I was born in Salinas and raised in North Monterey County, where I have spent my entire life. I know this remarkable area well — from its rolling, oak-studded hills and the beauty of Elkhorn Slough to its productive agricultural lands and sandy beaches. The communities that stretch from North Salinas to Aromas and Pajaro form a rich cultural landscape of farmers and fishermen, long-established families and newly arrived immigrants, small businesses, and farmworkers. That diversity is one of our greatest strengths.

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My family has lived in the Elkhorn Slough area of North Monterey County since 1868. All eight of my great-grandparents lived in North County at one time or another, forming a legacy of more than 150 years of service. They were teachers, farmers, dairy owners, beekeepers, business owners, and leaders of the Prunedale Grange. One served as a county road foreman; another as a grand juror and school board trustee. During World War II, my maternal grandmother moved to Richmond and became a Rosie the Riveter, helping build ships for the war effort. Each shared a deep love for this region and a commitment to service that I carry forward today.

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Public service also runs through my immediate family. My great-grandfather ran for Supervisor in North County in 1875. My father, Warren Church, ran in 1964, won, and served three terms from 1965 to 1977. I began attending Board of Supervisors meetings before the age of ten and learned firsthand how local government should work. I watched my father help organize the county park system from the acquisition of Royal Oaks Park in 1966 to Manzanita Park in 1976, and also expand the county library system, develop the first abandoned vehicle ordinance, save Natividad Hospital as a county-run facility, and pass the county’s first growth ordinance. Those experiences instilled in me a lasting belief that local government can work — and work well — when it is grounded in service and common sense.

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I grew up on our family’s Christmas tree farm on Hidden Valley Road, where I learned the value of hard work, hoeing weeds, hauling branches, running a chainsaw, driving a dump truck, and operating a tractor. It was a childhood shaped by the outdoors and a deep appreciation for the land. I attended North County schools and graduated from Salinas High School in 1977. I went on to Hartnell College, graduating as valedictorian in 1980, and then to the University of California, Santa Cruz. I put myself through college running my own small hauling business with an old dump truck, taking whatever jobs I could find.

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Those years taught me respect for all work — whether in the fields or behind a desk. Every job matters. Since the age of 18, I have worked almost exclusively for myself. For more than thirty years, I operated a landscape supply business, and today I continue to run the family Christmas tree farm when my schedule allows. As a businessman and a farmer, I understand the real-world challenges of making a living through good times and bad.

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Before being elected Supervisor, I served as President of the Fire Safe Council for Monterey County; as a board member of the King Foundation, which sent 9,000 Monterey County eighth graders to see the award-winning play Hamilton; with the Prunedale Chamber of Commerce; on a county committee to preserve oak trees; and in many other community and county roles dating back to the early 1980s.

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I live in North County with my wife, Kathy, our dog, Shasta, and am grateful for the lives and experiences of our four adult sons.