Lena Gonzalez was elected in June of 2014 to represent the First Council District in the City of Long Beach. She grew up in a working class family where her father was a truck driver and her mother worked in aerospace. Gonzalez chairs the Harbor and Tidelands Committee which oversees the over $100 million Tidelands Fund, the Long Beach Unified Joint Use Committee and the I-710 Project Committee. Councilmember Gonzalez lives in downtown Long Beach with her partner Adam and their three sons; Zorion, Ethan and Luca. Gonzalez graduated with a B.A. in Political Science from California State University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Who was your political mentor – someone who guided and supported you – someone who prepared you for public service.  What kind of advice did they give you that was the most important/useful to you?

My mother is my political mentor as she is an immigrant, a strong-willed woman who is well-versed in politics, but extremely worldly and self-aware. In this respect, my mother has always taught me to lead by looking well beyond myself. It was always about serving others and doing what is right in the end, without thinking about personal gain.

What was the one thing no one told you about being an elected official that you wish you’d known before you were elected?

I knew quite a bit, having worked for a very active elected official. However, perhaps what I did not know was how complex the art of negotiation and collaboration is during important issues. It can be challenging coming to common ground, but it is vitally important to leave with 50% vs. losing to gain 100%. Collaborating with others is extremely key in maintaining long-term relationships.

Describe a project you spearheaded or supported that you’re proud of. Why was it successful (what did it do for residents) and what did you learn from it that helped you be a better policymaker. 

My priority projects really extend in so many directions: Parking, local job creation, sound development, environmental issues, open government, etc. However, one of the first policies I pursued was the Project Labor Agreement, ensuring that city-wide development above $500K, ignites a PLA, whereas 40% of the hiring is local and whereas 10% of the hiring must be focused for disadvantaged communities. As I represent one of the highest unemployment zip codes in the city (90813), local work is extremely important for my residents.

As an elected official, you must balance your job, your duties as an elected official and family obligations, not to mention trying to find personal time for yourself. How do you balance all these duties and obligations? 

Feeling ok with saying “no” and setting boundaries for yourself, without guilt. Family and self-care/personal health is extremely important. I am able to work on council emails in the evening after my full-time job, but more importantly, I have an incredible staff that works full time in my city office, they work hard and support our residents day in and out, weekends and evenings – I cannot do this very important job without them.

What was the most memorable day of your life?

The day I graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 2009. It took me 10 years as I had worked and taken care of my son (who I had at 19 years old), I was determined to finish although it took me so long!

Laura Casas is President of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District Board of Trustees and has been a member of the board since 2005. Initially appointed and then subsequently re-elected in 2007 and 2012. Casas holds a law degree from Santa Clara University, and B.A. in Political Science from California State University, Northridge.

Casas, who immigrated with her family from Mexico at the age of one, has served on the boards of Children Now, a national children’s advocacy organization and ALearn, a Silicon Valley organization dedicated to college readiness of underrepresented students. For the past decade, she has been an official mentor to students under The Puente Project; an academic preparation program focused on college success. In addition, she co-founded a transitional home for domestic violence victims in Los Angeles.

Who was your political mentor – someone who guided and supported you – someone who prepared you for public service. What kind of advice did they give you that was the most important/useful to you?

Many people supported me throughout my academic career. While I was in Middle School, my government teacher, Mr. Chernow said: “If you witness injustice and are silent, you become part of the problem.” I have never forgotten these words and have worked, to not be silent. The turning point to finally prepare and make the decision to go to college was my History professor, Mr. Howard Lapin, he asked me after class, “Laura have you ever thought of college?” He then told me to go to the Counseling Office and request a change of my curriculum for more advanced college preparatory classes. Once in the Counseling Office, my counselor remarked, “Laura, why make life hard on yourself? Why don’t you just take it easy?” The counselor did not want to change my classes. In other words, he did not care if I were to prepare for college or not. I went back to Mr. Lapin, my history professor, and informed him what was said. Mr. Lapin was visibly furious, and I followed him back to the counseling office. The door slammed, and they both started to yell at each other. Mr. Lapin succeeded in getting me enrolled in college preparatory classes. This single act changed my whole life. It was at this point that I saw that if you fight for what is right, you can obtain it!

Once in CSUN, my political mentor were professors in the Chicano Studies Department, which included Dr. Rudy Acuna, who wrote: “Occupied America.” Professors can change student lives. Members of the department enriched my political awakening.

