Application for Angela M Vazquez

Interview

Interview Length: 1:27:31 | Download Transcript

Initial Application

Below is the initial application for the Citizens Redistricting Commission. In this section of the application you will be asked to provide personal information that will assist the Applicant Review Panel in processing your application.

You do not have to complete the entire application at one time. At any point, you can save your application using the "Save Application" button. After the application has been saved, you can return to this site to complete the application using your email and password if you choose to set one. Be sure to submit your initial application on or before August 19, 2019.

All fields with * are required to submit the application.

Identification Information
Angela
M
Vazquez
Physical Address
Los Angeles
CA
90065
Los Angeles
Mailing Address (If different than Physical Address)

Gender

Gender*

Racial or Ethnic Background

Select the circle that best describes your race/ethnicity*
Latino Group
Pacific Islander Group
Asian Group
Other Groups

The Voters FIRST Act is designed to produce a Citizens Redistricting Commission that is reasonably representative of the state's diversity. This information is required to help the Applicant Review Panel identify a diverse pool of the most qualified applicants. Although your specific date of birth will remain confidential, your age may be calculated from your date of birth and made public.

Economic Status

What was your total household income during the past 12 months?*

Eligibility Information

If you are uncertain about your prior voting registration, voting record, or party affiliation, we suggest that you contact the county clerk or voter registrar in the county in which you resided during the period of time in question. The contact information and address for California's county elections offices can be found at https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/.

1. Have you been continuously registered to vote in the State of California since July 1, 2015?*

2. With what party are you registered?*

3. Has your political party affiliation remained the same since July 1, 2015?

4. Indicate in which of the last three statewide general elections you voted, (check all that apply)*:

Conflicts of Interest

The Voters FIRST Act (Act) is designed to produce a Citizens Redistricting Commission that is independent from legislative influence and, therefore, disqualifies from service any person having a conflict of interest as defined by the Act. The information below is required to help the State Auditor and the Applicant Review Panel identify any conflicts of interest you may have.

5. Have you done any of the following within 10 years of the date you submit this application:

5a. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application been appointed to, elected to, or a candidate for a California congressional or state office (Appointed means appointed by the Governor, a member of the Legislature, or a member of the State Board of Equalization; or served at the pleasure of the Governor, a member of the Legislature, or a member of the State Board of Equalization)?*

5b. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a California political party or of the campaign committee of a candidate for a California congressional or elective state office?*

5c. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as an elected or appointed member of a political party central committee in California?*

5d. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application been a lobbyist registered with the State of California or a California local government?*

5e. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application been a registered federal lobbyist?*

5f. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as a paid California congressional, legislative, or State Board of Equalization staff?*

5g. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application contributed $2,500 or more to any California congressional, state, or local candidate for elective public office within any single calendar year?(This amount has been adjusted using the California Consumer Price Index.)*

6. Are you currently serving as staff, or as a consultant to the Governor of California, a member of the California Legislature, a California member of Congress, or a member of the State Board of Equalization?*

7. Are you currently under contract with the Governor of California, a member of the California Legislature, a California member of Congress, or a member of the State Board of Equalization?*

When answering questions 8 and 9, immediate family means your parents, step-parents, spouse, registered domestic partner, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings, parents-in-law, siblings-in-law, and sons- and daughters-in-law with whom you have done the following:

8. Do you have an immediate family relationship with the Governor of California, a member of the California Legislature, a California member of Congress, or a member of the State Board of Equalization?*

9. Has a member of your immediate family done any of the following within 10 years of the date you submit this application:

9a. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application been appointed to, elected to, or a candidate for a California congressional or state office? (Appointed means appointed by the Governor, a member of the Legislature, or a member of the State Board of Equalization, or served at the pleasure of the Governor, a member of the Legislature, or a member of the State Board of Equalization)?*

9b. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a California political party or of the campaign committee of a candidate for a California congressional or elective state office?*

9c. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as an elected or appointed member of a political party central committee in California?*

9d. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application been a lobbyist registered with the State of California or a California local government?*

9e. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application been a registered federal lobbyist?*

9f. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as a paid California congressional, legislative, or State Board of Equalization staff?*

9g. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application contributed $2,500 or more to any California congressional, state, or local candidate for elective public office within any single calendar year?(This amount has been adjusted using the California Consumer Price Index.)*

PRIVACY NOTIFICATION AND WAIVER

LEGAL AUTHORITY AND REASON FOR COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

