Cevin Cathell

My husband and I arrived in Santa Barbara 26 years ago, following our hearts and respective careers in renewable energy and film. This community has shaped who I am as much as anything in my life. I am an active civic voice here — I have led two large women's organizations in the city and helped build the Santa Barbara International Film Festival in the early days.

My career in film and television production spans decades, long before I arrived in Santa Barbara. Like many in Hollywood, I came to the Industry as an idealist hoping to use the medium as a way to spread hope to the world. By the time I arrived in Santa Barbara, my idealism was tempered, but my producing skills were honed. As a producer, I know how to manage complex budgets, build a team, navigate competing priorities, and deliver results under pressure — the same skills I will bring to City Council. I continue to be a proud member of the Directors Guild of America.

I grew up in a family shaped by the civil rights movement. My parents' acts of civil disobedience against Jim Crow laws in North Carolina gave me an early perspective of justice and equality. In college, I studied English and Cultural Geography, with a focus on urban planning, at the University of Texas at Austin, and went on to work in the Texas State Legislature before building my career in music, film and nonprofit leadership.

I am running because I care deeply about this city. Santa Barbara deserves a representative with broad experience, a fresh perspective, and a willingness to work together to achieve a future we all deserve.