About Janet Keo Conklin

Janet Keo Conklin is a city councilwoman, small business owner, realtor, veterans advocate, local volunteer, and mother of two running for County Assessor to be a voice for Southern California families frustrated with rising costs and ready for change in Sacramento.

Born to refugees who fled the devastation and brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia during the mid-1970’s, Janet’s parents fought through poverty and uncertainty to build a life for themselves and their 5 children in Southern California -- finally opening a donut shop to pursue their piece of the American dream. Starting at 16, Janet worked odd jobs to help make ends meet and raised her younger brother with her parents gone at work. Janet attended local public schools and focused on her studies, graduating at the top of her class finally enrolling at UC Irvine, where she majored in Economics and International Politics.

Working her way up through the competitive world of technology sales despite facing harassment and discrimination, Janet excelled in the professional world. She was eventually promoted to account executive for a Fortune 500 company without compromising her values or ethics, learning valuable skills and honing her commitment to high standards. Janet later received her real estate then brokers license and started her own business. Seeing a need locally to build more support among small businesses, she founded the La Palma Chamber of Commerce, later serving as president, and brought businesses together to create growth in her community.

Appointed to the La Palma Beautification Committee, Janet was motivated by what she saw as a lack of transparency and backroom politicking by career politicians in her city and ran for City Council in 2022. She campaigned on a shoestring budget against establishment- backed candidates and won her seat by going door-to-door, listening to voters, and doing what she’s always done – work hard.

On council, Janet has championed public safety, economic development, more community involvement, ethics and transparency, and common-sense policies to keep her city one of the safest and most desirable places to live in the country.

A veteran’s advocate, Janet has worked with other local leaders to honor and protect veterans with more than just words, starting the Veterans Fair in La Palma and working with counselors and other groups to help veterans affected by trauma. She is an active volunteer as an auxiliary member of the VFW and American Legion.

Janet has 2 adult children who graduated from local public schools.