February 8, 2008

Committed to Public Service: the 2008 District 8 Staff

By Dave Cortese
Special to the Times

As we enter 2008 and we look to how we can serve our neighbors, friends, and community in District 8 it is important to point out and thank one of the great resources available to all of you- the District 8 team. Because of their dedication, hard work, and commitment to public service I feel the D8 staff is second to none in serving our community. I’d like to thank my staff and introduce them to you.

My Chief of Staff is Rabia Chaudhry. A graduate of the State Uni-versity of New York at Stony Brook, Rabia holds degrees in Political Science and English. A member of the D8 staff since August of 2001, she is the lead contact for ABAG, MTC, land use issues and environmental issues. Prior to joining the City of San Jose, she worked for the City of New York at Yankee Stadium. She resides with her husband, Muhammed, in south San Jose.

The newest member of the D8 staff is our administrative assistant, Toni Stangel. A native Californian and a 30-year resident of San Jose, Toni joins us from the City of San Jose’s Office of Emergency Services. Prior to joining the City, Toni worked for the Pacific Gas & Electric Company.

Many of you know The-Vu Nguyen from his work with the District 8 Community Roundtable. A graduate of Evergreen Valley College and San Jose State University, The-Vu joined our team in 2003. He holds a Master’s degree in Spiritual Human Yoga and is the founder and president of the Vietnamese American Community Action Team (VACAT). The-Vu works extensively with our community on issues such as gang prevention, school safety, health and wellness issues. He and his wife, Huyen-Nga, are expecting their first child in February, when they will become the proud parents of a baby boy.

Michelle Pelayo joined the District 8 Council office in September of 2005. A graduate of the National Hispanic University, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in cross cultural studies. Michelle has done a tremendous job in organizing our annual Day in the Park event and her work areas include: School Safety, Traffic Calming, Community Health, the Farmers Market and Education. Outside of City Hall, Michelle is active in The League of United Latin American Citizens, where she serves as the National Vice- President for Young Adults. Engaged to be married, she and her fiancé Walter are looking forward to their August wedding.

Bushra Rasheed is currently in her last year at San Jose State University, where she in-tends to graduate with a BS degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on Forensic Science. She is currently the lead contact for the Youth Commission, After School Programs, D8 YAC, D8 website, Code Enforcement, Animal Control, Commendations / Ceremonial Items and Homework Centers. Bushra played an important role in the Non Violence Conference “Carry the Vision” and providing research for the Smoke – Free City Parks initiative. A resident of District 8, her interests include baseball (Go A’s!), surfing, snowboarding, running, hockey, and spending time with family and friends.

Mark Tiernan joined the District 8 Council staff in September of 2007. A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, he holds a BA degree in American History. A member of a fourth generation Santa Clara Valley family, Mark has a background in Purchasing and Construction Management in both the private and public sector. A June 2007 graduate from Lincoln Law School of San Jose, his work areas include the City Budget, Public Safety, Finance, Media Relations, the City Council Agenda, the budget, the Sunshine Reform Task Force, Transportation and constituent services. Outside of City Hall, Mark and his wife Carolyn enjoy traveling, going to 49ers games and spending time at their family ranch which has been in the family for 125 years.

Formerly an intern, Mary McCarthy joined our staff on a part-time basis this last December. She graduated from Santa Clara University in June, receiving her BA degree with honors in History emphasizing secondary education with a minor in dance. Mary’s area of work includes: code enforcement, library issues, constituent issues, special event planning for District 8 parks, arts issues and planning our annual Bus Trip to Sacramento. When not at City Hall, Mary teaches ballet at the Pacific Ballet Academy in Mountain View.

Mike Donohoe joined our staff as an uncompensated policy assistant in Novem-ber of 2007. Mike, an Evergreen resident of 28 years, is a past president of the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors (2003). A graduate of Santa Clara University where he received his BA and MBA, Mike will focus on housing and land use issues as they affect District 8 and the greater San Jose Community.

The D8 staff has a passion for public service and is committed to constituent services. If you have a question or problem please contact the District 8 office at 408-535-4908.