Harlan was elected in 2020 by Eastside residents to serve as the 6th District’s first City Council Member. Currently the Mayor Pro Tem, he previously served four years on the Costa Mesa Planning Commission (two as Vice Chair), and eight years as a Board member of the Costa Mesa Community Foundation. Harlan also wrote a weekly column for the Los Angeles Times’ Daily Pilot newspaper where he covered civic affairs, urban planning, and local business.
An established resident of Eastside Costa Mesa, Jeff Harlan and his wife, Melinda, have raised their two daughters, Sophie and Evie, to be involved in their community and take pride in all that Costa Mesa has to offer.
Melinda is a Newport Beach native, small business owner, and longtime volunteer and event organizer/fundraiser at the Woodland Elementary, Kaiser Elementary, and Ensign Intermediate schools, and Newport Harbor High School. Jeff and Melinda are also mentors in Newport Harbor High School’s program for juniors interested in particular career paths.
Growing up in the San Fernando Valley in the 1980s, Harlan (an original “Valley boy”) has always been fascinated by geography and how cities change over time. Back when you could get anywhere in Los Angeles in 20 minutes, he traveled with his family across the region for school, journalism competitions, and tennis tournaments. Harlan earned his degree in environmental design at the University of Pennsylvania, then ultimately combined his passion for architecture and public policy to earn a Juris Doctor from Vermont Law School with a focus on environmental and land use law.
Harlan started his career in public service at the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, Environmental Protection Section, before serving as a deputy to Los Angeles City Councilmember Ruth Galanter where he handled community issues and led the office’s environmental policy agenda. Harlan spearheaded sustainable development initiatives citywide and helped administer green building policy for nearly $2 billion in City projects, including new public library and fire station campaigns.
Upon moving to Costa Mesa in the mid-2000s, Harlan spent the next decade as an environmental and land use consultant advising municipal governments, nonprofit organizations, and real estate professionals. He has led and managed several large-scale planning projects for cities throughout California, focusing not just on community design and architecture, but also governance and economic development. Harlan has continued the work he is passionate about as an Attorney in private practice.
Harlan is also an avid tennis player, golfer, yoga enthusiast, and hiker, and can be found most mornings in the Back Bay walking the family dog, Oliver.
PAID FOR BY HARLAN FOR CITY COUNCIL 2024
FPPC #1469159