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Public Service

Chris Barrett believes he can make a difference by being involved. He is currently serving his second two year term as a planning commissioner for the City of Moorpark and it currently chair of the commission. He has also been known to speak on various issues he is passionate about at city council meetings or bring issues forward to other local officials.

Chris is also involved in his kids school, Flory Academy, where he chaired the Einstein and Dine fundraiser in 2022 and has been in charge of spirt wear since 2017.

Chris believes in the power of bringing the right people together for collaborative solutions. As a passion project he has been working with Moorpark College, MUSD, City of Moorpark and other stakeholders in trying to find a solution to get pool access in Moorpark so kids have the opportunity to learn to swim.

Rotarian: Service Above Self

Chris joined the Rotary Club of Moorpark Morning in 2017 to be more engaged with the Moorpark community. During his presidency Chris helped the club grow from 22 to 32 members despite the challenges of COVID and his first term being 100% virtual. Here are a few of the other ways he has been involved through Rotary:

  • 2020/21 & 2021/22 Club President
  • 2023/24 club service chair for District 5240 helping the 70 clubs in the district
  • 2022 & 2023 co-chair of Holiday on High Street
  • 2019 – 2024 committee member of the Moorpark Film Festival
  • 2018 – 2024 committee member for the Moorpark Field of Valor
  • 2019 – 2020 committee member for the Moorpark Beer Festival
  • 2018 – 2020 club membership chair
  • Led fundraisers for World Polio Day, high school scholarships, Ukrainian refugees, hurricane relief and Moorpark Zoo capital campaign.
  • Wrote and received grants for signage for the new tiger enclosure at The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College and a pet memorial bridge at College View Park. Both will be constructed in 2024.

Small Business Advocate

Chris is also a board member and ambassador for the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce. His accomplishments with the Chamber include:

  • 2024 Chairman of the Board
  • Created and ran the Shop Moorpark campaigns in 2022, 2023 & 2024
  • Co-chair of the first ever Moorpark Job Fair
  • Co-chair of the first ever Moorpark Restaurant Week
  • Chair of the Moorpark Community Awards 2022 & 2023
  • Committee member for the Installation Dinner 2022 and 2023
  • Executive committee member 2023/24
  • Worked on political advocacy to support small business

Moorheart Foundation

In 2022 Chris and his wife founded the Moorheart Foundation, dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of animals, with a special emphasis on horses in distressing situations. The rescue has brought in 39 horses during the past two years with the goal of finding them forever homes.

Their mission extends beyond mere rescue; They are committed to fostering a compassionate community that values the well-being of animals. Through education initiatives that aim to raise awareness about responsible animal care, humane treatment, and the profound bond between humans and animals.

As a part of that commitment Chris is the leader for the dairy goat and vet science projects for Santa Rosa Valley 4-H Club. And Chris helps plan Youth in Ag day at The Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College.

Professional Success

Chris and his wife are owners of Moorpark Veterinary Hospital. Although he is not involved in the day to day operations, it is not uncommon for him to be helping with side projects for the hospital.

Chris is the Chief Operating Officer for Insurance Brokers West on High Street where he manages the office and has played a large role in managing the remodel of their building at 233 High Street. Since joining the agency in 2019, Chris has helped the agency streamline processes and implement new systems. In 2020 Insurance Brokers West made the INC. 5000 list of the fastest growing companies.

But Chris isn’t solely limited to management; he couples those skills with award-winning graphic design and marketing. He has been published in Print’s Regional Design Annual, and in the book “1,000 Restaurant, Bar & Cafe Graphics.” Prior to working in the insurance world, Chris spent 11 years at Mustang Marketing where he was the Creative Director and Vice President. Some of his more notable work was designing the logo for the City of Thousand Oaks and assisting with the rebranding of the County of Ventura.

Community Advocate

Chris believes in helping the community and goes where the need takes him. This commitment to advocacy has led him to be involved in many events and committees including:

  • Moorpark Teaching Zoo Advisory Board Member
  • 2024 Moorpark Country Days Parade Committee Co-Chair
  • 2024 Moorpark Apricot Festival Committee Member
  • Moorpark Pool advocate
  • 2022 Flory Academy Einstein & Dine Chair

 

Personal Background

Chris grew up not far from Moorpark, in Camarillo during a time when Camarillo was about the size of Moorpark today. After a high school job shadow, Chris worked for two summers in the City of Camarillo planning department where he first fell in love with city government.

Chris received his BS degree in Environmental Design with an emphasis on Visual Communications from UC Davis and a minor in Religious Studies.  He is also a 2017 graduate of the Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA). In 2022 Chris was named Moorpark’s Man of the Year by the Moorpark Chamber of Commerce. Chris has received 40 Under 40 recognition from the Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Coast Business Times and was the 2021 Moorpark Chamber Rookie of the year.

Chris is happily married with ten year old twins who attend Flory Academy. Their animal family includes horses, mini-donkeys, cats, dogs, chickens, pigs, cows, goats, fish, a tortoise and llamas.