Candidate for
Councilmember; City of Hermosa Beach

Jeff Duclos has lived in Hermosa Beach for 28 years. His wife, Christine Duclos, has taught at our schools for more than 20 years. He is a homeowner and his two children were raised in this community. A communications specialist by profession, he established his current home-based business in 1998.

A first-time candidate for Hermosa Beach City Council in November, 2005, he was the highest vote getter in a field of 10 candidates not elected. Among his endorsements for the June 6, 2006 Special Election for City Council were the Hermosa Beach Firefighters Association, Hermosa Beach Police Officers Association, Hermosa Beach Teacher Association, California Teamsters Local 911 and the Daily Breeze.

A former member of the Board of Directors of the Surfrider Foundation, he led the effort to get the city to institute a "Pesticide Free Zone" within the Green Belt. For his work in eliminating an unnecessary health risk in one of the City's most heavily used open space areas, he was named recipient of VOICE's (Volunteers and Organizations Improving the Communities Environment)1999 Environmental Hero Award. He is also the recipient of the Surfrider Foundation's 2006 Board of Directors Award for his many years of distinguished service in protecting our coastal environment.

In January, 2004, he spoke before the City Council in opposition to a staff recommendation to eliminate the posted 10 MPH speed limit on the Strand. He was successful in convincing the City Council to not only uphold the speed limit, but to reduce the posted speed to eight miles per hour. Jeff sees this as only a first small step in addressing an escalating safety issue in the City.

His first encounter with the inner workings of City government came in 1996, when he was hired by the City to generate a campaign to inspire community pride and support during the initial phase of the Pier Plaza development. This successful effort was know as the "Bear With Us" campaign.

He has long believed that it makes long-term business sense to ensure that environmental considerations are entrenched in our economic policymaking. This vision was recently confirmed by the City's endorsement of the "Cool Cities" pledge. Jeff currently is a member of Hermosa Beach's Green Building Committee, a Board member of Hermosa Beach Art Walk, Steering Committee Member of Leadership Hermosa, and Chair of the Gateway Statue Committee.

Born in Los Angeles and raised in San Diego, Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science degree from San Diego State University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from UCLA. He currently teaches at California State University, Northridge and, for more than a decade, he taught at UCLA as part of the Journalism Division's Extension program. In addition, he was a member of the City's original Leadership Hermosa class.