The Voters FIRST Act (Act) and the regulations implementing the Act require that the selection of commissioners for the Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) be open to public scrutiny and the press (California Constitution, Article XXI, section 2, subdivision (c); Government Code sections 8252, 11120, 11121, and 11125.1; California Code of Regulations, title 2, sections 60835, 60836, 60842, and 60846). The Act also requires the California State Auditor's Office (State Auditor's Office) to select 60 of the most qualified applicants based upon their voter affiliation; eligibility to serve pursuant to Article XXI of the California Constitution; the absence of any conflicts of interest; relevant analytical skills; ability to be impartial; appreciation for California's diverse demographics and geography; and racial, ethnic, geographic, gender, and economic diversity. To determine each applicant's identity and qualifications to serve on the Commission and to track the demographic information of the applicant pool, this application seeks personal information about applicants that will be provided to the Applicant Review Panel, State Auditor's Office staff, and the public, including members of the press, the Legislature, and the Commission.

CONSEQUENCE OF NOT PROVIDING ALL REQUESTED INFORMATION

Failure to provide all of the requested information will result in your disqualification and the removal of your name from the applicant pool. Thus, if you wish to serve on the Commission, it is mandatory that you submit a response for each item of information requested.

PERMISSION TO USE AND RELEASE PERSONAL INFORMATION

By submitting this application, you acknowledge that the application, all documents submitted in support of your application, including a Statement of Economic Interests (FPPC Form 700) if you are asked to submit one, letters of recommendation, materials generated as a result of any State Auditor's Office or Applicant Review Panel investigation of you, and all public comments and responses to public comments about your application are public records. You agree that the State Auditor's Office shall provide copies of these materials to members of the public and the press, members and staff of the Applicant Review Panel, State Auditor's Office staff, the Legislature, the Commission, and as otherwise compelled by law. You understand that members of the Applicant Review Panel and the public may make public statements about you. You authorize the State Auditor's Office to use the information submitted by and about you as the State Auditor's Office deems necessary to select commissioners, replacement commissioners, or otherwise comply with its legal duties. You also authorize the State Auditor's Office to post all materials related to your application to serve on the Commission on its website and any website authorized by the State Auditor's Office.

VOLUNTARY WAIVER OF PRIVACY RIGHTS AND STATE AUDITOR'S OFFICE LIABILITY

By applying to be a commissioner, you are waiving your privacy and other rights under various state and federal laws including, but not limited to, the Information Practices Act (Cal. Civil Code section 1798 et seq.), and any defamation, invasion of privacy, and negligence claim you may have against the State Auditor's Office and those acting on its behalf. Accordingly, by waiving your privacy rights, you are agreeing to permit the State Auditor's Office to release any and all information submitted by or about you, EXCEPT that the State Auditor's Office will not post on the Internet your date of birth; physical, mailing, and email addresses (excluding the city and county); telephone numbers; the addresses and telephone numbers of your immediate family members; or any materials that the State Auditor's Office deems offensive. At this point in the process, the State Auditor's Office will not collect, and you should not voluntarily submit to the State Auditor's Office, your social security number, driver's license number, financial account numbers, or health information. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and consent to the release of the information you and others are providing related to you and, except as specifically provided above, you are waiving your right to privacy regarding all information relating to you and your application to serve as a commissioner. This waiver authorizes the State Auditor's Office to make public information submitted by or about you for a period of 12 years from the date of your application, even if you are not selected as a commissioner. You are providing this waiver voluntarily, understanding that the State Auditor's Office shall not be legally liable as a result of the release of information submitted by or about you or as the result of comments made about you by others, and that the State Auditor's Office will post on its website or otherwise release publicly. This includes claims of defamation, invasion of privacy, negligence, and any other statutory or common law claims.

WHOM TO CONTACT

You have a right to review personal information the State Auditor's Office maintains about you and to verify its accuracy. Please contact the State Auditor's Office's Information Privacy Officer at (916) 445-0255; 621 Capitol Mall, Suite 1200, Sacramento, California, 95814; if you would like to view or obtain information about the location of your records and the categories of persons who use the information in your records.

Affirmation

I affirm, by entering my initials in the box, that the statements contained in this application are true and correct to the best of my knowledge, and that I have read and understand the Privacy Notification and Waiver.

