Kevin McKeown (politician)

Kevin McKeown (born January 6, 1948) is an American politician who was twice (2015 and 2020) the Mayor of Santa Monica, California.[1] He was elected to the Santa Monica City Council for six consecutive four-year terms,[2] retiring at age 73 in June 2021.[3][4] He was also a multi-term elected delegate to the Central Committee of the California Democratic Party,[5] and remains a Party Caucus officer.[6]

Kevin McKeown
McKeown at Santa Monica City Hall
Mayor / Councilmember Santa Monica
In office
December 8, 1998 – June 11, 2021
Personal details
Born (1948-01-06) January 6, 1948
Bronxville, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)Wilmont neighborhood, Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Websitewww.mckeown.net

Background

Kevin McKeown was born just north of New York City. His family moved to New Haven, CT, and he graduated from Suffield Academy in Suffield, CT at 16 and subsequently attended Yale. He was active at the campus radio station WYBC, beginning a career path that eventually led him to move to Santa Monica and become general manager of Los Angeles station KROQ in the late 1970s.[7]

McKeown has been a Santa Monica renter in the same apartment since 1976. After leaving radio and advertising, he worked for 25 years as a Macintosh computer and educational technology consultant for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.[8]

McKeown served on SMMUSD's technology advisory committee, the City of Santa Monica's Telecommunications Working Group, the steering committee of Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights, and as chair of the Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition, before first being elected to City Council in 1998.[9]

Career as an elected official

McKeown served for parts of four decades (and two centuries). In six terms on the City Council, including being Mayor twice, McKeown focused on affordable housing, workers’ rights, and environmental sustainability.[10] Among his accomplishments were greatly enhanced renter protections,[11][12] a living wage for local workers,[13][14] and converting Santa Monica to 100%-renewable electricity.[15]

During his first term as Mayor of Santa Monica, he was an invited presenter at the COP21 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.[16][17] He is a long-standing advocate for single-payer healthcare.[18]

McKeown represented Santa Monica as Chair of the Westside Cities Council of Governments,[19] sat on the State of California's Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission,[20] and was chair of the Energy Committee on the Board of Directors of the Clean Power Alliance,[21] a regional community-choice utility bringing 100% renewably sourced electricity to Santa Monica.[22]

McKeown holds dual citizenship with the United States (by birth) and the Republic of Ireland (by descent). He is vice chair of the Irish-American Caucus of the California Democratic Party.[23] He has twice (2010 and 2013) been named California Assembly District Democrat of the Year for the Santa Monica area.[24]

References
  1. "Santa Monica City Council – City Council Members". www.smgov.net.
  2. "McKeown Assumes Post as Santa Monica Mayor". www.surfsantamonica.com.
  3. "McKeown Announces Retirement". Santa Monica Daily Press.
  4. "Councilmember Kevin McKeown Announces Retirement". City of Santa Monica.
  5. "2019 ASSEMBLY DISTRICT AD 50 PRELIMINARY RESULTS" (PDF). www.cadem.org. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  6. "Irish Caucus CDP Board 2021-2025".
  7. "Radio Broadcasting History, Radio People (M2a)". www.440int.com.
  8. "Santa Monica City Council – Mayor Kevin McKeown". www.smgov.net.
  9. "Bio – Santa Monica Councilmember Kevin McKeown". www.mckeown.net.
  10. "Councilmember Kevin McKeown". City of Santa Monica.
  11. "Santa Monica City Council Approves Ordinance to Enhance Tenant Protections for Educators and Students Facing No-Fault Evictions". City of Santa Monica.
  12. "Santa Monica could guarantee legal representation to renters threatened with eviction". Santa Monica Daily Press.
  13. "Santa Monica Accelerates Passage of Higher Minimum Wage". 98.3 KPCC.
  14. "Santa Monica Mayor Kevin McKeown's Year in Review". City of Santa Monica.
  15. "Energy - Clean Power Alliance FAQs". City of Santa Monica.
  16. "McKeown joins national mayors' call for climate change action". Santa Monica Daily Press. June 22, 2015.
  17. "Mayor McKeown to Present Santa Monica's Ambitious Climate Action Project and Progress at Paris Climate Summit – Big Blue Bus". www.bigbluebus.com.
  18. "Single-Payer Would Save Santa Monica $6 Million". LA Progressive. June 16, 2009.
  19. "New Page". Westside Cities Council of Governments.
  20. "List of governing board members" (PDF). www.smbrc.ca.gov. 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  21. "Board of Directors – Clean Power Alliance".
  22. "100% Clean Power is coming to you Santa Monica!". January 7, 2019.
  23. "Irish Caucus CDP Board 2021-2025".
  24. "Santa Monica Councilman Kevin McKeown Named Democrat Of The Year:". SM Mirror. October 18, 2013.
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