Ellis Raskin
Environmental Attorney & Chair of Planning Commission
A Progressive Voice for Sustainability in Santa Monica
Ellis is an attorney and community advocate from the Pico Neighborhood. By day he advises public agencies and other stakeholders throughout California about urban development, housing laws, and environmental policy, and has helped school districts in California build workforce housing to recruit and retain talented educators.
Since moving to Santa Monica in 2015, Ellis has been a leading proponent of city programs that promote sustainability, address homelessness, and protect renters who are at risk of eviction and displacement. Following his appointment to the Santa Monica Urban Forest Task Force in 2017, Ellis was elevated to the Santa Monica Planning Commission in 2020 and now serves as its chair. We admire how Ellis has never been afraid to cast a dissenting vote.
Ellis is a graduate of Occidental College and the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. Outside of work and public service, Ellis often spends his time exploring Santa Monica and enjoying walks beneath the city’s spectacular urban forest.