AV

07/30/2019 6:13:25PM

Supplemental Application not displayed (redacted content)

Letters of Recommendation

Letter of Recommendation #1, submitted by Minsun Meeker

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former manager and colleague

Letter of Recommendation:

September 17, 2019

Angela Dickinson
Ben Belnap
Ryan Coe
c/o California State Auditor's Office
621 Capitol Mall, Suite 1200
Sacramento, California, 95814

Re: Letter of recommendation for Angela M. Vázquez to California's Citizen Redistricting Commission.
Applicant ID: 15239

Dear Applicant Review Panel:

I have known Angela M. Vázquez since 2015, first as a colleague in foster youth education advocacy, and then as one of my most valued team members and thought partners when she joined the National Center for Youth Law's (NCYL) FosterEd initiative, for which I was the Los Angeles County and then California Statewide Director. As Angela's former manager and colleague, I can attest to her passion for social justice and ensuring that the voice of the most vulnerable and disenfranchised groups are part of the democratic process; her brilliance as a critical thinker and someone who uses data to drive decision-making; and her dedication to public service to improve the lives of our diverse communities.

When I first met Angela, I was the newly appointed Director of NCYL's FosterEd initiative in Los Angeles, which aimed to improve foster youth education outcomes through school district, county office of education, and child welfare agency collaboration. Angela was then with the Advancement Project's Educational Equity team and had just successfully organized a coalition of advocates and other stakeholders - the Coalition for Educational Equity for Foster Youth (CEEFY) - to influence the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) in investing nearly $10 million to create the Foster Youth Achievement Program (FYAP). I was so impressed with Angela's passion for achieving equity for some of the most vulnerable students at LAUSD, her expertise in building and organizing a community coalition, and her political astuteness in navigating how to get our elected officials to listen to the needs of the community, particularly those of foster youth students, who have some of the poorest educational outcomes. Angela's analytical skills and impartiality were both critical to CEEFY's success in helping to establish FYAP at LAUSD. She used data to present the disparity in educational outcomes for foster youth as compared to other students, including other sub-populations like low socioeconomic status and English Language Learner student groups; and as an organizer of a diverse group of advocates and stakeholders, she used her impartiality to listen to multiple perspectives and visions, facilitate dialogue, and build consensus around a common agenda.

As the Education Policy Manager and then the Associate Director at NCYL's FosterEd initiative, Angela's leadership propelled our initiative in a few short months to establish critical partnerships with several school districts in the Antelope Valley region of Los Angeles, which has one of the highest concentrations of foster youth students in Los Angeles County. Again, Angela used her analytical skills to drive program and policy development in foster youth education - both locally in Los Angeles, as well as statewide - using data, analyzing legislation and state and local policies, and crafting critical implementation strategies and plans to ensure that services were delivered appropriately to meet the needs of foster youth students.

In addition, Angela's impartiality and appreciation of - and ability to work with and for - diverse communities were on display in the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence (CCEE) funded regional networks she led for FosterEd. Through the CCEE network, Angela first brought together a diverse group of Los Angeles County school districts that had an interest in learning best practices from each other in improving foster youth education outcomes, then a diverse group of school board members from various school districts in Los Angeles County, to educate them on the needs of foster youth and how they could build better programming and policies within their school districts. The CCEE network members represented various parts of the County, from the Antelope Valley to the South Bay, as well as districts with varying degrees of resources, and Angela used her amazing community-organizing skills and impartiality to facilitate this diverse network around the goal of improving outcomes for our most vulnerable youth.

I could go on and on about Angela's brilliant mind and her kind heart that she puts to use every day to better the lives of Californians, particularly those whose voices need to be lifted. I am constantly blown away by Angela's passion for serving the public good, her dedication to achieving social justice and equity, and the integrity with which she lives her life. I enthusiastically recommend Angela M. Vázquez as a Commissioner on the California's Citizen Redistricting Commission. Californians would be lucky to have Angela be part of such an important Commission that will shape the future of California's political process and ensure every voice is represented.

