Simi Valley Gets a First Look at Rocky Rhodes’ Assembly Campaign on March 5
Daniel Jordan 
From a Single-Wide Trailer to the State Assembly: The Rocky Rhodes Story
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — Rocky Rhodes is running for California’s 42nd Assembly District. Before you decide what you think about that, hear the story of where he comes from. His official launch party takes place March 5 at 6 p.m. at The Junkyard, 2585 Cochran Street, Simi Valley, CA 93065. The evening is open to everyone. Come meet the candidate, hear his vision for the district, and find out how to get involved.
But before you decide whether to show up, it helps to know who you’re showing up for.
Supporters say, Rocky Rhodes is not a typical politician. And his story is anything but typical.
The Island, the Trailer, and the Paper Route
Rocky Rhodes — Rockne, officially — grows up on Vashon Island, a small community off the coast of Seattle, Washington. When he is 9 years old, his family moves to the mainland. “The big city,” he calls it. The transition is not glamorous.
His mother makes ends meet by soldering eyelets onto fishing lures. The family lives in a single-wide trailer. Dinner is powdered milk, pancake mix, and bulk cereal — whatever stretches farthest. There is no cushion, no backup plan, no room for error.
So Rocky gets a paper route. He is 9 years old. He has worked every day since.
His mother, by every measure, is the anchor of his story. She sacrifices and saves with purpose. She has a theory: that a good education is the one thing that can break the cycle. She scrapes together enough to send Rocky to a private high school with a program she believes in. It is a bet she makes on her son. He does not waste it.
Rhodes goes on to Seattle University, where he earns a bachelor’s degree in humanities — two years ahead of schedule. Corporate America notices. IBM calls. Then NYNEX. He spends years in the computer industry, building skills and momentum, until California pulls him west in 1991.
The Woman Who Grounds Him
In 1996, Rocky Rhodes marries Kimberly. He does not hedge when he talks about her. “She is the most remarkable person I know,” he says. “She grounds me, encourages me, and supports me. She is my rock.”
That same year, the two of them make a decision that most people would consider reckless. They leave the computer industry behind. They mortgage their house. They open Rocky Roaster — a coffee shop and roasting company in Canoga Park, California.
The early years are hard. The business struggles to find its footing. They push through it. They refine the model. Eventually, the shop thrives. In 2010, with the business running well and their family ready for a new chapter, they sell Rocky Roaster and make their move to Simi Valley.
Coffee, Farmers, and Compassionate Capitalism
Today, Rhodes runs International Coffee Consulting. The work takes him around the world — farm visits, supply chain work, quality improvement programs in coffee-growing regions across the globe. It is not a desk job.
His guiding principle is simple and serious: improve the quality of the coffee, and you improve the lives of the people who produce it. He calls his approach “compassionate capitalism” — the idea that business done right lifts everyone in the chain, from the farmer in the field to the server behind the counter.
It is not a slogan. It is a framework he has tested across years and continents. And it shapes how he thinks about public service, too.
Simi Valley Gives His Family Something He Can’t Forget
When Rhodes talks about Simi Valley, his voice changes.
“This city gave my kids the chance to grow up with the innocence that kids are supposed to experience,” he says. His daughter, Tulane, and his son, Dane Jerris, both now attend college. The family moved here from Woodland Hills 15 years ago, and the city delivered what they were looking for — safety, community, space to breathe.
That feeling of gratitude drives him. He doesn’t run because he has to. He runs because he feels he owes something to the place that gave his family its footing.
“I love this city,” he says. “That’s why I serve.”
From Council to Campaign
In 2022, Rhodes makes history. He becomes the first-ever elected City Councilmember for District 4 — a new district, a new seat, and a new voice on the dais. In 2023, he serves as Mayor Pro Tem.
He brings the same values to city hall that he carried through every chapter of his life: transparency, fiscal discipline, and an unwillingness to put politics ahead of people. He votes with the community in mind. He asks hard questions about spending. He pushes for accountability.
Now he takes that record to the state level. The 42nd Assembly District covers a broad swath of Ventura County, and Rhodes believes the lessons he has learned — in business, in public service, and in life — translate directly to the challenges the district faces. He is not a career politician looking for the next rung. He is a man who has built things, struggled, rebuilt, and learned from every step.
Show Up on March 5
That is the candidate Simi Valley gets to meet this Thursday evening.
The official Rocky Rhodes for Assembly District 42 Launch Party takes place March 5 at 6 p.m. at The Junkyard, 2585 Cochran Street, Simi Valley, CA 93065. Residents can come meet Rhodes face to face, ask questions, and hear his vision for the district. Volunteers are welcome. Neighbors are welcome. First-timers are welcome too.
For a man who started with a paper route and a trailer and never stopped moving forward, this launch party is simply the next step.
For Simi Valley and for California, it is a chance to shape what comes next.
For more information about Assembly candidate Rocky Rhodes, visit https://rockyforassembly.com
