Meet the Candidate
Luke Kilpatrick
Sand City resident, father, business owner, and your neighbor since 2020.
A Sand City Resident Who Did the Work First
My name is Luke Kilpatrick. I'm a proud father, business owner, and resident of Sand City. I have lived here since 2020, and I can't imagine living anywhere better. After the events of 2020 made remote work an option for me, I took the opportunity to buy my dream home on Ocean View Avenue. My neighbors here are some of the most amazing people I have met, and as a council member I will endeavor to serve them well.
Throughout the last six years, I have attended most city council meetings — both in person and remotely — keeping up with the happenings in our city and the county at large. I have spoken up on behalf of my neighbors as well as fellow business owners about matters that affect us all. In my career, I have worked in everything from manufacturing to art to high tech — all industries calling Sand City home.
In the November 2024 election for Sand City Council, I received 70 votes — just 3 votes behind Michelle Adams (73 votes) and 9 votes behind Marilee Diaz (79 votes). I have remained engaged, continuing to attend council meetings and support the work of our city. Now I'm asking for your vote in November 2026.
At a Glance
- 📍 1875 Ocean View Avenue, Sand City
- 🏠 Sand City resident since 2020
- 👧 Father of Mia
- 🏡 Owner, Ocean View BNB
- 🎓 UC Santa Barbara Engineering Leadership, 2024
- 🎓 Seneca College Computer Graphics & Digital Media, 2001
- 📞 (650) 745-5302
- ✉️ luke@lukek.ca
Life on the Water
The Coast Is Why I'm Here
Sand City sits at the edge of one of the most biodiverse marine environments on the planet. Protecting this coast — its water, its wildlife, and the communities that depend on it — is personal for me. These are from my own dives and time on Monterey Bay.
Thumbs up at 200 feet — I've been diving Monterey Bay and beyond for years. That time underwater is part of why protecting this coast matters so deeply to me.
Background
From the Holland Marsh to Silicon Valley to Sand City
I grew up in Southern Ontario in a region very similar to the Salinas Valley. I spent my summers as a teenager working for my father, who did industrial maintenance in the Holland Marsh — building HVAC systems, fixing equipment, and working with my hands. That work gave me a deep respect for the trades.
After graduating from Seneca College in 2001 with a degree in Computer Graphics and Digital Media Technical Production, I took a job in telescope manufacturing in Rockford, Illinois. From there I moved through several manufacturing companies, working in IT and technical writing — including building systems to help Kohler manage their engine plant and retail outlet construction.
In 2007 I came to California to find my fortune in Silicon Valley, working for tech companies building communities and helping management understand the needs of their users and workforce. That community-building work is what ultimately led me to seek office. I completed UC Santa Barbara's Engineering Leadership program in 2024, which deepened my skills in organizational leadership, budget management, and cross-functional collaboration — exactly the skills a city council member needs.
Today I am a senior technology and community leader with 15+ years of experience building and leading teams, managing budgets, and delivering results. I'm comfortable reading detailed documents, asking clear questions, and partnering across engineering, finance, legal, and executive leadership — all of which translates directly to the work of serving on a city council.
Local Roots
Invested in Sand City — As a Resident and a Business Owner
I run local small businesses based here in Sand City. The Ocean View BNB brings visitors to our community and helps them see what we already know: this is a great place to live, work, and do business. I also converted my own home into an ADU, which I operate as a short-term rental — that decision has allowed me to continue living here during economically uncertain stretches, and it gave me firsthand experience with the regulatory process every Sand City property owner faces.
In 2022, I organized all of the other short-term rental owners in the city to work together on a permitting process that became one of the better and most business-friendly STR policies in the area. Since that ordinance passed, short-term rentals have generated nearly $250,000 in Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) for Sand City — real revenue that supports city services for all of our residents.
I'm also an author and creator of the Mia Kingtide ocean adventure book series — chapter books and illustrated picture books written for kids who love the sea. I sell them locally at community events, at the West End, and on Amazon. I have been a West End vendor and remain invested in keeping that event and other opportunities available for our artist community — because the West End is one of Sand City's real differentiators. I'm a member of the Monterey Peninsula Yacht Club and active in the Brentwood Elementary School Parents Club.
Mia Kingtide Series
I served briefly on the San Mateo County Surfrider Foundation board in 2009, and on the advisory council for the UC Santa Barbara Engineering Leadership program from 2022 to 2024.
Civic Engagement
I've Been Present and Paying Attention
I've been active in council meetings for the past six years, contributing on items such as building fees, short-term rentals, and our parks. This isn't a first-time observer running on good intentions — I know the agenda, I know the staff, and I know the decisions that are in front of us.
This is my fourth time seeking a seat on the Sand City Council. I first applied for a council appointment in April 2023 — another candidate was selected. I kept attending meetings. In November 2024 I ran in the general election and received 70 votes — just 3 behind Michelle Adams (73) and 9 behind Marilee Diaz (79). In early 2026 I applied for another vacancy appointment. Now I'm running again in November 2026. Each time I've stayed engaged, kept showing up, and gotten a clearer picture of what this city needs. That persistence is part of what I'm bringing to this seat.
Sand City is in the middle of a real shift: from a historically industrial and commercial footprint into something more walkable, mixed-use, and creative — while still protecting what works and what pays the bills. I want to help make sure we keep approving the right projects, in the right way, with outcomes we can be proud of five and ten years from now. That's the Creative Town identity I believe in, and it's what I'm running to help build.
Education
2024
Engineering Leadership
UC Santa Barbara
2001
Computer Graphics & Digital Media Technical Production
Seneca College