Consejo Municipal, Ward 3 — Ciudad de Santa Ana

EDUCATION

1998-1999       University of California, Irvine

Preliminary Administrative Service Credential

1990-1993       California State University, Long Beach

Pupil Personnel Services Credential

Master of Science, School Counseling

1987-1988       University of California, Irvine

Single Subject Credential, Social Sciences

Supplementary Authorization, Spanish

1981-1982       University of California, Irvine

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science

1975-1978       California State University, Long Beach

General Education, Major in Political Science

EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE

2014-Present   Stay in School Counselor

                        Santa Ana Unified School District

2011-2014       Principal, Valley High School,

                        Santa Ana Unified School District

2003-2011       Principal, Carr Intermediate School,

Santa Ana Unified School District

1999- 2003      Assistant Principal, McFadden Intermediate School,

                        Santa Ana Unified School District

1990-1999       School Counselor, Willard Intermediate School,

Santa Ana Unified School District

1989-1990       ELD Teacher, Willard Intermediate School,

Santa Ana Unified School District

1987-1989       ELD and Social Studies Teacher, Saddleback High School,

Santa Ana Unified School District

1983-1986       Teacher, ELD, North American English Center, Santiago, Chile

CIVIC SERVICE

2009-2014       Member, Planning Commission, City of Santa Ana

Mahatma Ghandi said, “A nation’s greatness is measured by how it treats its weakest members.”

As we enter the last four weeks before election day, the residents of our city, our county, our state and our nation would be well advised to take a step back from the fray of political rhetoric and ask ourselves how are we treating the least empowered members of our society. I sustain that “weakness” is simply the word Ghandi chose to describe the voice, or lack of voice, of certain segments of our population.

In Santa Ana, we stand at a crossroads along the paths of many groups who for too long have not had a voice at the table of political discourse. Among them, I would ask that we take a moment to think about:

1.    Our Youth, who have traditionally been told to “sit and get” in school and in public. Young people now have a chance to step up and make a difference in our city, and we older people have a moral obligation to support the empowerment of younger people, as they will inherit our communities. I believe that every drop of energy, every penny, every opportunity invested in our youth can result in a ten-fold harvest of positive impact in the future. Young people who are connected to their families, their neighborhoods, and their schools, as well as athletic, community and faith-based organizations, are far less likely to engage in destructive activities, which harm themselves and those around them. I support efforts to give young people a voice and multiple vehicles for involvement, expression, and empowerment in Santa Ana.

2.    Our Immigrants, who make up much of the working class here in Santa Ana. I spent Thanksgiving in New York City two years ago, and I had the chance to visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Those immigrants who landed there are no different in most respects to those who have come to Santa Ana. In nearly 30 years of working with immigrants from México, Central America, Southeast Asia and other parts of the globe, seldom, if ever, have I heard a woman, man or child say that they prefer to be in Santa Ana more than in their native lands. But the political, economic and social conditions that they left behind combined to oblige them to leave that which was familiar, to start a new life in the United States. To fail to provide those who are here, those who have raised families here and contributed to our economy, with a pathway to legal status and citizenship would be a travesty. I support a Santa Ana that supports our immigrant community.

3.    Our Homeless residents, who are some of the most vulnerable members of the community. I am proud of the progress we have made as a city toward requiring affordable housing as part of new developments, but it simply is not enough. As one who works day in and day out with youth and families who sleep in cars, in garages, or packed into single bedrooms in homes where four and five families share a dwelling built for a single family, I recognize the profound need for affordable housing in our city. The Civic Center, Santiago Creek, the railroad tracks near First Street, and the Santa Ana River are just some of areas crying out for a coalition of city, county, state government leaders, in conjunction with the non-profit, faith, and business communities to organize our efforts to generate a gigantic increase in affordable units, as well as temporary and transitional housing for those living on the streets. Beyond housing, I also support treatment and training opportunities, to bring the homeless and underemployed into the economic mainstream of Santa Ana.

As a member of the city council, I intend to boost the volume of the voices of these groups, to bring them to the table and invite their full participation in the process of making Santa Ana a place that can serve as a model for cities across our nation, where all residents can live and thrive in safety, in health, and in prosperity.