About John Stephens
Stephens was originally elected to the City Council on Nov. 8, 2016 collecting the second highest number of votes in a field of seven candidates. He was sworn in on Dec. 13, 2016 and served until his term ended in Dec. of 2020. In early 2021 he was selected by his colleagues to serve as Mayor.
As a resident of Costa Mesa since 1989, Mayor Stephens has deep community ties and has served on the city’s Pension Oversight Committee, the Costa Mesa High School Foundation, Costa Mesans for Responsible Government and is a founding member of the St. John the Baptist Finance and Pastoral Councils.
He was a leader of the “No” on the Charter campaigns in 2012 and 2014, including intervening in a lawsuit between the City of Costa Mesa and the Orange County Registrar of Voters in 2012.
Civic and Community Service
Mayor Stephens was the 2018 Chair of the Association of California Cities-Orange County Homelessness Task Force and a member of the Orange County Library Advisory Board. He served as a Director of the San Joaquin Hills Transportation Corridor Agency Board (Toll Roads) and as Council Liaison to the Financial Pension Advisory Committee (FiPAC), the Animal Services Committee, the Special Districts (Sanitation, Water, and School), and the OC Fairgrounds. He is a founding member of the Costa Mesa Early Childhood Coalition.
Additionally, Mayor Stephens serves on council ad hoc committees relating to the cannabis industry and Fairview Developmental Center. He has served on ad hoc committees for the Costa Mesa Motor Inn litigation and the City Manager recruitment and retention.
Mayor Stephens initiated the City’s Independence Day Celebration and has been Santa Claus at Snoopy House for the past six years.
Family, Faith, and Community Service
John has been married for 36 years to his wife, Amy. They have four children: Tom, Nate, Carolyn, and Olivia, all of whom graduated from St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Costa Mesa.
He has been entertainment chair of the St. John the Baptist Festival and served as an event emcee for many years. Mayor Stephens coached baseball, softball, and basketball for 18 years. He is proud that over 30 girls he coached played high school softball and some in college, including Harvard University and Iowa State University. He also served on the boards of the Costa Mesa American Little League (Vice President and Umpire In Chief) and the Fountain Valley Girls Fastpitch Softball league for many years.
John is also an avid golfer and karaoke enthusiast.
Background and Professional Credentials
Mayor Stephens was born in Pasadena, raised in San Gabriel, and attended San Gabriel High School. He then earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Marketing from Cal Poly Pomona, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1986. He received his law degree from the UC Davis Law School in 1989 and was named to the Order of the Coif (top 10%), Law Review, and Trial Practice Honors Board.
A practicing trial attorney since 1989, his firm, Stephens Friedland LLP, employs four lawyers and nine employees. Stephens Friedland LLP was Veterans Legal Institute (VLI) Law Firm of the Year in 2019 for their work on addressing veterans’ homelessness. He has served on VLI’s Lawyers for Warriors Committee.
Mayor Stephens has given talks to the OC Bar Association on issues such as electronic discovery and witness preparation. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer, Best Lawyers of America (Tier 1), and Top Attorneys in Orange County.
