Allen Akin has lived in Palo Alto since 1986, and in Professorville since 2013. The rise in traffic and accidents there prompted him to build a traffic-measurement system that was used by concerned residents in Professorville, Downtown North, and Crescent Park. His interest in the practical aspects of growth, like transportation and the cost of building housing, led him to volunteer for the PTC in 2023.
He's married to Michelle Arden. They have two kids who attended Addison, Peninsula School, and Greene, and expect to graduate from Paly in 2024 and 2025.
Allen is originally from Atlanta, where he graduated first in his class at Georgia Tech. He retired in 2022 after 43 years writing software, managing computer hardware and software engineering groups, and consulting. He enjoys woodworking, barbecue, and science fiction. Allen takes a solo backpacking trip in the Sierra every year; ask him about the bears in Pioneer Basin.