that he sees a need to bring a fresh perspective to the council, which he hopes will help it work through the difficult issues it is sure to face in the next few years, he said.

"The economy is really going to reach us in the next few years," he said. "Civility is a big part of it. The council is a team of five and you need to work together."

Van Balgooy moved to Maryland in 2001 with his wife, Mary, from California. While living on the West Coast, he served as a member of the Planning Commission and as president of Chaffey Communities Cultural Center, a regional nonprofit organization in Upland, Calif. He also served as associate director of the Homestead Museum, a 6-acre historic site in Industry, Calif.

Some of the issues van Balgooy is dedicated to addressing are hot-button items for the city, including parking garages, the future of RedGate golf course, neighborhood improvements and maintaining the level of city services residents are used to, he said.

"One of the major things I want to change on the council is not what they do, but how they do it," he said.

Van Balgooy said he is looking forward to the election since there are so many candidates vying for the seat. "The kind of candidates we have are very good people," he said. "I think they're people who want to talk about the issues."

He said Rockville will not tolerate dirty or mean-spirited campaign tactics. "Any candidate that starts mudslinging will have a pretty hard time of it," he said.

-Residence: Twinbrook

-Age: 47

-Top Issues: Parking, RedGate golf course, civility

-Web site: http://maxforrockville.wordpress

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