About
Learn about Jen’s community leadership, professional background, and experience serving Carlsbad.
Go to AboutThank you to everyone who offered encouragement and support during my 2026 exploratory campaign for Carlsbad City Council, District 1.
Although I chose to withdraw from the race, my commitment to Carlsbad and to public service remains strong. I look forward to continuing to serve our community through civic engagement, education, and volunteer leadership.
— Jen Kerwin
Carlsbad, California
Jen Kerwin
Jen Kerwin has served Carlsbad in a variety of roles across sectors as an active leader in the community. Jen currently leads a parent teacher organization at a local public school. Additionally, she has served on several district wide committees. Jen is an active member of several nonpartisan civic organizations across San Diego County. Jen and her husband Neal are raising their two children in Carlsbad.
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Why Jen
A balanced perspective for Carlsbad
Jen brings professional experience managing detailed, high-responsibility work and years of community leadership, giving her a balanced perspective on the challenges facing Carlsbad.
About
Meet Jen Kerwin
A community leader and parent running for Carlsbad City Council District 1.
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Meet Jen
As a long time leader of local parent teacher organizations, Jen has listened to parents talk about the things that matter to families in Carlsbad. Jen has a demonstrated track record of building bridges to find solutions when there are differing opinions. Jen will bring her experience and expertise to the city council at a time when collaborative problem-solving and effective leadership are needed to face a changing and challenging landscape. Jen can help deliver solutions that will bring communities together.
Community Leadership
Jen is running for Carlsbad City Council because she believes that District 1 deserves a leader with a proven track record of collaborating across generations to deliver meaningful, positive results for Carlsbad. Jen has spent over fifteen years serving her communities while raising two children with her husband Neal. From Minneapolis to Silicon Valley, and now here in Carlsbad, Jen has served on numerous school district wide committees as well as led parent teacher organizations. Jen also works with local nonpartisan civic organizations to protect civil liberties and expand access to civic participation.
Jen’s contributions include addressing complex challenges such as helping bring community members together around issues of fairness, inclusion, and opportunity as well as participating in strategic long-term budget planning. Jen is currently serving on a school committee charged with helping to identify responsible artificial intelligence implementation in Carlsbad schools.
In her role as a civic leader, Jen has worked with local elected officials, students and residents of all ages to strengthen participation in the democratic process. These experiences have helped to shape her approach to work and life. Jen values every perspective and wants to help the City Council focus on solutions that serve the entire community.
Professional Background
Jen spent nearly a decade working in a Fortune 500 company role as an escrow closer in both Austin, Texas, and the greater Los Angeles, CA area. Working for First American Title Insurance company in Austin taught Jen about collaborating with teams in a growing real estate boomtown.
In 2004, Jen was relocated within the organization to work in the Glendale, CA office on a national unit closing commercial real estate transactions in cities across California and the nation. In that role, she learned to work with attorneys and brokers in a highly competitive environment to ensure that all details were in place to close multi-million dollar portfolios for her clients.
Before stepping back from her career to raise a family, Jen’s professional background also included projects for a commercial real estate development and construction company based in Burbank, California. In that role, she worked closely with senior leadership and managed projects across multi-stakeholder portfolios in Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco.
Personal Background
Jen was raised and attended college in the Midwest. She is the daughter of a retired educator and a Navy veteran. She holds a B.A. in Management and Management of Information Systems from the University of Illinois. Prior to starting a family, Jen worked as a business professional in Austin, Texas, and in the greater Los Angeles area. She has experience working in small and medium-sized firms, as well as spending nearly a decade within the structure of a Fortune 500 corporation. Jen holds an Equity Practitioner Certification from the Sarah Jane Academy. In her spare time, she enjoys hosting neighborhood gatherings and walking her dog near the Terramar beach break.