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= Steve Schulte = Stephen Eugene Schulte (b. January 21, 1946) is an American politician, activist and policy analyst and a former mayor and councilman of the city of West Hollywood, California.

Political Career

In 1984, when the City of West Hollywood, California was established as an independent city, Schulte was elected to the City Council and later served as the City’s third mayor from 1986 to 1987. He was deeply involved in the City’s organizational, legislative, personnel and policy decisions.

Starting on the opening night of cityhood with an empty organizational chart, Schulte joined the Council in hiring the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk and various department heads. Complex challenges to the new city grew rapidly and so did city staff in response. During the first months and years of the City of West Hollywood, Schulte was instrumental in enacting statutes to establish domestic partnerships (the third city in California  to do so), supporting economic boycotts of South Africa, establishing support for the Russian emigre community and creating and expanding organizational structures to support people with AIDS and care for seniors. His terms as councilman and as mayor saw a growth of social services as well as increased funding for the arts.

West Hollywood’s demographics included renters, senior citizens, gay and lesbian citizens, thriving small businesses and homeowners. The issues of homeowners were a particular challenge for the new Council as was the continuation of the  Los Angeles County Sheriff’s department as the law enforcement agency for the new city. Under Schulte’s leadership, these challenges were soon turned into working partnerships.

Executive Directorships and Administrative Positions

Schulte was Executive Director of Project Angel Food (1992-1993), a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles County which still provides prepared meals for people who are home-bound with illness. He joined the organization at a time of deep structural and financial challenges and worked to see stability, growth and progressive employee policies embedded into the agency.

Not-for-profit management, government relations and organizational development were always strengths and priorities for Schulte. Early in his career following graduate school in municipal administration, he was Executive Director of The Central and Western Neighborhood Development Corporation, a community development agency. In Davenport, Iowa he went on to assist in the development of the Iowa Children and Youth Program as its Executive Director.

After moving to California and serving a short stint in Los Angeles City Hall, he served as Executive Director of the Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center (now the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center) and promoted major cultural, organizational and financial growth in that organization. Following this he served for six years (two terms) on the West Hollywood City Council and worked as Director in Government Relations for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Since 2006 he has been a part-time contract instructor for Environmental Training and Compliance (ETAC), an environmental and regulatory services agency licensed by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). He is also employed full-time as a financial professional and agent for New York Life Insurance in Glendale, CA.

Early Life and Political Views

Schulte was born into a devout Roman Catholic family on a farm outside of Burlington, Iowa. He attended a Catholic high school then entered Yale and earned a BA in political science and history. After Yale he worked for three years as an elementary school teacher in Newark, New Jersey following the Newark Riots i n 1967. The subsequent political environment after the Riots greatly affected his political outlook. He also cites the reforms of Pope John XXIII and the Second Vatican Counc il as influential in his thinking. Schulte remains a “very active and very liberal pro-choice Catholic, much to the consternation of many of my friends.” Raised in a traditional environment, his social and political views have always been liberal and progressive.

Citing close relationships with two younger sisters and lifelong friendships with several women, Schulte is pro-feminist, pro-choice, and a gay and civil rights activist. He is a self-described  “Roosevelt and Social Democrat” and since the 1960s has been a vocal advocate for economic justice and civil rights for the poor as well as immigrant rights. Schulte has worked with many gay organizations, Farm Workers and with fair and affordable housing advocates.

Later and Current Life

Schulte received his masters degrees in Public Administration from the University of Iowa and in Public Health from UCLA. He was a board member at the local YMCA and ran for the Board of the Los Angeles Community College District in 2014.

Schulte is a resident of Los Angeles, California.