Candidate for
Council Member; City of Carpinteria

Greg was born in Los Angeles in 1961. While in high school, he was a foreign exchange student and lived in Norway. He graduated from high school in Manhattan Beach and graduated with honors from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and an emphasis in financial management.

Since 1987, Greg has made his home in Carpinteria. In 1991, Greg founded the business which is now known as Gandrud Financial Services Corporation. During "tax season", Greg prepares tax returns for hundreds of clients ranging from simple 1040EZ returns to very complex corporate returns. Greg also provides accounting, business consulting, financial planning, and trust administration services to individuals and small businesses.

Because his paternal grandfather had served as an elected judge for a multi-county district in Minnesota and because his great-grandfather had served in both the Assembly and the State Senate in Minnesota, Greg learned at an early age to value service to the public.

In November of 2002, Greg was elected to the Carpinteria City Council. He served on the Finance Committee and as the city's representative on the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, the Multi-Jurisdictional Solid Waste Task Force, and the City-County Affordable Housing Task Force. In addition, he is the founder of the political action committee Fix101.org.

Since 2004, Greg's home in Carpinteria, which he shares with his partner, Marllus, and their Beagle, Gracie, has been an environmental showcase. Because of it's edible landscape, vermiculture, and permeable hardscape, it has been featured twice on the Sustainability Project's Parade of Green Building.

In 2005, the governor appointed Greg to the California Recreational Trails Committee (on which Greg currently serves). The CRTC has oversight over all the hiking and equestrian trails in our state. Greg is a recent past Chairman of the Committee. As an avid backpacker, he has had a life-long passion for our natural environment. Greg has traveled the entire state for the last seven years promoting trails.

Greg also serves as Treasurer of the Anza Trail Foundation. This historic national trail runs along the coast of Carpinteria. Greg is working to secure important missing links so that the Anza trail can run through Carpinteria without interruption.

The Franklin trail is another project that Greg has been working on for the last several years. When completed, it will provide the Carpinteria community with direct access to the amazing Los Padres National Forest.