Meet Eric

Hello! My name is Eric Palmer, and I live in Monterey’s District 3, a lovely forested district made up of the Monterey Vista and Skyline Forest neighborhoods. After over twenty years, I have planted my roots here, I’m raising a young family, and I serve the community for a living. I want to inspire new voices to help guide Monterey forward and protect what makes it special. I look forward to getting to know you!

passion for local gov

Over the course of 17 years of public service, I worked for the City of Monterey, Monterey County Office of Education, CSU Monterey Bay and ReGen Monterey (Monterey Regional Waste Management District), getting a full education on city and regional governance.

I serve on the Board of Directors for the California Association of Public Information Officials, the top association for government communicators in the state. These skills will come in handy to improve community engagement, solicit public feedback and communicate with you about how I am serving you.

I am nearly finished with my Masters Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in local government from the University of Colorado, Denver, where I am maintaining a 4.0 GPA.

I’ve been honored to serve as a city commissioner on the City of Monterey’s Architectural Review Committee, where I ensure that any new development is harmonious with its surrounding environment and the character of its neighborhood or business district.

Competitive distance running has encouraged me to run nearly every street and trail in Monterey County. I do not take our natural beauty for granted. Working for agencies committed to sustainability and environmental protection and education, along with my love for our bay, forests, trails and open spaces, has inspired a commitment to protect and champion our local environment and marine sanctuary.

love of the ocean

I grew up in the South Bay region of Los Angeles, and moved to the Monterey Peninsula at 18 to study documentary filmmaking at California State University, Monterey Bay. As a competitive cross-country runner, I was attracted to Fort Ord’s natural beauty, proximity to the ocean, and open spaces to run, bike and skateboard. I graduated “with distinction” in 2007 and immediately started my public service career with the City of Monterey.

value families

I was lucky to find a “Pagrovian” who wanted to spend the rest of her life in Monterey. We have a four-year old daughter and seven-year old son and live in the Monterey Vista neighborhood. Our kids attend and love their MPUSD schools. The Peninsula is our forever home. We want our kids to grow up in a community that supports working families. We want them to be able to live here and work here, if they choose, and continue to enjoy what makes Monterey special.

I’ll bring the perspective of living here as a student, hospitality worker and then a graduate striving to build a career and afford to live here. I discovered a passion for local government after following up on an email recruiting an intern for the City of Monterey’s Communications Office. I know what its like to be a working parent here - both the challenges and the rewards. I will bring all of these perspectives to the council, so that I can help maintain and improve the quality of life of our diverse residents.