Background
Hi there! I’m Karba Eckley (they/them), and I’m running for Ventura City Council in District 6 on November 3rd, 2026. I’m the child of Austrian immigrants who came to this country in search of opportunity in 1980. While I was born in New York, I have spent my adult life in the 805.
I grew up understanding what it means to build a life from scratch, to invest in a community, and to be grateful for the place you get to call home. My grandfather was a City Councilmember in his small village, so public service runs in the family.
Two degrees from UC Santa Barbara (BS in Hydrologic Sciences & Policy and Masters in Environmental Science & Management) ultimately led me to Ventura, where a job offer brought me to town. After short stints living in my car at Emma Wood State Beach and an apartment in Saticoy, I finally found my forever home in Montalvo. My family has since put down deep roots in the neighborhood. My mom lives in the house right behind mine, and my wife and I share our place with our pup Kona and a rotating cast of family and pets who keep life interesting.
You may see me at the downtown farmers market, poking around local thrift shops and estate sales, walking Kona through the neighborhood, or endlessly wandering the aisles at Green Thumb. Please say hi. I’d love to hear what’s on your mind.
My Professional Work
I currently work at a nonprofit called The Energy Coalition that helps cities, counties and schools across California fund and implement clean energy solutions and policies. My work focuses on energy efficiency, building electrification, and making sure climate policies don’t leave out lower-income neighborhoods. I’ve learned how to bring engineers, advocates, agency staff, and elected officials together around a shared plan, and how to turn good ideas and goals into action and progress.
Before The Energy Coalition, I spent over six years at Patagonia, right here in Ventura, leading environmental impact and sustainability research for the brand. That’s also the job that first brought me to town, so I owe Ventura’s most iconic local employer a great deal.
Serving Our Community
I served on the City of Ventura’s General Plan Advisory Committee from 2021 to 2025, helping shape the policies and priorities that will guide Ventura through 2050. We tackled some of the hardest questions facing our city: how to build the housing we need, how to prepare for climate change, and how to invest in neighborhoods that have been overlooked.
In March 2024, I joined the Montalvo Area Community Council as Secretary. In November 2025, I was elected Chair, and I’ve been working ever since to make sure Montalvo’s voice is heard at City Hall on the issues that affect us most: traffic and street safety, parks and open space, and the future of development in our part of town.
What Drives Me
I believe local government is where values get tested and proven. The decisions made at City Council shape whether working families can afford to stay in the community they love, whether our roads and sidewalks are safe enough for kids to walk to school, whether our parks are maintained, and whether local businesses have room to grow.
You can read more about what I’d fight for on my Issues and Priorities page. But beyond any single policy, what drives me is a simple belief: District 6 deserves a council member who lives here, listens, and does the work.