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Mike Feinstein
Co-Chair, Green Party of the United States
(elected August 2009)

A former City Council member, Mayor, and co-founder of the Green Party of California, Mike Feinstein's political baptism came in 1988 in Scotland when inspired at a Findhorn Community conference entitled "The Individual and the Collective: Politics as if the Whole Earth Mattered"; while at the same time reading the classic German Greens case study: Green Politics: The Global Promise by Charlene Spretnak and Fritjof Capra.

Quickly involving himself, Feinstein played an integral role in the successful 1990-1991 ballot drive of the Green Party of California and served in a variety of party roles since: from being elected to the Los Angeles County Council and State Party Coordinating Committee, to nationally representing California at three Green presidential conventions and the Green National Committee, to twice serving as a international GPUS delegate to the Global Greens and once to the Federation of the Green Parties of the Americas.

During this same time, Feinstein became involved in electoral politics and public policy. Twice elected to the Santa Monica City Council (1996, 2000), he was unanimously appointed its Mayor from 2000-2002 and made his mark on affordable housing, tenant protection, environmental health and sustainability, parks and open space, human-scale development, civil liberties and living wages.

Regionally, Feinstein has served on a variety of Southern California Association of Governments committees and helped draft its Regional Comprehensive Plan. Nationally he criticized corporate sponsorship and influence over the U.S. Conference of Mayors while attending its annual meeting, and internationally represented Santa Monica on socially-responsible investing at the United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development in South Africa.

With a focus on media, Feinstein co-hosted "Green Perspectives" on Pacifica radio station KPFK, Los Angeles (1989-95); published a 684-page book "16 Weeks with European Greens: Interviews, Impressions, Platforms and Personalities" (1992); was the founding and managing editor of the national Green Party newspaper Green Pages (1997-2001) and has the largest collection of Green Party videos in the world on his YouTube channel.

Born in Greece and adopted as an infant by American parents, Feinstein was raised in St. Louis Park, Minnesota where he graduated high school, then attended and graduated from Carleton College in nearby Northfield with a Bachelors of Arts in Philosophy. An avid global citizen, Feinstein has traveled ‘backpacker’ style in more than 40 countries. A fan of beaches, mountains and deserts, he revels equally in the mid day sun and the light of the full moon. Usually he walks, bikes, rollerblades or rides the bus, or when he drives, its his hybrid. But Feinstein also keeps a classic 1970 VW van in hopes of a day when an clean, efficient eco-fuel is developed to run it on.

Feinstein's goals as co-chair are "to elect more Greens, green public policy and transform the electoral system to a system of proportional representation with public financing, fair ballot access and debate inclusion for all ballot qualified candidates."

Committee Liaisons
Credentials, Green Officeholders, Green Pages, Media, Presidential Campaign

Additional Information
Feinstein's 2009 Steering Committee election candidate page
Feinstein's home page

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