Mayor Kate Colin is the first female to hold the office of Mayor since the city was incorporated in 1847.  She was elected to the San Rafael City Council in January 2013 after serving as a Planning Commissioner for eight years.  She has lived in the Sun Valley neighborhood since 1996 with her husband where they raised their two children.    

Mayor Kate’s priority for the City is to continue to strengthen San Rafael after the pandemic years through focusing on four key policy areas for 2024 – economic growth, homelessness/housing, sustainability (focusing on wildfire prevention and sea level rise) and social justice. She strongly believes in working with the community to find solutions that reflect our community values as well as partnerships with local residents, businesses and neighborhoods to make San Rafael the best it can be.   

Mayor Kate is one of only six Mayors in the United States to be selected into the prestigious 2024 Mayoral Fellowship for the Mayor Institute on City Design conducted through the U.S. Conference of Mayors, taught through the Harvard Graduate School of Design and funded by the National Endowment of Arts. The focus of the Mayoral Fellowship is to incorporate equity into land use policy decisions which ultimately benefits all city residents. 

In addition to Mayor Kate’s role as Mayor of San Rafael, she is the Chair of the San Rafael Sanitation District. She also represents San Rafael on several regional boards including TAM(Transportation Authority of Marin), SMART (Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit), BayWAVE (Bay Waterfront Adaptation Vulnerability Evaluation) and the BCDC Elected Official Task Force (Bay Conservation and Development Commission). She is a strong advocate for gun safety and is the only elected city official consistently participating in the Marin County District Attorney’s Gun Safety Collaborative. Mayor Kate also engages with Mayors across the United States and is a member of the Climate Mayors, Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Mayors for Guaranteed Income.  

Kate has an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management and a BA from Dartmouth College. She is a life-long athlete who is often seen running the trails or cycling through our city streets. 

Brian Colbert grew up in Bethel, Connecticut, as part of the first African-American family to live in the area. He attended Oberlin College, earning degrees in political science and theater, and later pursued advanced studies at the University of Chicago, obtaining both a law degree and a degree in public policy. After practicing law for five years, Brian explored entrepreneurial ventures before moving to Turkey with his wife, Nihal. There, he taught in the Department of International Relations at the Izmir University of Economics for three and a half years.

In 2007, Brian and Nihal relocated to San Francisco, where they embraced the Bay Area’s vibrant community. In 2011, they settled in San Anselmo, attracted by Marin County’s open spaces and excellent schools. Their daughter attended Wade Thomas Elementary School, and Nihal served as Chair of the YES Foundation Board, achieving the organization’s highest fundraising year during her tenure. Brian joined the town’s Economic Development Committee, eventually becoming Chair and contributing to initiatives that supported the local economy and community.

Brian has played an active role in regional efforts to improve public spaces and support local businesses. Notably, he spearheaded the Reimagining Creek Park project, transforming a flood mitigation effort into a dynamic community park that revitalized San Anselmo’s downtown. During the pandemic, he worked with local organizations to assist businesses and served on the inaugural Economic Vitality Strategic Plan steering committee. Brian also holds leadership roles with the Transportation Authority of Marin and Marin Transit, focusing on sustainable transportation and community connectivity.

Professionally, Brian is the Director of Business Development and Patient Experience for an innovative medical practice in San Francisco. His commitment to community service and professional excellence reflects his dedication to fostering inclusive, thriving environments in both his personal and professional endeavors.