Law School was a huge challenge. I moved far away from home with no transportation. My mother gave me her old clunky car. The few Chicanos and Chicanas got together with African Americans and formed study groups which helped us get through the rigorous law school material. Real bond and friendships developed which I still cherish today. Having an education has given me a voice at the table, that my voice counts and the confidence to communicate effectively.

What was the one thing no one told you about being an elected official that you wish you’d known before you were elected?

You are going to laugh at this one because my first election I decided not to use yard signs. I decided not to use them because I thought no one pays attention and they are a waste of paper. Well, the problem with that was people would say to me “Laura, I would love to donate to your campaign, but I do not have any money. But, I will take a yard sign.” The lesson is, always have yard signs in a campaign for elected office.

Once elected, no one told me that there would be a transformation of how people perceive you and the office you hold. You are an elected official. There is an aura of respect, and your words and actions matter a great deal.

Describe a project you spearheaded or supported that you’re proud of. Why was it successful and what did you learn from it that helped you be a better policymaker?

I was the lone board member against a major development in Silicon Valley. A partnership was formed among Foothill-De Anza Community College District, NASA and the University of California Santa Cruz. This partnership would build housing, an education and business center on Moffett Field, a former naval base. In the Silicon Valley, we have severe shortages of housing. That the site was over a toxic plume of water which leaked dangerous gases to the surface. These gases including trichloroethylene, when inhaled are proven to cause cancer and severe development problems especially among children and pregnant women. The proposed housing had some protections such as protective barriers between the ground surface and construction. What if there was a failure of these protection barriers? There were no remedies in place to protect the homeowner or occupants in case there was a confirmed leak. Who would buy the housing? It would have been uninformed working class Latinos, Whites, and African Americans. The site would take years to build. I was fighting for the children not yet born. I was completely against the development of housing on this site.

The partnership never developed the site. The developer agreed to build only if the Federal government secured matching funds. It will never be known if my raising a raucous had anything to do with not obtaining matching funds. The partnership dissolved. I am proud of my voice that gave voice to others not yet born.

As an elected official you must balance your job, your duties as an elected official and family obligations, not to mention trying to find personal time for yourself. How do you balance all these duties and obligations? 

Keeping an intentional balance between work and family is key. My favorite phrase that I say to my children and students is “anything to an extreme is bad.” I do think that women can work and have a career and be good mothers. I feel It’s the quality of time with your kids, not the quantity of time.

Interviewed by Sergio Garcia Escobar, Political Science Major, California State University, Long Beach

Jerry Velasco, Producer of “THE PITCH,” has been in the entertainment industry for over forty years, as an accomplished businessman, actor, producer, union organizer, personal manager, Art Advocate, and as head of his own multimedia entertainment company, Velasco & Associates. After serving the community in many aspects for over forty years, Velasco’s most recent venture has been to the political arena. After serving as a Planning Commissioner for the City of El Monte for two years, Velasco was elected as the EL Monte City Treasurer in 2015, and soon after was elected to the El Monte City Council and currently serves as the El Monte Mayor Pro Tem (Vice Mayor).

Who was your political mentor – someone who guided and supported you – someone who prepared you for public service. What kind of advice did they give you that was the most important/useful to you?

Well, I have several mentors. First of all, the non-political, my parents, brothers, and sisters who taught me the same thing that most mentors taught me, respect. Secondly, the great actor icon, Ricardo Montalban that most of you remember him as the star of the TV series, Fantasy Island. He was a very prominent, respected, loved super star that originated from Mexico who made positive changes for our people in the United States through the entertainment industry. Thirdly, Congressman Estaban Torres, who was also a former U.S. Ambassador to U.N.E.S.C.O. Fourthly, Julian Nava, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico. Finally, Congressman Edward Roybal, he was the U.S. Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard father among others. These are/were all pioneers who fought for these positions not only for themselves but for all of us. They and my parents taught me; respect, honesty, the value of life, and to work very hard to reach my dreams. What they mainly emphasized was to always treat people with respect and dignity.

What was the one thing no one told you about being an elected official that you wish you’d known before you were elected?

There are two things I would have wished they told me:

1.  How to break into the Political World:

Even though our colleges and Universities offer Political Science courses and other political classes, these courses do not teach you how to be an elected official.  That is why it is important that everyone has mentors, like the ones I mentioned above that know the ins and outs of how to be an elected official, so that we can be able to govern the best we can. Basically, what I always recommend pray and go with your instincts and what your heart dictates to you. Because if it’s not good for me, it will not be good for you.

