ABOUT ME

For Morgan Hill

Morgan Hill is at an inflection point in our history.  Will politics influence us, or will we rise above to solve issues and continue with Morgan Hill’s record of achievement.  

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This election is about serious issues, and the leadership qualities needed to move us forward and protect our quality of life.  I have a proven record of working collaboratively with the community, the city council and city staff to get things done.

 

Ready on Day One

As Mayor, I will be intimately engaged in the policy issues, and I’ll be ready on Day One.  But today, the most important job of our Mayor is to bring the council together to solve Morgan Hill’s most pressing issues and move us forward.  We must rebuild the trust from our community.

 

From Morgan Hill

​I am a Morgan Hill native.  My family moved to Morgan Hill in 1972.  I attended Morgan Hill public schools from kindergarten at P.A. Walsh to graduation from Live Oak High School in 1987.

 

I have two children; Patrick is a student at University of Arizona and Katie is studying at California State University Channel Islands.  Both are graduates of Sobrato High School.  Together with my long-time partner, Barbara Krainock, and I live in downtown Morgan Hill.  Barbara holds a master’s degree in Communications Studies from San Jose State University and has taught at the University, Community College, and High School levels.  We are active members of Morgan Hill in a variety of community and volunteer organizations.

 

My parents, Jim and Joyce Carr still live in Morgan Hill as well.  They taught my two brothers and I the value of community service and that public participation can make a difference.  My Mom served for many years on the School Board here in Morgan Hill and Dad was very active in our church serving on the leadership council as well as volunteering for the YMCA.  

 

A thriving career

A veteran elected official and public affairs executive, I have served in government, business and academia. I am a Public Relations and Political Science graduate of San Jose State University.  My career has included working in the congressional offices of Representatives Norm Mineta and Anna Eshoo and later heading Education and Workforce Preparedness for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.  I served as Director of Government and Community Relations for Stanford Hospital and Clinics and as Associate Vice President of Public Affairs at San Jose State University, where I am a distinguished alumnus.  Moving from academia to the non-profit sector, I joined Joint Venture Silicon Valley as Executive Vice President.  In the private sector, I have worked in State & Local Government Relations for a fortune 500 company.

 

Impactful Experience
I served four years (1996-2000) on the Morgan Hill Unified School District Board of Trustees. While President of the Board for two years, I oversaw implementation of class-size reductions, strategies to relieve the district of severe over-crowding that led to the construction of Barrett Elementary School, renovations of Live Oak and the construction of Morgan Hill’s second comprehensive high school - Ann Sobrato High School. 

 

I was first elected to the Morgan Hill City Council in 2000.  As a councilmember (2000-2020), I was an impactful part of the resurgence of Morgan Hill.  During my service on the council, we balanced every city budget, passed sustainable budget principles that helped the city survive the great recession of 2008-2009, rebuilt a police department that had been devastated by budget cuts in the 1990’s.  With my leadership, the city built remarkable facilities to provide services to all of Morgan Hill.  The Community and Cultural Center, Outdoor Sports Complex and Aquatics Center, Centennial Recreation Center (operated in partnership with the YMCA), and a new library.  The envy of cities across Silicon Valley, the city did not stop there.  With the end of redevelopment agencies in California, my colleagues on the City Council appointed me to lead economic revitalization efforts and lead the new Economic Development Corporation.  Through these efforts we rebuilt significant portions of downtown, improving infrastructure, built a parking structure with adjoining retail, and negotiated new retail and dining and housing opportunities throughout downtown.

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 - Larry Carr