Candidate for
Council Member; City of San Diego; Council District 6

Steve Hadley is the son of a pastor and an education superintendent. That explains the care he takes in listening, his determination to help improve peoples' quality of life and his joy in celebrating their accomplishments, large and small.

Steve was born in Fort Worth, Texas in 1956, and some of his earliest and fondest memories are of his father listening patiently to people, counseling them and helping them solve their problems. One of his father's strongest qualities, which Steve grew to admire and emulate, was the ability to achieve consensus even with people of widely varying ideas and beliefs. As a young boy, Steve also marveled at his mother's ability to create and organize programs for schools or churches. He wanted to be a public leader like them when he grew up, precociously leading a Sunday school-type program at the tender age of four while his parents sat as his attentive audience.

As the family moved to successively larger city churches and schools, Steve began to think seriously about life as a public leader. Even though Steve was naturally attracted to pastoral leadership, he also considered careers in law and politics. In 1979, he earned his B.A. in ministerial studies, with a minor in management, from Loma Linda University. He was active in college government and was elected Student Body President his senior year.

After working as a pastor to a congregation in Tucson and a bilingual congregation in Yuma, Steve returned to Loma Linda and earned a Masters in religion and church history. Then it was on to Denver, where he was senior pastor of an 1,100-member church, and back to a senior position in Tucson, supervising four other pastors and churches. He was very successful as an administrator, teacher, and pastoral caregiver

Drawing on lessons learned at home, Steve practiced what he preached. He streamlined church bureaucracy, demanded fiscal accountability, hired the only women in his denomination statewide, ensured open election processes and fought tirelessly for fairness and equality for all + from individual church employees to minority churches.

But politics soon beckoned.

In 1998 Steve moved to San Diego, taking up residence in Mission Valley, and earned a J.D. at California Western School of Law in just two years. He also served an internship with the Public Defender's office where his profound respect for due-process, transparency and civil rights served him well.

Soon after graduation, Steve chose public service in the political realm and put his management experience, legal training and sense of justice to work.

He joined the District Six office in 2001 as a representative for Serra Mesa, and upon her election, Councilmember Donna Frye offered him the position as her representative for Clairemont. He assisted in and organized a variety of community meetings, helping residents and small-business owners cut through red tape at City Hall by utilizing his leadership and problem-solving skills.

Following time off in 2004 to work as the administrator of a North County church, Steve once again teamed up with Councilmember Frye, this time as chief of staff.

On a personal note, Steve `s wife of 30 years, Vicky, is a medical-staff coordinator, and their son Sheldon is a college freshman majoring in business administration. The family cat's name is Lauren.