2.   How to be a Council Member:

Even though I have had a lot of experience in life because of my age; for example, working in the entertainment industry, I have been able to take on and work with the entertainment industry trying to make positive changes and a difference by trying to diversify it. Again, I would say that there should be some kind of training program when an individual runs for office or gets elected so that they could know their responsibilities and obligations so that they can know the things they can do and the things not to do. Because by not doing the right thing, those are the things no matter how small they are is what puts politicians careers in jeopardy.

Describe a project you spearheaded or supported that you’re proud of. Why was it successful (what did it do for residents or students) and what did you learn from it that helped you be a better policymaker?

Well, as I said, I have only been elected as a Council Member for a year and a half, it is too early to talk about my accomplishments, I rather hold off to talk about them next time you interview me again. Maybe in six months or a year. But, as a newly elected official, I feel this is the beauty of having someone new in the Council enter the political structure that shares new ideas with other colleagues. Just as I am sharing my ideas with my fellow members to bring more businesses into our city to continue improving the city’s infrastructure, safety, health, after school programs, art programs, senior among other programs. Like I have always said, the businesses in our city are very important because they generate the taxes that we need to be able to accomplish all the programs that I have been talking about (we must always remember to continue being business friendly). Something that is very dear to my heart because that is where I come from is the arts, and I feel that our city is lacking tremendously in the arts and the lack of recreational parks. Even though we have theater programs in our school Districts, I am working towards building and having our own Performance Art Center in our city. I Iook forward in establishing our own Performing Art Center and be known once again as a city that has the best art programs in the nation as we were known once before back in the 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s when the famous Legion Stadium was around. I feel that art is essential to a community as my dear friend the actor, Ricardo Montalban said: “a city or a home without art, is a dark city or dark home.”

As an elected official you must balance your job, your duties as an elected official and family obligations, not to mention trying to find personal time for yourself. How do you balance all these duties and obligations? Is there a secret to doing this well can you share?

Well, it’s not easy if you think about it too much. If you just let it happen, it works. However, you do have to balance your time because we only have twenty-four hours a day, but more importantly, pace yourself. When it comes to family, family comes first. Your family should always know what you are always into whether it be your brother, sister, husband, or wife to be able to accept your decision.

Interviewed by Sergio Garcia Escobar, Political Science Major, California State University – Long Beach

Mary Jane Sanchez-Fulton has received numerous state and national award for her advocacy in higher education. Recently honored by NlWB women of Excellence -2017. Served as the first Latina Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Desert Community College District. She is the CA representatives for the American Association of Community College Trustees, Board member of Riverside County RDA Oversight committee for the city of Indio and Desert Hot springs. She has served for over 15 years as professor/educator for local universities and community colleges. Strong corporate background, principled thinking; a person who continues bring new vision to the future of College of the Desert.

Who was your political mentor – someone who guided and supported you – someone who prepared you for public service. What kind of advice did they give you that was the most important/useful to you?

Interesting question. At the time I began to run, there no other Latinas in office. I had no political mentor, because in the back of mind I didn’t want to owe anybody anything. However who truly inspired really was my mom who motivated me because she said I couldn’t win because I was too honest and nice and because I cared. So I ran to prove her that integrity still exists.

What was the one thing no one told you about being an elected official that you wish you’d known before you were elected?

The one thing nobody told me – How expensive it is to get elected and re-elected.

Describe a project you spearheaded or supported that you’re proud of. Why was it successful and what did you learn from it that helped you be a better policymaker?

As the youngest trustee member, and first Latina elected as chair, there are many projects I have spearheaded in my 1st term as elected. My top 4 that I am most proud are about access.

1. Creating Community College Tuition free to Coachella valley residents.
2. Creating a new and free bus line to the college, so students can go to work and school. 
3. Creating A food pantry for my students.
4. Building a new Campus for the underserved community and the city.

As an elected official you must balance your job, your duties as an elected official and family obligations, not to mention trying to find personal time for yourself. How do you balance all these duties and obligations?

You can’t really balance anything as an elected official. As an elected you automatically make personal and financial sacrifices. The secret is hard work. Secret to success is having family members that support your dreams, not sabotage them. And that you truly have a passion to serve.

