Candidate for
Member, City Council; City of Culver City

Jim Clarke has been a homeowner at Raintree since 1977. He was first elected to the Culver City Council in 2012 and earned the nickname "Mr. Everywhere" in recognition for his energy and dedication to tackling so many issues throughout the city.

Jim previously worked as Director, Mayor's Office of Grants for the City of Los Angeles where he led efforts to secure federal, state, non-profit and foundation grant funding and served as the point person in the Mayor's Office overseeing $611 million of federal stimulus funds. He had also headed the City's federal relations program, which entailed frequent contact with our two U.S. Senators and the Los Angeles area's 14-member congressional delegation to obtain nearly $10 million annually in federal appropriations.

Prior to that, Jim had served as chief of staff to two Los Angeles Congress Members + our Congresswoman Diane E. Watson and Congressman Brad Sherman.

For ten years, Jim was an executive recruiter for the world's largest search firm, Korn/Ferry International. His specialty was public agencies and his clients were city councils and local public agency boards which have given him a solid understanding of how local government operates.

Jim has also served as executive director of two non-profit organizations. The California Clean Money Campaign strives to bring public financing to state elections. The Southern California chapter of Americans for Democratic Action is a progressive political organization that was founded by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Jim holds a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach and a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT. He was commissioned as an Ensign and spent 23 years on active and reserve duty retiring as a Commander. He is also a graduate of the CORO Foundation's public policy fellows program.

Jim is a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church, the Culver City Historical Society and AMVETS Post #2. Jim is also a supporter of the Culver City Education Foundation, the Culver City Youth Health Center and the Culver City Bicycle Coalition.