The Marin Post

Tina McMillan made Marin County her home in 1977. She received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Dominican University in Psychology and Marriage, Family and Child Therapy. Tina has a successful private practice as a Novato psychotherapist and consultant. She is married with two sons. She is an avid gardener who loves spending time with her family, walking her dogs or sitting quietly reading a good mystery. Tina researches and writes about High Conflict Divorce, Non Verbal Learning Disorders, Sandplay and Therapy with Children.

After Tina's sons graduated from High School she began volunteering with Novato groups interested in creating workable solutions to local problems in education, city planning, housing, transportation and economics. In 2012, Tina joined the Northbay Education Foundation to create a petition for a K through 8 Charter School. In 2014, she participated in a city run Community Based Transportation Plan. From 2011 to date Tina has participated in city run charette's as precursors to the update of the General Plan. Tina is particularly interested in development along the Redwood Corridor as the last remaining area in Novato zoned for commercial enterprise.

In 2017 Tina was invited to join the Novato Live Well Network Community Garden board. Tina, as part of a team of five board members, has been actively working with the city of Novato staff in Park and Rec and Public Works to create a site plan and gain approval for a 1.5 acre community garden on the Lieb Property in central Novato. Tina and the board share equally in the development of a physical plan and design, a budget and fund raising intended to bring the community garden to fruition. In 2022 the City of Novato ended plans to open a community garden on the Lieb Property due to costs. The city struggles with a decades long structural deficit.

In 2018 Tina participated in a city run planning class that provided history and context for how Novato approves plans for development of residential and commercial properties.

In 2018 Tina decided to run for elected office as a candidate for the North Marin Water District board. Tina has always had a strong conservation focus in her personal life. Tina's interest in gardens and landscape planning dovetailed with her interest water use and conservation. The North Marin Water District encompasses 100 square miles of property from Novato to West Marin and serves approximately 63,000 customers. The current board lacks a consumer voice with a focus on public inclusion as part of the planning process. Tina believes gender is a bonus when it comes to being a community and consumer advocate. There hasn't been a woman elected to the North Marin Water District board since 1991, and only one woman has ever served. Tina was not elected to the NMWD board, but she continues to support their efforts.

In 2021 Tina was given her first appointment to a local school district committee - She became an alternate on the 7-11 Committee which allowed her to participate in all activities except for voting. This opened the door to participating as a full member of the Budget Committee, the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee and the Blue-Ribbon Committee. As of 2024, Tina continues to serve on both the NUSD Budget Committee and the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee.

In 2022 Tina was appointed to the City of Novato Finance Oversight Committee. Tina is serving her second term on FAC and is the Vice Chair.