Candidate for
Council Member; City of Sonoma

Two and a half years ago, Rachel Hundley moved to the west coast to pursue her two biggest passions: small businesses and food. She is now co-owner of Drums & Crumbs LLC, a brand of locally sourced, organic and all-natural southern cuisine based in Sonoma, California. With her business partner, Arthur Chang, she runs a catering company and a pop-up cafe that employs six part time employees and will have a food truck at the end of the summer. Rachel is an active member of the Sonoma Valley Chamber of Commerce, serves on the Advisory Committee for Sonoma's Young Professionals, and volunteers with Sonoma Valley Teen Services.

Before moving to California, Rachel was an associate in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP at the firm's New York office. She focused her practice on complex commercial law disputes, as well as intellectual property, securities litigation and international arbitration matters. While practicing law, Rachel was on the Programs Committee for the National Association of Women Lawyers and donated many pro bono hours to Lambda Legal and other nonprofit organizations, earning her the Empire State Counsel Award. Rachel is admitted to practice in the state of California, the state of New York, and before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York.

While in law school, Rachel was an articles editor for the North Carolina Journal of International Law and Commercial Regulation and a clerk for the Honorable W. Earl Britt of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Rachel received her J.D. from the University of North Carolina School of Law. She earned her A.B.J., summa cum laude, in magazines, and her B.A., summa cum laude, in political science and speech and communications from the University of Georgia.

Rachel was born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina, with a 10-year stint in Montgomery, Alabama as a child. She comes from a family of engineers: her father is about to retire from working as a civil engineer for the federal government; her mother earned a PhD in Computer Science two years ago and teaches computer programming at Auburn University; and her brother is a mechanical engineer who has worked for Boeing and other companies as a structural analyst.

Rachel has had an interest in government since she was a child. As a young adult, she realized that local governments have an opportunity and a responsibility to make decisions that affect people's day-to-day lives and quality of life. Rachel came to Sonoma wanting to be an active member of the community, and she is running for Sonoma City Council because it is the most direct way she can serve city residents. Her experience with starting and growing a business, as well as her background and law, give her a firm foundation for the skills necessary to make responsible decisions for Sonoma. Her appreciation of Sonoma's unique history, beauty and community ensures that she will balance the need for economic vitality with preserving the distinct character of Sonoma for generations to come.

In her free time, Rachel enjoys cooking for friends, playing the acoustic guitar, writing, gardening and riding her bicycle.