Candidate for
Council Member; City of San Rafael

Eric Holm grew up and was educated here in the San Francisco Bay Area, living in both Marin and San Francisco. Eric Holm graduated from Redwood High School in Larkspur, in 1982. He received his Bachelors' Degree, in 1986, in the Integral Major (encompassing Philosophy, Literature, Language, Music, and Mathematics) as well as his NCAA varsity letters in men's crew (rowing) from Saint Mary's College. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Jurisprudence from San Francisco Law School and is also a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. While in law school, Eric clerked for Judge Alfred Chantelli, the presiding judge of the San Francisco Superior Court.

In 1995, Eric became an Adjudications Officer in the US Department of Justice in the Office of International Affairs and later, with its creation, with the US Department of Homeland Security, where he adjudicated cases of Asylum, withholding of deportation, and refugee processing, providing protection to persons with past persecution or a well founded fear of future persecution based on race, nationality, religion, inclusion in a particular social group, and/or political opinion.

During his career with the Federal Government, Eric also served as the Vice President and Chief Steward of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1616, AFL-CIO. In this capacity, he was responsible for protecting the rights of other members of AFGE, through negotiations, mediation, and arbitration.

Eric is blind, and graduated with his beloved guide dog "Ford" in 2006 from Guide Dogs for the Blind in San Rafael. Ford accompanies Eric everywhere, as a happy and successful team. After graduation, he became a volunteer at Guide Dogs for the Blind, one of the three licensed guide dog schools in California, and the largest employer in Marin County.

In 2008, the Governor of California appointed Eric to the State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind, a state regulatory body within the California Department of Consumer Affairs. The Board licenses and regulates schools and persons in California that train and supply guide dogs for the blind and oversees fund raising practices. Eric also serves collaterally on the Legislative Committee of the Board, reviewing pending legislation that impacts individuals with visual impairments and makes recommendations on formal positions for the Board to adopt. .

Eric Holm serves as the President of the San Francisco Chapter of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB), and is a well known and respected member of the community. Eric advocates for the rights and responsibilities of the disabled. He recently met with Congress, as a delegate of the NFB, in addition to the State Legislature, and was a presenter to the Administrative Offices of the Courts.

Eric is an avid life-long sailor and volunteers his time with the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors, assisting persons with disabilities to actively participate in the sport.