I was born and raised in Northern California. My parents moved last year from Broadmoor Village, a small community near Daly City, and are now happy residents of Huntington Beach. I am the youngest of three with two older sisters, one resides near Rexburg, Idaho, the other in the Sacramento area. I joined the Police Explorers in Daly City when I was 16, and realized a calling to become a police officer. I moved to Huntington Beach in 1990 after living in the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles areas. My wife Vivian and I am immensely happy that we have found our true home here.
I currently am a Sergeant with the Los Angeles Police Department and have instructors at the Police Academy under my supervision. In my career with the LAPD, I have received numerous awards and recognitions; but the one I value most is the award I received for assisting in saving a fellow officer’s life.
I served as an elected board member of the Los Angeles Police Revolver and Athletic Club for over 17 years. I am also a part-time Instructor at Rio Hondo College. Often times I am asked to serve as an expert witness for law enforcement-related civil trials. I have been designated as a Use of Force Expert by the Chief of Police for the LAPD. At one point in my career, I served as the Sergeant-at-arms for the Los Angeles City Council, and was present during their regular and committee meetings.
I am an alumni of our very own Golden West College. Since moving to Huntington Beach, I volunteered as an Assistant Track and Field Coach at Ocean View High School for their Boys and Girls Track teams. This was a truly rewarding experience for me, and I enjoyed the interaction with the high school students on the team. I love this sport, and have represented my high school in numerous track and field competitions, winning several awards during that time. I am currently serving as an advisor at the Ocean View High School Key Club.
Other community organizations that I am proud to be a member of are the Huntington Beach Chamber of Commerce, Legislative Affairs Committee and the Huntington Beach Kiwanis Club. I am also serving as Vice President of Westminster Community Theatre, as well as President of my neighborhood association (Golden West Neighborhood Association). It was with great honor that I accepted to Chair the 9/11 Memorial Committee, a project jointly sponsored by the Huntington Beach Police Officers and Firefighters. I am also a member of the Amigos de Bolsa Chica and the Shipley Nature Center.
I am a proud father of four. My oldest daughter just received her Master’s Degree in Education. My stepdaughter got her Master’s Degree in Higher Education from Indiana University and my stepson got his Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from Cal State Northridge. I can gratefully say all are happily employed. My youngest is attending junior college in Southern California.
My hobbies are fishing, acting (did I mention Southland?) and directing plays in community theaters, and of course, watching sports, specially the 49ers win! Since my wife out-fished me last time, I now have to take ballroom dance lessons and I learned a valuable lesson — don’t bet on fishing! I can now fake a few dance steps without tripping all over myself, and actually, dancing is not so bad after all!
I will be retiring soon from the LAPD. I find personal fulfillment in being a public servant, and with your vote, I will focus my energy, knowledge, and experience to continue giving back to our community. Let’s make what’s best for Huntington Beach happen! Vote for me, JIM KATAPODIS, for Huntington Beach City Council!
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