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LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
State of California (Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Sierra Counties) March 2, 2004 Election
Smart Voter Full Biography for Allan L. Dollison

Candidate for
State Senator; District 1; Democratic Party

[photo]
This information is provided by the candidate

Allan L. Dollison was born in 1966 in Los Angeles, California. He is the youngest of three children born to Herbert Wayne Dollison and Joan Dollison. The family resided in Los Angeles for several years after Allan's birth, and then moved south to Orange County, the birth place of Richard Nixon. His father repaired televisions for a living while his mother worked as a home health care aide for elderly and disabled people.

Allan was educated in Orange County's excellent public schools. He graduated from Charles Lindbergh Elementary School, Heinz Kaiser Middle School, both in Costa Mesa, California, and Newport Harbor High School, in Newport Beach, California. Allan's energy and industrial-ness showed at an early age, by starting selling newspapers as early as age 8, ultimately managing his own paper route at age 10. While in school he participated in extra-curricular activities such as the Kaiser Middle School Track Team, and the Rocket Club.

This continued on into High School, where Allan lettered in both Cross Country and Track. Allan became an accomplished distance runner even running the 1-Mile in less than 5 Minutes. Allan also studied Journalism and was the Editor-in-Chief of his high school newspaper, The Beacon. Allan graduated in no less than the Top Third of his class and was accepted for admission at California State University of Fullerton in 1984. Allan did not take the traditional 4-Year path to his degree, rather, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve. He also worked his way through college by working as an Accounting Assistant at the corporate headquarters of the nation's largest vocational school operator, as well as local political campaigns. In 1989 Allan completed U.S. Army Basic Combat Training, at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Allan's leadership skills were quickly noticed by the United States Army. In Basic Training, he was selected as a Squad Leader, and while enrolled in the U.S. Army Basic Journalism Course, he was accepted as a Senior Cadet in the U.S. Army ROTC Program at Cal State Fullerton. He completed the ROTC Program in 1991 and earned a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery, as a Reserve Officer. He then promptly enrolled in and completed the United States Army Field Artillery Officer's Basic Course at Fort Sill, OK. Later that year, he accepted a Commission as a Second Lieutenant in the California National Guard, as a Field Artillery Officer.

2LT Dollison's service as an Army National Guard Officer concentrated on both advancing his military and warfighting skills, as well as responding to real+world emergencies. He served his community faithfully in 1992 when the Los Angeles Riots broke out. He helped bring calm back to the streets, and provide leadership and accountability to young soldiers who were carrying out a difficult duty in extreme circumstances. He also helped out Los Angeles in 1994 when the Northridge Earthquake occurred. For both of these gallant services, 2LT Dollison received the California State Service Ribbon, and the U.S. Army Humanitarian Award, respectively. Dollison's responsibilities in the California National Guard were among others as a Company Fire Support Officer, a Battery Fire Direction Officer, and as a Battalion Fire Direction Officer.

Also during his early military career, Lieutenant Dollison enrolled in law school, eventually graduating in 1994 from Western State University, College of Law with a degree in Doctor of Jurisprudence. His legal career included such varied positions as working for the largest personal injury firm in Orange County, California to wit, Horton, Barbaro & Reilly, his own private practice later on, service as a Deputy Public Defender in Los Angeles County, and an as an Associate with the Law Offices of Manuel Miller.

In 1998, Allan married the former Ms. Martha Martinez in Newport Beach, California. The couple have two children Alicia and Robert born in 1999 and 2000.

In 1999, Allan and his family moved to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, a U.S. Protectorate in the Western Pacific Ocean near Guam, Australia and Japan. On Saipan, Allan served as an Assistant Attorney General helping fight white collar and government fraud. By then 1LT Dollison found a new home for his military career serving as a Company Executive Officer in the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry. This unit is one of the most storied in the nation's history. It was constituted during World War II, made up primarily of Nisei Americans from Hawaii. It fought several spectacular battles in the European theater, including the Italian landing at Anzio Beach. The unit is known for having more decorations than any unit of its size during that period including almost 20 Medal of Honor Winners, most notably United States Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii. While assigned to this unit the Army promoted Mr. Dollison to Captain, and assigned him as the Battalion Intelligence Officer. In 2001, Captain Dollison completed the United States Army Infantry Officer Advanced Course, at Fort Benning, Georgia. Less than 20% of his class were non-Infantry Officers, and all found the course extremely challenging, but Captain Dollison easily graduated. Captain Dollison was the Battalion Intelligence Officer for the 100th Battalion on the fateful day of September 11, 2001, and helped coordinate and disseminate necessary intelligence in the immediate aftermath.

In 2002, after completing almost 3 years in Saipan, Mr. Dollison returned to California, where he accepted a position with the law firm of John Barker & Associates, a government contractor with the County of Amador. Mr. Dollison now heads up the Public Defender's Office for the County. Immediately, he rejoined the Army Reserve, and now serves as the Headquarters Company Commander for the 1st Brigade, 91st Division, in the East Bay Area. He now commands over 130 soldiers, many of whom are mobilized in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan Operations).

Mr. Dollison is a resident of Jackson, in Amador County, California, where he is a local homeowner. His children Alicia and Robert, ages 4 and 3 are eagerly awaiting commencement of their public school education in Amador County.

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Created from information supplied by the candidate: January 18, 2004 18:38
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