Strategic PartnershipsMy public career highlights and education
I have a BGS from the University of Nebraska Omaha and an MS in Management from West Coast U. I am a veteran of the U.S. Air Force. I worked in marketing and sales for computer companies IBM, Xerox, and Data General corporations, starting as a salesman and progressing steadily up to a V.P. level position. I went on to build my own high-tech companies, Graphic Network of Glendale, CA and ScanMex of Mexico City, Mexico. I founded the Santa Clarita Latino Chamber of Commerce, managed it for eight years until it was merged with the Santa Clarita Chamber of Commerce. I joined the City of Santa Clarita City Council over eight years ago and have served as mayor of the city in 2021 and now in 2025.
What I like best about public service
There is an immense honor to serving the community. There is also an immense responsibility. Every major decision the council makes comes with proponents and opponents. The secret to success in my job is to hear all sides of an issue, weigh the input carefully then decide decisively with full conviction. Once that’s done, feel good about having helped the community.
Some of the best advice I have ever received
To have patience and understanding before making a decision, and thick skin afterward.
Something I wish more people knew about my division of government
Local governments make ordinances, state governments make statutes, and the federal government makes laws. Laws and statutes cannot be overridden by ordinances. Local governments need to govern according to that reality.
A current project or initiative that I am working on
Yes. I am trying to build an arts and cultural center here in Santa Clarita.
One thing outside of government service that people may not know about me
I have written two books, Profiles of Latino Courage and A New Kind of Courage.