Sincerely,

Minsun Meeker
Project Director, Los Angeles County Office of Child Protection

Letter of Recommendation #2, submitted by Kim Pattillo Brownson

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former employee

Letter of Recommendation:

October 9, 2019

Angela Dickinson
Ben Belnap
Ryan Coe
c/o California State Auditor's Office
621 Capitol Mall, Suite 1200
Sacramento, California, 95814

Re: Letter of recommendation for Angela M. Vázquez to California's Citizen Redistricting Commission.
Applicant ID: 15239

Dear Applicant Review Panel:

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter to strongly recommend Angela M. Vázquez to the Citizen's Redistricting Commission. I have known Angela since 2011 when I hired her as a Policy Analyst on the Educational Equity team at Advancement Project. During her four years at Advancement Project, she demonstrated strong analytic skills, a deep commitment to equity across a variety of issues and the ability to bring together multiple and competing constituencies towards shared decision making. Her professional background and skills make her an exceptional candidate for your Commission and she merits your highest consideration.

As an advocate, Angela has committed herself to ensuring that every child and family in California has what they need to succeed. Likewise, as a Commissioner, I am sure that her experience in meaningful community outreach and coalition building will ensure the Commission appropriately engages the breadth of community stakeholders to draw representative boundaries across the state and ensure all Californian's voices are heard in the political process. Angela understands that fair process and equity values are mutually reinforcing and has demonstrated a very sophisticated understanding of both throughout her career.

Angela's analytical skills and ability to be impartial were key to her success leading a countywide coalition of advocates to ensure the second-largest school district in the nation, Los Angeles Unified, equitably invested in its most vulnerable students - those in foster care. Angela recruited, convened and chaired a group of diverse stakeholders, including lawyers, service providers, and educators with varying —and often conflicting — opinions and perspectives on how best to close the achievement gap for Los Angeles's foster youth. Many of these stakeholders had not worked together previously so Angela led the process of both "setting the table," building respectful, transparent working relations and rapport among unfamiliar new colleagues, and driving towards consensus solutions. Rather than develop a proposal in insolation based on her own experience and preferences (which were also quite well developed and insightful), she led the appropriate data analysis (including mapping sub-regions of the district to identify areas in greatest need of foster youth supports) and solicited feedback from experts in the coalition, weighing several competing priorities and current state policy to develop recommendations to the LAUSD Board of Education. Ultimately, she led the Coalition for Educational Equity for Foster Youth to a historic and unprecedented win of $10 million of new funding allocated to a districtwide support program for foster youth and positioned the coalition as a key thought partner regarding the district's overall foster youth achievement strategy. Angela's skills as a coalition leader positions her to collaborate with other Commission members to ensure the redistricting process as a whole is fair, equitable, and meets the mandates for redistricting set forth in the US and California Constitutions and the Voting Rights Act.

Angela has my strongest recommendation for the Citizen's Redistricting Commission. Angela is undoubtedly a leader whose talents, values and past work experience would be a critical asset to the state and would ensure fair representation for California's diverse communities and voices. Should you have any additional questions, please contact me at [Redacted] or [Redacted].

Sincerely,

Kim Pattillo Brownson
Vice President, Policy and Strategy
First 5 LA
[Redacted]
Los Angeles, CA 90012
[Redacted]

Letter of Recommendation #3, submitted by Ryan Eisenberg

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Colleague

Letter of Recommendation:

September 9, 2019

Applicant Review Panel
555 Capitol Mall, Suite 300
Sacramento, CA 95814

Re: Applicant Angela Vazquez, ID # 15239
City Los Angeles
County Los Angeles

Members of the Applicant Review Panel,

It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Angela Vázquez for a seat on the Citizen's Redistricting Commission. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with and being a colleague to Angela for over six years. Angela is an advocate, a community organizer, and a social justice champion who believes in strengthening our communities. She puts these values into action through her daily work and the organizations and causes she chooses to affiliate. Angela and I served directly with each other on the Coalition of Education Equity for Foster Youth (CEEFY), and we currently serve together as Trustees for Pacific Oaks College. Angela consistently demonstrates a passion and values for social justice, equity, and elevating marginalized voices; and demonstrates those values through her career decisions and the organizations she affiliates herself.

Angela puts her values in action. She demonstrates a strong ability for community organizing and outreach. This was demonstrated in our work together on CEEFY, which was my first opportunity to work with Angela. Angela was a foundational member of that advocacy coalition group, and she was a key leader in assembling the broad coalition of lawyers, public administrators, activists, and direct service professionals. She helped facilitate and lead that group to a common goal and a common voice, across multiple perspectives and interests. She then helped lead that coalition to successful execution of that advocacy on behalf of foster youth. This included LAUSD investing $10M in its foster youth achievement program, the countywide LCAP review and in creating the model LCAP. Through her leadership, this group then leveraged that work to create change and investments in Pasadena USD. Her ability to build consensus and put that work into not only direct advocacy, but actual action for the benefit of students was impressive.