What was the most memorable day of your life?

Most memorable day of my life: Getting married to a man that believed and supported me and not belittled my political aspirations and attending Women’s Conference in Beijing, China –  ” A woman’s right is a human right.”

Denise Menchaca was elected to the San Gabriel City Council in March, 2017. She was raised in Alhambra, California where she attended local public schools. She attended the University of Southern California, having earned a Bachelor degree in Accounting. She has over 30 years of working in both the public and private industries.

She was named the Congressional Woman of Distinction for San Gabriel by Congresswoman Judy Chu, the Golden Apple by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) and Volunteer Rookie of the Year by the American Cancer Society. Menchaca has been married to John Menchaca for 30 years, raising their four children, Vanessa, Michelle, Roxanne and Michael Menchaca.

Who was your political mentor – someone who guided and supported you – someone who prepared you for public service.  What kind of advice did they give you that was the most important/useful to you?

My political mentor was Lee Freeman, 14 year School Boardmember and past President of the San Gabriel Unified School District. During his tenure, Lee was the quarterback in a Bond drive that took us from a dream to a reality….the reality of becoming a Unified School District with upgraded School facilities including the building of our very own 4 year High School. Lee provided me with sound advice: To be a person of action and not just words. He reminded me that there’s no substitute for the power of door knocking and hard work. Lastly, there was no amount of old guard endorsements or money that will help get you elected unless you personally got out there to meet the voters. These are lessons I still remember after years of being politically engaged.

What was the one thing no one told you about being an elected official that you wish you’d known before you were elected?

Being able to serve one’s community in a very meaningful way is a fulfilling experience like no other.  If you think your elected officials should go in a different direction, this is your chance to discontinue sitting on the sidelines and make an impact. Too many times individuals get discouraged by those small groups who are disagreeable about contentious issues. Overall, I have learned that most people are open and willing to listen and work toward a mutually agreeable solution. Let’s not forget that this is our Community. We must all do our part to influence the course of action that will benefit, in some cases, generations of families.

Describe a project you spearheaded or supported that you’re proud of. Why was it successful and what did you learn from it that helped you be a better policymaker?

The San Gabriel City Council is responsible for hiring two individuals: the City Manager and the City Attorney. As the newly elected City Council member, I learned at my second meeting that this Council will be hiring both a City Manager and City Attorney in less than 6 months. My priority now is to move ahead swiftly and effectively in the search process to fill these two key city positions. We will be retaining an executive-recruitment firm to help fill the vacancies. There will be additional meetings and much preparation including advertising, recruitment brochure and both community and staff surveys. This is just the beginning of the challenges and successes that lie ahead during my four year tenure.

As an elected official you must balance your job, your duties as an elected official and family obligations, not to mention trying to find personal time for yourself. How do you balance all these duties and obligations? 

I engage people I trust in achieving work-family life balance. I have regular discussions with my husband and children about their observations, opinions and complaints regarding my career commitments and civic involvement. I reach out to friends who give me sound advice and are encouraging. Most importantly, I realized that the perfect balance between work and family may not take place at all times—and that’s normal.

What was the most memorable day of your life?

Aside from the birth of my 4 children, one of the most memorable days of my life was getting elected to the San Gabriel Unified School Board in 2005. There were 3 incumbents seeking re-election and I was the lone challenger. On Election Day, I was the top vote-getter with the second being my political mentor Lee Freeman, who was so genuinely elated with the results. To-date, I have yet to witness a political leader demonstrate such a sincere and selfless reaction when their names have also been on the ballot.

Karina Macias was elected to the Huntington Park City Council in March 2013. Two years after her election, she was elected to serve as the Mayor of Huntington Park for the 2015-2016 term, making her the youngest Mayor in the history of the City.

Council Member Karina Macias grew up in Huntington Park as the only child of immigrant parents. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Psychology, with a minor in International Studies from Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles. Passionate about global issues, she then went on to earn her Master’s Degree in International Studies from Chapman University.

Norma Edith García was re-elected to the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees in November, 2013. She represents Trustee Area 1 which includes the City of El Monte.
García attended Citrus Community College, transferred and graduated from UCLA, earning a B.A. in Political Science and M.A. in Urban Planning. She served as the Community and Environmental Deputy to former Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Gloria Molina.
García is an ardent believer of building better communities, and works to achieve this through her active participation in numerous civic and professional organizations. García currently serves as the Chair of the California Community Foundation’s ‘Community Building Initiative’, which is a 10-year effort to revitalize the community by engaging residents and developing their leadership, and improving the physical environment and social services. Ms. Garcia is also the Board Chair of the El Monte Promise Foundation.
She presently serves as the Deputy Director of the Planning and Development Agency for Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation.
García is a life-long resident of the beautiful community of El Monte.

