Candidate for
Member of the State Assembly; District 9

Over the past 20 years Diana Rodriguez-Suruki has been an effective leader for our community. She is currently serving her second term as an elected Trustee of the Sacramento City Unified School District where she has worked to secure millions of dollars in new education funding for Sacramento County schools.

Diana was elected to the school board in 2008 with an overwhelming 66% of the vote. In her first term she was selected by her fellow trustees to lead the school district as board president. As president she worked to pass Proposition 30 and succeeded in securing over $370 million in new funds for Sacramento County schools. Diana was re-elected in 2012 with the support of her previous opponents.

Diana led the effort to keep schools open during the budget crisis. She kept the district's $480 million budget balanced, while passing a policy requiring administrators to disclose the details of agreements made with private contractors. This new policy helped uncover wasteful spending for services not related to education. Diana worked to eliminate the waste and redirect the funds into the classroom. During her tenure on the Board, significant academic progress has been made in under performing schools and test scores have improved.

Diana has used her elected position to provide leadership on a number of community initiatives that have improved our quality of life. These roles include:

• Past Board Member and Secretary for the nationwide Parent/Teacher Home Visit Program
• Chair, Sacramento 2010 US Census Latino Complete Count Committee
• Delegate Assembly Member, California School Boards Association (CSBA)
• Distinguished member of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson's Transition Advisory Team

Diana possesses a strong understanding of how state government works and would bring a wide range of hands on experience to the Legislature. Having served in management positions within the California Health and Human Services Agency and State Department of Corrections, she brings a strong understanding of the inner workings of state government, how department budgets are managed, and ways the Legislature can protect taxpayer interests by improving efficiency in the delivery of services. Diana has also served in management positions in county government and understands how to provide effective oversight of multi-million dollar programs and projects.

Diana completed the National Economic Policy Institute from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and has a degree in finance from DeVry University. She lives in Sacramento and is the proud mother of three daughters + Ezra, Taja, and Alana. Diana enjoys spending her weekends cheering for her two youngest daughters who compete for the Parkway Dolphins swim team.