Former Culver City Commissioner Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin launches Council bid

Small Business Owner, Former Cultural Affairs Commissioner, and longtime community advocate Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin has officially declared her candidacy for the Culver City Council. Wisnosky Stehlin is running to be a voice for residents and community members who want strong, collaborative leadership at City Hall.

“People come to Culver City because they want to live in a place with a strong sense of community, excellent schools, vibrant businesses, beautiful parks, and city services they can rely on,” Wisnosky Stehlin said. “Recent decisions made by the current City Council majority have contributed to fiscal instability that threatens the progress and quality of life residents value, while leaving both new and longtime community members feeling unheard and left behind. That needs to change.”

Wisnosky Stehlin believes Culver City deserves leaders who work hand in hand with, and are accountable to, the people they serve. During her years in Culver City, she co-founded and led grassroots community advocacy efforts focused on schools, parks, the arts, neighborhood safety, government transparency, and local quality-of-life issues. Wisnosky Stehlin has long advocated for a lobbyist registry, which other Westside cities have, but is currently being held up indefinitely in the Council’s Standing Governance Subcommittee.

Having lived in Culver City for more than 26 years while serving at both the city and school district levels, and as the parent of three who attended Culver City public schools from kindergarten through high school, she brings a unique ability to connect city government, schools, and the broader community, helping bridge communication, priorities, and problem-solving between them. Her experience gives her a firsthand understanding of how city decisions impact families, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and daily life across the community.

Professionally, Wisnosky Stehlin is a nonprofit consultant working across education, access to justice, the arts, and community-serving organizations, including efforts that expand free legal services for those who cannot afford an attorney and provide grants to California college students facing medical crises. In 2019, she was honored with a career achievement award for her work as a producer of Los Angeles theatre.

The Culver City Council is comprised of five at-large members. There are two seats open for the General Election, which will take place on November 3, 2026.

More About Jeannine

Wisnosky Stehlin and her husband made Culver City their home while raising their three daughters, all of whom attended Culver City public schools from kindergarten through high school. She began her civic involvement in local schools as a PTA and booster club leader and went on to serve on the Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee and the Culver City High School Career Technical Education Pathways Committee. She also contributed to the planning of the districtwide arts plan, supporting arts education across the school district.

Following the Sandy Hook tragedy, Wisnosky Stehlin produced a community school safety forum that brought together city leaders, first responders, and families to address school safety. She is a co-founder of Culver City Neighbors United, a community advocacy organization focused on civic engagement and transparency. She has also worked with the city to improve neighborhood safety, including successfully advocating for four-way stop signs at dangerous intersections near a popular local park.

During her time on the Cultural Affairs Commission, Wisnosky Stehlin played a key role in selecting and funding local performing arts organizations through the City’s annual Performing Arts Grant program, helping recommend over $240,000 in matching grants for performances in 2023. She co-created the Culver City Artist Laureate Program, co-authored the Commission’s diversity, equity, and inclusion statement, and advised on the relaunch of the Summer Sunset Concert Series, among other initiatives. She also served as Chair of the Culver City Arts Foundation for two years, providing leadership during its transition to Culver Arts.

A fourth-generation union member and parent of a public-school teacher, she has been a proud member of SAG-AFTRA for over two decades, serving on the Hollywood Local Women’s Committee, which advocates for women in the entertainment industry, and previously on the Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee, working to keep entertainment jobs in California.

Wisnosky Stehlin is the co-founder and president of the Heart of LA Democratic Club, the first feminist Democratic club in Los Angeles County, working to advance gender equity and expand leadership opportunities for women. She is an elected delegate to the California Democratic Party from Assembly District 55.

Wisnosky Stehlin earned her undergraduate degree in Advertising and Communications from the University of Illinois and holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Illinois Institute of Technology. She lives in Culver City with her family and foster animals.

Learn more here.