January 14, 2005

Meet your San Jose District 8 council staff

By Dave Cortese
Special to the Times

Happy New Year 2005 from the District 8 council office! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. Here at District 8, our 2005 New Year’s resolution is to continue to provide you with expedient and comprehensive service, advocate for
parks and library projects in our district and expand opportunities for growth.

That said, I thought it prudent to reintroduce your District 8 council staff since we have undergone some changes over the past year. Plus, when you contact our office, you will know exactly who to speak with based on your issue. Our telephone number is (408) 277-5242 and individual e-mails for all staff members are included in this article.

Rabia Chaudhry, chief of staff
Rabia was born and raised on Long Island, NY. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and English from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

Upon graduation she went to work as an analyst for the city of New York/Parks & Recreation – Work Experience Program and later as the Yankee Stadium Coordinator. Rabia has been with my office since August 2001.

Rabia is responsible for helping to oversee staff functions, manage and coordinate agenda items for the weekly council meetings and for supporting the budgeting process for the district. She works closely on the Evergreen Visioning Project, land use, public safety, green space and trails, education, Strong Neighborhoods Initiative, community centers and economic development issues.

Her e-mail is Rabia.Chaudhry@sanjoseca.gov.

Kerynn Gianotti, senior council aide
Kerynn was born and raised in San Jose. She attended San Jose State University where she received her bachelor’s degree in political science.

Upon graduation she went to work as a political organizer for the Tramutola Company in Oakland and from there went on to various positions in community and government relations for BFI and Greenteam of San Jose. She also did private consulting to the waste management industry. She has been with my office since January 2004.

Kerynn has a strong focus on neighborhoods and community development and she works closely on the Evergreen Visioning Project, transportation, downtown issues, redevelopment, Day in the Park, the District 8 Community Roundtable, code enforcement, environmental issues and arts issues.

Her e-mail is Kerynn.Gianotti@sanjoseca.gov.

The-Vu Nguyen, Community Outreach Coordinator
The-Vu was born in Vietnam and came to the United States in 1981. He attended Evergreen Valley College and San Jose State University and holds a masters degree in Spiritual Human Yoga. Active in the community, The-Vu is the founder and president of the Vietnamese American Community Action Team (VACAT) and works extensively with the Vietnamese American Community on issues such as gang prevention, truancy and wellness.

As the Community Outreach Coordinator for the District 8 office, The-Vu works closely with the ethnic communities in Evergreen and around the city. He is responsible for neighborhood organizing, neighborhood clean-ups, school safety, library issues and senior issues. Additionally he has taken a lead role in the District 8 Gateway Signage project.

His e-mail address is The-Vu.Nguyen@sanjoseca.gov.

Adrianna Cota, administrative assistant
Adrianna is a native of East San Jose. She has tremendous experience in fast-paced office settings gained in such places as Viking Freight, MCI, E*Trade, Anderson Consulting and Litton Applied Technology. Before joining the District 8 council office, she worked for Cisco Systems and prior to that, the Cortese Brothers.

Adrianna manages my schedule and is the gateway for inquiries to the office. She can help route your query to the appropriate staff person. Additionally, she manages the District 8 Web site, the Evergreen Farmer’s Market, Hewlett-Packard Grants and several special events and projects. She is also project coordinator for this year’s Season of Non Violence Conference.

Her e-mail is Adrianna.Cota@sanjose ca.gov..

The District 8 Council Office exists to listen and respond to your concerns and advocate for you here at City Hall. I hope you will not hesitate in contacting my staff or me directly at (408) 277-5242 or Dave.Cortese@sanjoseca.gov on any matter.

There are many great things on the horizon for Evergreen, and I hope you will join us in planning a grand future for generations to come.