John Heilman: West Hollywood city council member and former mayor

John Heilman is a West Hollywood city council member and former mayor. West Hollywood was incorporated as a city in 1984, and John was elected to the first city council and has been serving almost continuously ever since. He is a lecturer at the University of Southern California's law school where he was voted adjunct professor of the year in 2008, 2010, and 2016. He is also a professor at Southwestern Law School where he has been elected a professor of the year for the past 5 years. I met John at the 2025 Victory Institute LGBTQ+ International Leadership Convention held in Washington, DC, where he was inducted in to the LGBTQ+ Hall of Fame. In 2026, he will become mayor of West Hollywood for the 9th time.