Distrito 12 — Asamblea Estatal de California

A farmer, educator and veteran, Ken Vogel grew up farming in Linden and graduated from Fresno State University with a Bachelor’s degree in history, Master's degree in education, and Teaching and Administrative credentials.

Following college Ken enlisted in the United States Army Reserve in 1968. Ken was a member of the Army Reserve until 2000 when he was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain. Ken is a member of the Modesto American Legion Post #74.

Farmer

Ken, a lifelong farmer, raises over a hundred acres of walnuts and cherries in the Linden and Farmington areas marketing through local companies. In 2004, Ken received an award from Diamond Walnut as the Outstanding Hartley Walnut Grower of the area for that year.

Ken is a member and Past Director of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau. He is also a member of the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau. In 2015 Ken was awarded the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau President's award for his lifetime of service to San Joaquin County Agriculture.

Educator

Ken began his career as an educator in 1968 with the Fresno Unified School District. In 1980 he joined the staff of Lodi Unified School District as a teacher. He would ultimately work as Vice-Principal and Principal for LUSD until his retirement in 2004.

During his educational career Ken received the Lodi Lodge #256 of Masons Award for Outstanding Professional Service to Students of Public Schools. Ken also received the John Terry Award from the Lodi School Administrators Association for Outstanding Educator, and was named Boss of the Year in 2001 by the Lodi CSEA group of classified employees.

Public Servant

Ken was elected to the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors in 2007 serving until 2014 when he was termed out. Ken represented the cities of Ripon, Escalon and Rural San Joaquin County. Ken is widely considered by his peers as a leading Water Expert in the Delta Region.

During his tenure on the Board of Supervisors Ken served on the Advisory Water Commission, the Agricultural Advisory Board, the Board Water Committee, the Groundwater Banking Authority, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency and the 5 Delta Counties Coalition.

Prior to his election as County Supervisor Ken served as Trustee and President of the Linden Unified School District Board of Education from 1992 to 2006.

In 2014 Ken was inducted into the Lodi Community Hall of Fame for his contributions to government.

As a conservative farmer and independent businessman, I have one goal: standing up to the tone deaf, liberal Sacramento politicians who constantly ignore Central Valley taxpayers.

I’m supported by former Assemblyman Bill Berryhill, the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau and every member of the Ripon and Turlock City Councils.  I’m also endorsed by San Joaquin County District Attorney Tori Verber-Salazar and San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore.

During my time as a San Joaquin County Supervisor and to this day, I’m fighting against spending our tax money on Governor Brown’s ill-conceived “Twin Tunnels" plan and his wasteful high speed rail system.  Instead, funding for those projects should be spent on more water storage so we have a reliable supply of water for our homes, businesses and farms.

Not only do I have a master’s degree in education, but I’ve taught in our public schools, worked as a school principal and served as President of the Linden Unified Board of Education.  So, I’ll push for more career education options and expanded job skill programs so folks have greater opportunities for good-paying, middle class jobs.

You can count on me to oppose tax hikes, defend the Second Amendment and keep radical environmentalists from trampling on our private property rights.

I’m a very proud U.S. Army veteran, but the best decision I ever made was marrying my wife of 38 years, Donnetta, and raising our four children together.  I would be honored to serve you in Sacramento.

God bless our Valley!!!

Cindy Marks

CSBA Past President, Modesto City Schools Board Member

Cindy Marks was the 2013 President of the California School Boards Association (CSBA).  CSBA represents school board members who govern public school districts and county offices of education.  With a membership of nearly 1,000 educational agencies statewide, CSBA brings together school governing boards and administrators from districts and county offices of education to advocate for effective policies that advance the education and well-being of the state’s more than six million school-age children.  The Association provides policy resources and training to members, and represents the statewide interests of public education through legal, political legislative, community and media advocacy.

As President of CSBA, Marks chaired a number of CSBA Task Forces and Councils.  These include the Education Legal Alliance Steering Committee, the Linked Learning Task Force, and CSBA’s Superintendents Advisory Council.  She also represented CSBA on the Education Coalition, a consortium of education stakeholder groups, and is a member of the Cities, Counties and Schools Partnership Board of Directors.

In addition to serving in these leadership positions at a regional and statewide level, Marks has served on numerous county-wide committees pertaining to at-risk youth and student achievement, and was appointed by the Legislature to the “Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan for Education – Kindergarten through University.”  She is currently a member of the Task Force on K-12 Civic Learning, a joint task force established by Chief Justice Tani Canti-Sakauye and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson.  The task force will bring definition to the skills, knowledge, and dispositions that students need to be informed and involved citizens and community members.  Cindy led the subgroup on Business and Community Partners.

In 2013, President Cindy Marks was named, “Elected Woman of the Year by California Women Lead,” a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of women holding—or interested in holding—elected or appointed office.  She was among five women honored by the organization.

Moreover, she has served on a variety of prestigious national governance-related committees including the “100 District Leader Network for Citizenship and Service Learning,” a collaboration among national education associations such as National School Boards Association and the American Association of School Administrators.  She also served as chair of the National School Boards Association Pacific Region Board.

Elected in 1997 to the Modesto City Schools Board of Education, she has served on a number of district committees, including the School Attendance Review Board, School Infrastructure Financing Agency, Schools Diversity Task Force and the Facilities Task Force.  Marks has volunteered for 11 years as a mentor at an inner city Apartment Complex in Modesto working with at-risk youth and gang members.  And, for 15 years she was a junior high and high school Health Education speaker and for 13 years was a host family for unwed pregnant teens in her home.  

She also is a board member for the Latino Emergency Council, the City Ministry Network and a founding member of the Dr. Parker Steering Committee to address the achievement gap and how it relates to African American Students.

Cindy’s passion for education, her expertise across a wide range of policy areas from school finance and fiscal reform to dropout prevention and school discipline, safe schools, and state and federal legislative issues make her one of California’s outstanding leaders.

I will continue to champion the Central Valley and work beyond partisan politics to find realistic solutions to the challenges we face. We need jobs, increased water storage, strong support for agriculture and business as well as safe neighborhoods. I am committed to bringing transparency, honesty, efficiency, and accountability to our state government.