John Erickson serves as the Chief of Staff for Alliance for a Better Community and is responsible for leading ongoing policy development and strategic lobbying efforts and overseeing day-to-day operations at ABC.

The current Mayor of the City of West Hollywood, John brings over 14 years of experience in shaping advocacy campaigns and policies for a more equitable, inclusive and diverse world. 

John’s leadership has led to statewide legislation to increase the supply of affordable housing for all, and protect and expand LGBTQ+ and women’s rights. Serving with the National League of Cities and California Contract Cities, John has brought a more forward-thinking perspective to shaping economic development and sustainability policies that have been a beacon for communities throughout the state.

John comes to ABC after serving as a Vice President at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles, where his work has helped make California a safe haven for women throughout the country for reproductive freedom and access to affordable health care. In 2016, John was a key strategist in the advocacy campaign that overturned California’s statute of limitations on rape and sexual assault (End Stature of Limitation on Rape). He was appointed the following year by Governor Brown to the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and is a former President of the Board of the ACLU of Southern California.

John’s commitment to activism and advocacy began at the age of six in his hometown of Ripon, Wisconsin where he accompanied his grandmother at women’s and senior rights rallies, and volunteered at the local food bank. In 2010, while completing his Ph.D. at Claremont Graduate University in American Religious History, John planted roots in the City of West Hollywood—a move that set him on a path to connect decades of work for social and economic justice with his passion for public service. John, often accompanied by his dog Winnie, brings an infectious enthusiasm to every endeavor he undertakes.