Michael Brownrigg

Michael Brownrigg was elected in 2009 by promising to bring fresh perspectives and financial expertise to City Council in the midst of the Great Recession. Based on his career as a U.S. diplomat, he also promised a civil tone and a constructive, open approach to problem-solving. Michael was re-elected in 2013, 2017 and most recently in 2022. He has served as Mayor in 2014, 2018, 2023 and now again in 2026. Prior to City Council, Michael served eight years on the Burlingame Planning Commission.

Michael's background is in public service – as a diplomat he served the country for 12 years in Syria and Hong Kong inter alia - and also in the private sector, where he spent over 20 years as a venture capitalist and impact investor in the U.S., China and globally. In 2020, Michael and three partners co-founded Apis & Heritage Capital, a novel investment fund designed to close the wealth gap in the USA by financing business owners who want to sell their businesses to their employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in what A&H calls an Employee-led Buyout. A&H makes a complex and intimidating transaction for a seller simple, profitable and stress-free, helping the owner cement their legacy in their community and ensuring the future profits of the company wil flow to the people who show up each day to do the work rather than remote private investors or competitors.

In addition to many City assignments and projects, Michael chairs the San Mateo County Housing Endowment and Regional Trust (HEART) Board, where he has pushed for innovative financial initiatives to preserve and build affordable housing, and he chairs the RethinkWaste Board which oversees garbage collection for 100,000 people and 11,000 businesses across 11 cities and districts in San Mateo County.

Michael and his wife Marty have raised their four kids in Burlingame. When they chose Burlingame in 1997, there were many alternatives. But they were attracted by Burlingame's schools, streets, parks, friendliness and ambiance, not to mention its convenience to San Francisco, Silicon Valley and SFO. These are the same attributes that attract so many newcomers and young families today and keep those of us who are lucky enough to have found Burlingame, very happy to stay. Michael wants to be sure Burlingame stays vibrant, vital and a welcoming community to one and all.