In this, my first Editor's Dispatch, I want to take the opportunity to introduce myself to all of our readers. I'm a local boy, having grown up on the East Side of San Jose, and graduated from both Mount Pleasant High School and Santa Clara University. My family's printing business, Hillis Printing, was established in San Jose way back in 1901 and until recently was located on the plot of land currently occupied by the new City Hall building.

I came to the POA from the California State Senate where I worked for 5 years as policy staff to several Senators. Most recently serving as a senior policy consultant to Senator Jenny Oropeza where I managed a portion of her legislative package and advised her on many issues including public safety, transportation, local government, business and professions and elections.

My first experience working in the public arena was 12 years ago when I interned for two members of British Parliament during my junior year abroad in the United Kingdom. Shortly thereafter I worked for U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer as a constituent representative, interned with Howard Dean's Presidential campaign working on foreign policy and homeland security issues, and participated in the California Executive Fellowship program assigned to the director of California State Parks. In between all of this, I received my Master's in Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD.

I am very excited to be the new editor of the Vanguard, to be working for the POA, and to be back in San Jose after a long hiatus. Juan set a high standard for the Vanguard and I hope to follow in his footsteps during my tenure as editor.