Former member of board of education wants a seat on T.O. City Council

Elaine McKearn With her background in education and her lengthy volunteer experience, Thousand Oaks City Council candidate Elaine McKearn believes she has what is needed to be an effective councilmember.

A mother of five grown children, McKearn is a past member of the board of the Conejo Valley Unified School District (1994-98); a former teacher and editor, and a caretaker for her youngest child, who has Down syndrome.

"She is a very honest woman with tremendous integrity and a heart to serve," said Debra Lorier, a local resident and a realtor with Coldwell Banker.

McKearn is concerned about safety. She wants to make sure the city is prepared in the event of disaster. She'd also like to see a variety of housing made available to residents.

"I think we can make the city accessible to all levels of affordability and educational level," McKearn said.

She worries that the public doesn't always have enough of a say in the decision-making process used by local officials.

"I think the school board and city council tend to think they know everything and don't consult the people living here. It shouldn't be a country club," McKearn said. "I want to put some perspective back into these elected positions and be a voice during the campaign."

Serving has long been on McKearn's agenda. Among the many organizations she's volunteered with are the Toastmasters, Special Olympics, and St. Paschal Baylon as a religious education teacher. Appointed by state Sen. Tom McClintock, McKearn is a voting member of the California Republican Party and was honored as the California Republican Assembly 2003 Outstanding Woman of the 19th Senate District.

She enjoys community service because of the people she meets.

"Volunteering is part of the American way of life," McKearn said.

A native of Indiana, McKearn grew up on a farm and was active in the 4-H Club.

She earned bachelor's and master's degrees from Purdue University. McKearn spent two years in California teaching first grade in Pico Rivera, then taught Americans on military bases or at American embassies in Japan, Poland and Germany. During that time she met her husband, who is now retired from the U.S. Army.

Through the military, the couple and their growing family lived in Kansas, Louisiana and Washington, D.C. When the military transferred her husband to Monterey, McKearn edited a local magazine and served on the parks and recreation commission.

McKearn has lived in Thousand Oaks for two decades, since her husband took a job with Hughes Aircraft in Canoga Park after retiring from the Army as a lieutenant colonel. Her children all attended local schools, where they participated in various sports programs. One son is in the military, currently serving in Iraq in a special forces unit.

McKearn calls Thousand Oaks a big city with a small hometown feel, and she'd like to keep it that way.

"I want the city to continue to be safe and to be a place where people can retain their public and individual rights," McKearn said.