Mayor Dr. Yxstian Gutierrez began his tenure on the Moreno Valley City council in September 2013. He’s lived in Moreno Valley for more than 20 years, and received his Associate Degree at Moreno Valley College, his Bachelor’s Degree from California Baptist University, a Master’s from American InterContinental University and his Doctoral Degree from Northcentral University. Currently, Mayor Gutierrez is a 3^rd and 4^th grade special education teacher for the Moreno Valley Unified School District. Prior to joining city council he owned Berrybean Café. He also served as a member of the Moreno Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Moreno Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Mayor Dr. Gutierrez is Moreno Valley’s youngest mayor.

As an elected official you must balance your job, your duties as an elected official and family obligations, not to mention trying to find personal time for yourself. How do you balance all these duties and obligations? Is there a secret to doing this well you can share?

I calendar a lot of events. So everything is based on my calendar, which keeps me organized. I always try to rest on Sundays and go to church. I rely on my spiritual side to help build me up as well and I try to exercise regularly. I exercise three or four times a week. I think it helps me from becoming tired or stressed out. I also utilize the skill of ‘delegation.’ I delegate tasks to staff members and that helps to maintain balance in my life. I get better at it the longer I’m in the position.

Who was your political mentor—someone who guided and supported you and prepared you for public service? Name the person—your campaign manager, your spouse, parent, another political candidate. What kind of advice did they give you that was the most important/useful to you? What did they teach you?

Victoria Bacca, who served as city council member (of Moreno Valley). Actually I worked on her campaign prior to being on the city council myself. She served as a mentor for 3 years and she helped me to get on the city council. She warned me about politics and taught me perseverance and to just keep going, even when people knock you down. She also taught me I’m not always going to make everybody happy. There are people who don’t like me, but they’ve never met me before. She taught me to persevere and keep working in a positive direction.

What was the one thing no one told you about being an elected official that you wish you’d known before you were elected?

No one told me about the amount of public scrutiny, how people want access to my everyday calendar. As well as people making public records requests for my e-mails. I never knew anything about that until I got in office. I have nothing to hide. (Someone) wants to see my e-mails and my calendars about ever other week. I didn’t know this was going to happen.

Describe a project you spearheaded or supported that you’re proud of. Why was it successful and what did you learn from it that helped you be a better policymaker?

I’ve really extremely proud of “Hire MoVal,” which is a local jobs program. It’s one of a kind. It’s a game changer. I authored and presented it to city council. It encourages local businesses to hire Moreno Valley residences. Pasadena has a similar program as well as San Francisco, but our program provides a utility discount to businesses that hire Moreno Valley residents. When a business hires 20 percent of their workforce from Moreno Valley they receive a 22 percent discount on their utility bill. If they hire 40 percent (workforce) they receive an additional 2 percent on top of the 22 percent. The program has attracted Amazon who has hired 80 percent of their workers from Moreno Valley. We also won an award for Hire Moval from the Inland Empire Economic Council.

The program is such a success because 80 percent of our residents commute outside of the city for work. Now they are closer to home and it allows them to spend more time with their families and it’s reduced the congestion on the freeway.

While creating programs like Hire Moval, I learned the art of compromise. To get things done you have to learn to compromise. Which is a great skill to have. When you compromise and treat your staff and employees right they work hard to get the job done in a positive way.

What was the most memorable day of your life?

Getting elected to city council in 2014 was amazing. My parents helped out so much with the campaign. They were really hands on and put in so many hours. A lot of people said I was too young. They didn’t think I could win.

Who will be the next President of the U.S? Who should be the next President?

I think Hillary Clinton will more than likely win. She is getting a lot of support from her party, but then she is also getting support from the other party. There are a lot of people flocking to her support. Hillary has the temperament and the leadership capacity to lead our country.

Interviewed by freelance writer/producer Octavia McClain.

