Twillman set to keep Strawberry Rec two-year seat over Hawkins

Appointed incumbent Doug Twillman will win a two-year seat on the Strawberry Recreation District board, taking more than two-thirds of the vote in early returns against challenger Aliza Hawkins, who sought the same seat by appointment last year.

Twillman had 68.3% of the vote to Hawkins’ 31.7% in returns the Marin County Elections Department posted at 8:25 p.m. Nov. 3, when 59,846 ballots had been counted countywide, about 34% of Marin’s 173,804 registered voters. The results are unofficial. Mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day could arrive as late as Nov. 10 and still be counted, and Marin County has until Dec. 3 to certify the results.

The candidates competed for a single two-year seat in a rare contested election for a district that has historically struggled to attract candidates. Their campaigns emphasized community engagement, financial oversight and the future of the district’s planned playground.

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Twillman joined the board in September 2025, when members selected him over Hawkins on a 3-1 vote to replace Cale Nichols, who had moved out of state. The election put that choice before voters.

A financial analyst and consultant with more than 30 years of experience, Twillman emphasized fiscal oversight and completing the playground at Strawberry Park. He serves on the board’s fundraising committee for the project and called for dependable cost estimates before construction commitments.

“The budget should be well understood so that we can hold the contractors accountable and the community can hold us accountable for a successful physical and fiscal outcome,” Twillman said during the campaign.

Hawkins, whose background includes marketing, advertising and counseling, focused on increasing participation in district programs and helping residents feel included and represented.

“I would love to see more community engagement as well, just even letting people know more of what we have going on,” Hawkins said during the campaign.

A mother of two whose family regularly uses the district’s pool, programs and recreation facilities, Hawkins said she wanted the district to serve residents at every stage of life.

Playground company GameTime trimmed the design to about $2.55 million in October, restroom included, and the board plans a final vote Nov. 10. The district plans to break ground in 2027.

Established in 1949, the independent district serves about 6,000 residents in unincorporated areas of Mill Valley and Tiburon east of Highway 101. It operates the recreation center and maintains four parks, a public dock, walking trails and the Water Tank Hill open space.

Reach Belvedere, Strawberry and public-safety reporter Tyler Callister at 415-944-4627.