Candidate for
Council Member; City of Hermosa Beach

Ken Hartley is currently a candidate for Hermosa Beach City Council in the November 3, 2015 Election. He and his wife moved to Hermosa Beach and purchased their current home in 2006, where he is a small business owner of a Marketing Research Company and a Software Company.

Ken has been working to improve Hermosa's economy as Chairman of the Board for the Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce, a post he has held for three years. He currently sits on the Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee. He helped create the Hermosa Beach Young Professionals Group in 2011, and most recently served as Co-Chair of the Fiesta Hermosa Reorganization Committee in 2015. In 2010, Ken was the recipient of both the Chamber of Commerce "Man of the Year" award and the Leadership Hermosa Beach "Emerging Leader" award.

Since moving to Hermosa, Ken has been fighting to make Hermosa a safer city. In 2007, after discussing with then interim Fire Chief Gomez about what the city needed most for public safety, it was determined that the city needed an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) which serves as a facility to run the city in the event of a disaster. Learning this information, Ken spent the next three years putting together volunteers and fundraising to construct the EOC above the Hermosa Beach Museum. The EOC opened in August, 2010 and now is used for meeting space for anything public safety related, including Police, Fire, HBCERT, HBNW, and even the US Coast Guard. He served 5 years on the Hermosa Beach Emergency Preparedness Commission (EPAC). Annually, Ken volunteers his time to facilitate the Internet connection needed for the Hermosa Education Foundations main fundraising event "Hearts of Hermosa." In addition, Ken has been a Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch Block Captain for 8 years and is a graduate of the Redondo Beach CERT program. In 2008, Ken founded the Hermosa Beach Amateur Radio Association, which serves as a backup for Hermosa's Disaster Communications Team. Because of this work, he was awarded the Leadership Award from the City of Hermosa Beach in 2015. From 2008 to 2014 Ken volunteered hundreds of hours to Hermosa Beach Volunteers in Policing. He has also received special recognition from the California Emergency Services Association, as well as a Certificate of Congressional Commendation.

One of the reasons Ken and his wife moved to Hermosa Beach was the beautiful climate, and more importantly the clean environment. They live "recycle, renew, UPcycle" through every day common practices, and took specific steps to reduce water consumption. Successfully, they cut their home water usage from 11CCF average to 5.5CCF average + a 50% decrease. In addition, they opened their home to the public to demonstrate Host Green Energy Technology that they have applied to their home. Almost 20,000 residents were invited to tour their home to see the upgrades that were done with a presentation from "Energy Upgrade California." Ken also facilitated the world's first Compressed Natural Gas Fire Truck to come and give a demonstration to the Hermosa Beach Fire Department.

Prior to moving to Hermosa Beach, Ken was a volunteer firefighter in his hometown in New Jersey, where he eventually obtained the rank of Deputy Fire Marshall. He attended and graduated from the Atlantic County Fire Academy, and served on the Swiftwater, Technical and Ice Rescue Teams. When our country needed him most, Ken was a first responder to the tragedy on 9-11 where he completed a shift to triage patients. For this, he was presented the Gloucester County Outstanding American Award.

Although 9-11 rocketed many communities into action to come together, Ken's community outreach and fundraising efforts can be documented back to when he started at the age of 9 years old. Ken earned enough money to buy his first computer and quickly excelled at this very new technology just starting to come into our lives. Using his personal computer, Ken developed programs and platforms to advance the local high school by writing and implementing their first computerized attendance program. As a youth, Ken literally taught school staff and faculty computer programming. When not in school, Ken took his skills to the local community at libraries and malls teaching anyone that wanted to learn about computers and in the area became known as "Wiz Kid."

Keeping with the computer passion of his youth, Ken and his business partner started CIDR Systems, Inc. in 2000. CIDR Systems is short for Custom Interactive Data Reporting Systems. CIDR provides marketing research reports across all industries and within all company sizes from the largest to the smallest with boutique personalized service. Most recently, Ken added another small business called "The Uncle Group" which is a software designer for the Market Research Industry and has been around since the 1970's.

When not working or volunteering within the community, Ken likes spending time with his wife and two rescue Weimaraner dogs, and occasional Xbox gaming.

- Occupation: Small Business Owner
- Commissioner, Hermosa Beach Emergency Preparedness Commission (2010 + Present)
- Chairman of the Board, Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce (2013 - Present)
- Board member, Hermosa Beach Chamber of Commerce (2011 - Present)
- Co-Chair, Fiesta Hermosa Reorganization Committee
- 2010 Leadership Hermosa Beach Emerging Leader Award
- 2009 California Emergency Services Association Certificate of Appreciation (2009)
- Hermosa Beach Neighborhood Watch Captain (2007 + Present)
- Life Member, Hermosa Beach Historical Society (2008 + Present)
- Volunteer, Hermosa Beach Volunteers in Policing (2008 + 2014)
- National Night Out Block Party Organizer and Host (2008)
- Tabulated Research Data for Upper Pier Avenue City Survey (2008)
- Degree???
- Volunteer Firefighter, Oceanville and Gibbstown Volunteer Fire Companies (1990 + 1996)
- Gloucester County Outstanding American Award (2001)