I come from a family of fighters. Both of my grandfathers were born in the Jim Crow South. They fought to give their families a better life. They taught me the importance of living a life of service and community. They taught me to live a life of purpose.

So when Friends of Adeline knocked on my door and said, “Chip, we need you on the Police Commission. We need you to be our champion.” I was ready to serve. Six months later, when they knocked on my door again and said, “We need you to be our champion on the Planning Commission”. I knew that they expected me to fight to make sure that we have homes for all of South Berkeleyans. Like so many others here, she’s tired of waiting for our turn. She knows that our time is now.

I have proudly called South Berkeley my home for nearly two decades. Born in San Francisco and raised around the world, I have always been drawn to diverse, inclusive communities and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact to help them thrive. Berkeley became that community for me almost twenty years ago when I met my wife.

Katie and I are raising our two kids here, and sending them to the same Berkeley Unified schools that she attended. I am active throughout the community, and have been working with Friends of Adeline for several years. I currently serve my community as:

• Chair of Berkeley’s Police Accountability Board
• Planning Commissioner
• Chair of the Mayor’s Community Advisory Group
• Co-Chair of Berkeley Unified School District’s Reparations Taskforce.
• Chair of the Berkeley Progressive Caucus

We need a Councilmember with fresh perspectives, and the enthusiasm and courage required to rise above the discord, build bridges, and get real results. It’s what I’ve done throughout my entire career as an entrepreneur, a small business owner, and a pioneer in the cannabis industry. And it’s what I’ll do as the next Councilmember of District 3.

With my wife Katie & my two kids in my corner and the support & guidance of our community leaders, organizations and stakeholders, I’m very excited for the opportunity to serve.

I am not taking corporate donations and I have opted in to Berkeley’s public finance program. I am running a grassroots, people-powered campaign.  This means knocking on a lot of doors and making phone calls. But I can’t do it alone. I hope that you’ll join my campaign to make Berkeley an affordable, safer, place to live for all.

Together, we can build a brighter future for Berkeley.

In community and service,

– Chip