County of Monterey Board of Supervisors Supervisor John M. Phillips

Phillips, a Southern California native who grew up in the Culver City area, graduated from Long Beach State College in 1964 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. He then graduated from UC Berkeley School of Law. He worked in the Monterey County District Attorney’s office from 1971 until 1984. In 1984 he was appointed to the Monterey Superior Court Bench, where he served until retiring in 2004. In 2000 he helped found Rancho Cielo, an organization for at risk youth. He was first elected to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors in 2014. He represents District 2, which encompasses Aromas, Boronda, Castroville, Las Lomas, Moss Landing, North Salinas, Pajaro, Prunedale, and Royal Oaks.

Notable quote: “This Brown Act sounds like a great thing, except when you’re trying to do business. I’m all for transparency, but seeing how I was able to get things done when I was running Rancho Cielo and when I was running the courts and you weren’t bound by this Brown Act— where I can’t even talk to my colleagues but everything has to come through an intermediary—is difficult.” (Source: Monterey County Weekly)

District office: Castro Plaza, 11140 Speegle St, PO Box 787, Castroville, CA 95012