MEET PICK
John Pickhaver is a nonprofit leader, community organizer, and coach who believes the best elected officials create meaningful opportunities for residents to help shape the future of their city.
Why El Segundo
I grew up right outside of Philadelphia in a place called Drexel Hill. It was a tight-knit community where everyone, much like El Segundo, knew each other’s business. Where everyone had a favorite pizza place. And where everyone flocked to the Pflaumer house to see the best Christmas lights around.
I loved growing up there. From the time I was born until the time I graduated college, pretty much my entire life existed within an eight-mile radius. And I’m proud to say that here in El Segundo, I’ve gotten that down to about an eight-block radius. I don’t know… it depends if I make it over to Sugar Monkey that week.
But looking back, the thing I appreciate most about Drexel Hill is the same thing I’ve come to appreciate most about El Segundo: when someone in this community is in need, we show up.
I lost my dad to cancer when I was nine years old. In the immediate aftermath and in the years that followed, Drexel Hill was always there for my mom, my three older sisters, and me, in ways big and small. It taught me early on what a community can mean in someone’s life.
And I see that in El Segundo, a place that feels like home in so many ways. Even down to the accessibility of Philadelphia soft pretzels.
Inspired by Community
In 2020, after the murder of George Floyd, I joined neighbors in gathering at the corner of Main & Imperial to call for justice and accountability. In the weeks that followed, those gatherings grew into conversations about how El Segundo could become a more welcoming and inclusive city. Seeing neighbors come together to shape the future of our City inspired me to get more involved.
Not long after, I co-founded Sea Change, a community advocacy organization committed to promoting peace, justice, equality, and safety through advocacy, education, and civic engagement. Through Sea Change, I successfully advocated for the City to light the water tower in rainbow colors for Pride Month, helped bring greater transparency and public participation to the Charter City proposal process, and mobilized residents across the community to oppose a data center project that was ultimately withdrawn.
Last year, I co-founded Small Town, Loud Voices, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping community groups create lasting change. Today, I serve as its CEO, leading initiatives like Gundo Pride while supporting education, cultural exchange, civic involvement, and leadership development through grants, partnerships, scholarships, and by helping organizations like Sea Change expand their impact.
Showing Up
For me, community has never been about attending one event or supporting one cause. It's about showing up wherever I believe I can make a positive difference.
As chairperson of the ACC, I led the Committee's work developing El Segundo's first Arts & Culture Master Plan, creating a long-term vision for how arts and culture can continue enriching our city. I also helped establish the Committee's community grant program, which supported organizations and initiatives including Gundo Pride, the El Segundo Woman's Club, Black in Mayberry's Juneteenth Festival, the El Segundo Blue Butterfly Conservancy, and middle school programs like Design Week.
Community also means showing up during challenging and divisive times. I helped organize a community vigil honoring Nicole Good, Alex Pretti, and everyone whose lives have been lost or forever changed by ICE, creating a space for our community to grieve, stand together, and reaffirm our shared humanity. I've also organized monthly demonstrations in defense of democracy at the El Segundo sign at Main and Imperial, the same intersection where my civic journey first began.
Whether celebrating together, grieving together, protesting together, or working through difficult decisions together, I've come away with the same belief: El Segundo is strongest when neighbors show up for one another.
Looking Ahead
Today, Sean and I live downtown, in the heart of the city we've chosen to spend our lives together. We got engaged in Rec Park at Gundo Pride, surrounded by the very community that has shaped so much of our journey. It was a reminder that El Segundo isn't simply where we live. It's where we're building our future.
My commitment to service didn't begin in El Segundo. Long before I moved here, I was drawn to work that gave a voice to people who too often went unheard. In college, I volunteered to teach English and math to incarcerated individuals working toward their GEDs. Later, I volunteered with Back on My Feet, helping people experiencing homelessness work toward greater independence through fitness and community. Those experiences taught me empathy, the importance of listening, and the responsibility each of us has to leave our communities better than we found them.
When I found that same spirit of service in El Segundo, I knew I wanted to be part of it. Over the past several years, I've had the privilege of helping establish new traditions, strengthen community connections, and advocate for a more transparent government.
My hope is to help El Segundo become the very best version of itself by making sure more people see themselves in the future we're building together. That's why I'm running for City Council.
When I run for office, I run for office. I entered the race for City Council because El Segundo wants a change of pace. As you can see, I campaign a little differently. And I'll govern differently too in that I'm ready to go the distance to ensure all voices, especially those long-ignored, are finally heard and empowered when it comes to the most important challenges and issues facing our City.
Beyond Public Service
When I'm not running for office, I'm probably actually running. Running has been a constant throughout my life. I competed at the NCAA Division I level at Villanova University while pursuing my bachelor's degree and later at Loyola Marymount University (LMU) while earning my master's degree. In 2019, I won the El Segundo Run for Education 10K, setting the course record at the time. One of my proudest athletic accomplishments came at the 2017 Los Angeles Marathon, where I was the first American finisher and placed tenth overall. My passion for running eventually led me to coach cross country at the LMU and previously as a volunteer coach at El Segundo High School. For the past 20 years, I've also been a certified lifeguard.
Outside of public service, I worked in support staff roles in the writers' rooms on shows including Late Night with Seth Meyers and The Goldbergs. I was also a freelance joke contributor for Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update. In addition, I've written about politics, social issues, sports, and civic life for publications including HuffPost, Outsports, and the local press. Those experiences may seem very different, but they've all taught me the same lesson: the most meaningful work happens when you show up for other people and leave things better than you found them.
