Meet Steve

Steve Kawa grew up in Massachusetts as the 5th of 6 children. His dad was a union laborer and his mom was a school bus driver. From a young age, they taught Steve and his siblings the importance of working hard, giving back, and remaining committed to community.

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After graduating from high school, Steve worked 3 part-time jobs while attending school at Merrimack College, where he graduated in 1983 before attending and graduating from Suffolk University Law School in 1989. Shortly after earning his law degree, Steve moved to California in the early 1990’s, where he met his future husband, Dan Henkle, in 1993. Together, they adopted and raised two kids: Kat, who’s now 26; and Michael, who’s now 23. They have been part of the Cloverdale community for nearly 20 years.

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As a 35-year Bay Area resident, Steve has served in a variety of capacities in education as well as state and local government, from service under the administration of former San Francisco Mayors Ed Lee, Gavin Newsom, and Willie Brown to creating a leadership program at San Francisco State University.

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With more than 25 years of state and local government experience, Steve hopes to positively contribute to our community’s future as our next Cloverdale City Councilmember. He owns a small business and is semi-retired, lives next door to Washington School, and enjoys being in walking distance to city parks, hiking trails, and the heart of our downtown.

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Steve currently serves in volunteer leadership capacities, including service as a:

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• Board Member, Cloverdale Chamber of Commerce

• Trustee, California Academy of Sciences

• Chair, California Protocol Foundation

• Chair, California High Speed Rail Authority

 

Steve’s #1 priority is to listen and advocate for you: the residents of Cloverdale. You can contact him at any time by emailing kawaforcloverdale@gmail.com.