ABOUT MAYOR MICHAEL

Large family gathering smiling for a group photo indoors.

My background

Mayor Michael Luellen is a lifelong resident of Calipatria, graduating from Calipatria High School in 2022 before earning six associate degrees from Imperial Valley College in 2024. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration from San Diego State University–Imperial Valley and is currently pursuing a Master of Public Administration (MPA).

At a few years old, Michael and his parents moved to Niland where he began his journey as a Hornet at Grace Smith Elementary School before moving to Calipatria. Here, Michael began involvement with community-based activities like the Centennial Celebration, sparking an interest in civic engagement and public service that ultimately inspired him to run for office shortly after high school.

Luellen currently represents Calipatria as Vice Chairman of the Imperial County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) and serves on the California League of Cities’ Governance, Transparency, and Labor Relations Policy Committee. He also represents Imperial County on the California League of Cities’ Advancing Equity Advisory Committee and serves as First Vice President for the League's division. Additionally, Michael sits on the Imperial County Workforce Development Board Youth Committee and is a member of the California Jobs First Disinvested Communities Sector.

Michael is extremely optimistic about the future of Calipatria and looks forward to working alongside our community to establish a reinvigorated home for our children and grandchildren to follow!