Candidate for
Member, Democratic Party County Central Committee; County of Santa Clara; State Assembly District 24

I have been working on political campaigns since I was old enough to vote. I worked on the Dukakis campaign for President in Cincinnati, OH. In 1992, I was assistant office manager for the United Democratic Campaign in Oakland and a precinct leader for Clinton-Gore in Berkeley.

I lived in Livermore for 3 years and was vice president of the Tri-Valley Democratic Club. I helped open campaign offices in Livermore and Dublin in 1996 and 1998. I created the Tri-Valley Democratic Club website.

I filled a vacancy on the Alameda County Central Committee and was elected to a subsequent term. I moved to San Jose in 1998 and filled a vacancy on the Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee in 1999. I was reelected to full terms in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006. I served as chair of the 24th Assembly District Committee.

I now serve on the Executive Board of the County Party as Communications Director. Under my leadership, we have added key interactive features to sccdp.org, including a letter-writing tool, interactive calendar, and a blog. I also led the team that developed a full-featured volunteer management system that allows easy communication with our grassroots volunteers. I am currently the editor of our online newsletter that is emailed to thousands of activists in Santa Clara County. I also coordinate our media outreach program.

I am an elected member of the Berryessa School Board and am currently serving as Vice President. I have been working tirelessly to find creative solutions to the budget crisis brought upon us by the Governor's proposed budget, which would cut education budgets by up to 10%. My connection to state legislators has allowed me to share ideas with them through this difficult budget process. I am working hard to preserve needed services in the local schools, including counselors, library techs, and special education instructors.

I served 5 years on the San Jose Library Commission, including 2 terms as Chair. In that role, I worked with the San Jose City Council to preserve funding during tough budgetary times so that our libraries can remain open full time. I also served on the bond oversight committee that ensures that new library construction is managed properly.

I have been working hard to Take Back our Country. I was one of the coordinators of the Santa Clara County Democratic Party's Call to Action, through which local volunteers became involved in our efforts to elect a Democratic President in 2004 and take back the Senate and House in 2006. We are still utilizing our resources and volunteers in the buildup to the important 2008 election and to keep electing progressive Democrats throughout Santa Clara County.

I am a Chemical Engineer doing Computational Modeling for Novellus Systems, a manufacturer of semiconductor equipment. I have a PhD in Chemical Engineering from UC Berkeley. My wife is a physician practicing family medicine in Fremont. Our daughter Mia is 5 years old and our son Reed is almost 2.