Rancho Santiago Community College District Trustee Jose Solorio was elected to the Board  in 2012. The son of migrant farm workers, Solorio went from laboring as a teenager in the fields, alongside his parents, to earning a bachelor’s degree from UC Irvine and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard University. After representing Anaheim, Garden Grove and Santa Ana in the State Assembly six years, he now serves central Orange County on the Board of Trustees for the predominantly Latino community college district. In his role as state assembly member, and now as community college trustee, he has focused his efforts on education, job creation, public safety and infrastructure improvements.

What was the one thing no one told you about being an elected official that you wish you’d known before you were elected?

The most striking thing is just how much additional time other than governing board meetings there is in the requirements to be an elected official. There are countless other hours spent meeting with community boards, community leaders or staff—it’s a real big time commitment. It’s duties that you have to your constituents and stakeholders; the public deserves reasonable access to your time because you represent them.

As an elected official you must balance your job, your duties as an elected official and family obligations, not to mention trying to find personal time for yourself. How do you balance all these duties and obligations? Is there a secret to doing this well you can share?

Over time you realize how to be efficient with scheduling your government meetings, with conducting the meetings, following up with them, how to delegate certain responsibilities to others on staff, or find others to assist you. I definitely make quality time for family members—I am married and have two children. When I served in the state assembly, it was a big sacrifice for my family not to have their father available 24/7. When I was home I would make up for it by doing laundry, take kids to sporting events, anything to be a good father and husband.

Who was your political mentor—someone who guided and supported you and prepared you for public service? What kind of advice did they give you that was the most important/useful to you? 

State Senator Art Torres was an amazing role model. When I was a student leader at the University of California, Irvine, I was involved in statewide advocacy for college students. We would follow legislation and the work of legislators who prioritized college education, and we admired Torres. I was able to invite him to a leadership conference and listened to him address the audience. I kept in touch with him over the years. You try to emulate your role models and see what makes them an elected official. He has many traits that I admire. He’s an outstanding speaker and giving of his time outside his jurisdiction. He’s a master of the media and shaping policies that people would identify him with. He has the humility to talk to “important people,” but also to students and community leaders. He’s an outstanding statesman, and by listening to him I learned countless things.

Describe a project you spearheaded or supported that you’re proud of. Why was it successful and what did you learn from it that helped you be a better policymaker?

In 2011 I discovered through public health warnings that in central Santa Ana, in the heart of one of the country’s most developed and prosperous areas, there were two neighborhoods in which residents no longer had access to clean drinking water. This was right in the middle of California’s recession. Finding resources to connect them to the city’s water resources was a challenge, but I prioritized it, as it should be. I worked with county, city and state public health officials, state drinking water officials and legislators, to identify an area of funding that was left over from a prior project. We provided that money to the city and to a very quick order got those families access to clean drinking water.

I was raised in the Central Valley so water has always been the top issue for me, and clean drinking water is vital—it’s not just for living but bad water can be very harmful to children, pregnant mothers, and the elderly. People who can live comfortably can hire help, so that leaves the disadvantaged, economically or socially, who can benefit from leaders, so I try to help those.

I was raised from humble beginnings, a small town in the Central Valley and I know that children and adults can do great things if they have the right opportunities. I learned to keep focused on a project if a solution isn’t immediately apparent to look for others, to partner with everybody who has skin in the game and work with people on the ground because oftentimes people don’t want to be helped. An example was that these neighborhoods had low-cost water and didn’t necessarily wanted to pay a higher cost for city water, and getting them to make the transition was a big task in and of itself.

What was the most memorable day of your life?

Two days. First, setting foot on Harvard campus as a graduate student. Second, when my son was accepted at Harvard and Stanford. When you grow up in the Central Valley as I did and see all the need around you and one day you go to the most prestigious university on earth, that’s a big deal. And you realize you’re going to learn all these things and be able to benefit the life others. I went to the school of public policy so that I could return and help my community. Second, when your son has that accomplishment, it’s his but for the parent too because I helped nurture a child who’s going to be productive in society. He’s going to Stanford in the fall.

If you had to be on one television show, which show would you choose and why?

The West Wing. It would be fun to be a speechwriter or a political advisor to President Bartlet.

Who will be the next President of the U.S? Who should be the next President?

It’s my hope that Hillary Clinton will be our next president and the woman who is going to break through that glass ceiling. I think she’ll do an outstanding job. I think our country did very well under Bill Clinton, and I think people from all walks of life will do very well under Hillary Clinton.

Interviewed by Mary Ann Marshall.