Meet Chris Coulombe

Born and raised in Sonoma County

16 years in the U.S. Military

California business owner

Will fight to give the people of Northern California the better future they deserve

Born and raised in Sonoma County, Chris spent most of his childhood in scouting and sports – hiking, camping, and backpacking the mountains of California. After earning his Eagle Scout, he found his calling in the military, joining in 2000 at the age of 18.

During his first enlistment, Chris was identified as a top performer and subsequently recommended for commissioning as an officer. In pursuit of the requisite college degree for a commission, Chris returned home to attend the Santa Rosa Junior College. He received his associate degree before transferring to the University of San Francisco (USF) and earning his bachelor’s in politics.

While at USF, Chris earned a full-ride scholarship and selection by the Leo T. McCarthy Center for the Common Good for the coveted Washington Semester Program at American University. This fellowship took him across Europe, where he learned about international law and organizations directly from leaders of the various institutions of the international community, such as NATO, the EU, the UN, and the International Criminal Courts at the Hague.

During his time in Washington DC, Chris completed his studies in Military Science at Georgetown University and received an internship at the Pentagon’s Strategic Studies Group, studying military policy and strategy with the military’s top minds.

In 2011 Chris received his commission as an infantry officer in the US Army, where he honed his leadership skills, ultimately achieving the rank of captain. He was eventually selected to lead the Division’s Pathfinder Platoon – a specialty platoon tasked with reconnaissance and sensitive material recovery for the division.

He also ran the Army’s Pacific Theater Air Assault School, facilitating the training of thousands of Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the US and partner forces, qualifying them in helicopter rappelling and assault operations.

In his final military assignment, Chris was the most junior Army officer ever selected for a fellowship to the Senator Daniel K. Inouye Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies (APCSS), a Department of Defense think tank. He represented the US and US Army to dignitaries and senior security officials from almost every country in the Indo-Asia Pacific, focusing on multilateral and multidimensional solutions to regional and transnational security challenges.

At APCSS, Chris learned the value of establishing trust across borders and cultures and understanding the increasingly complex interrelationships of military, economic, political, environmental, and diplomatic policies. He also learned the challenges that form the security environment of the Indo-Asia Pacific.

Following this assignment, Chris earned his master’s in diplomacy from the oldest private military university in the US, Norwich; finishing his studies with a thesis on the challenge brewing in the South China Sea and solutions available to mitigate war. Completing his commission in 2016, he returned home to family in Sonoma County. There he joined his mentor, learning the ropes as a business and political consultant, successfully running city and county level campaigns and advising companies in various industries of northern California and beyond.

As a small business owner, Chris built a state-wide logistics operation, produced an award-winning documentary, and co-founded a trade association. An association responsible for passing several pieces of state legislation critical to small business, a body of white papers, and representing the largest group of licensed distributors in the nation. He worked closely with regulators, legislators, and the Governor’s Office of both Jerry Brown and Gavin Newsom administrations to address small business viability – focusing on burdensome taxation, market regulations, and expanding commercial rights for the cannabis industry.

In 2018 Chris was recognized by North Bay Business Journal’s Forty under 40; his company received the American Business Association’s small transportation business of the year award and a Zennie Award for HR excellence. The following year he won the Irish Echo’s Forty under 40 award.

Chris lives in Sonoma County, where he spends his time with family. He enjoys supporting youth as a board member and past president of Scouting’s Redwood Empire Council, assisting his childhood scout troop, and hikes across the natural beauty of California with his dog Xorro. He is an avid runner and a moderately successful gardener.

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