Angela was also a co-chair for the California Foster Youth Education Task Force. Much like the coalition group above, Angela demonstrated skills in organizing and consensus building. This larger exposure to different communities, the shared challenges they face, and the unique circumstances within those challenges was both a great opportunity for Angela for growth, and also demonstrated her skill set in understanding solutions should be community centric. Much like other experiences I have had with Angela, she demonstrates both the ability to lead and to be lead, or act as part of a group, effectively helping teams she is part of achieve their goals and find success.

I also have the pleasure of serving on the Board of Trustee of Pacific Oaks College with Angela. I am pleased to have recommended her for that Trustee group; and her passion for social-justice shines through in the work we do. POC is a college built on a foundation of social-justice and the match was remarkable. Her background in social work, policy, and community organizing makes Angela's contributions to the Academic Affairs committee extremely valuable. Angela demonstrates her character in the trustee role, along with her marked commitment to projects she dedicates herself to. Still new to the Trustee group, Angela has displayed a firm level of commitment as she does with all the projects she attaches herself, and she has been a valued and contributing member of our Trustee group. Additionally she has made contact with faculty grounded in social justice to help with initiatives they have, demonstrating her value of putting a system of values into action.

As with all experiences I have had with Angela, her interests are focused in the community she serves, and not that of self-serving. Angela consistently displays a high aptitude for taking in multiple vantage points and synthesizing that into beneficial action. It is a core reason for her success in coalition building and community organizing, and even more central to how and why she gets results. Angela is an asset to the groups and communities she belongs to. She works from an ethical base and I a professional to the highest degree. I have appreciated my experiences collaborating with Angela through our direct experiences when she worked with the Advancement Project and CEEFY, to our experiences as Trustees at Pacific Oaks College. I fully support Angela's application to the Citizen's Redistricting Campaign, and offer my enthusiastic recommendation for in this role. She will make an excellent addition to this commission.

Best Regards,

Ryan C. Eisenberg, Ed.D.
Executive Director, AchieveKids
[Redacted]
[Redacted]

Public Comments

Comment 879, submitted by Brian Rosenbaum

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former fellow Board Member of Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Los Angeles

Submitted On: 10/30/2019

Comment:

Dear Applicant Review Panel:

It is with pride that I endorse Angela Vazquez to serve on California's Citizen's Redistricting Commission. Angela served as President of the Board of Directors for Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Los Angeles (YNPN LA) when I joined the Board in June 2016, and led our all-volunteer group until I assumed her role in January 2017. Since then, Angela has served as a YNPN LA adviser, and personal and professional mentor to me.

Since we met, Angela has become my go-to colleague for both personal and professional advice, ranging from team leadership to coalition building, community mobilization to the needs of young workers within our nonprofit community. While I am digging through the weeds of running a nonprofit, I can always count on her to give me the 10,000-ft perspective by shining a light on systemic issues influencing those weeds, elevating the needs of under-represented communities, thinking strategically and analytically to provide sustainable and impartial solutions, and bridging community connections to grow the core strength of the organization. She stands as a champion for the nonprofit field, and truly understands that in order to strengthen our community and make the impact we want to make as a sector, we must connect, empower, and support our emerging, mission-driven professionals.

Angela is a woman of character and integrity, and holds deep, lived knowledge of the strength that California's diversity brings to our communities. When I saw that the Citizen's Redistricting Commission was seeking members (even before she shared that she had applied) she was the first person I emailed: "You need to do this. California needs you."

Angela deserves your trust and confidence as our state embarks on the massive challenge of ensuring that all voices are heard during this redistricting process. There is nobody more fit for the job.

Sincerely and humbly,

Brian Rosenbaum
Board President, Young Nonprofit Professionals Network Los Angeles
Senior Revenue Optimization Specialist, United Way of Greater Los Angeles

Comment 1223, submitted by Lori Holmes

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former colleague at Advancement Project

Submitted On: 11/04/2019

Comment:

Dear Applicant Review Panel:
It is with great enthusiasm, I submit this comment recommending Angela Vazquez to serve on California's Citizen's Redistricting Commission. I've known Angela since 2011, when she first began working at Advancement Project California. Through our four years as colleagues, I observed her deep appreciation of California's diversity and her commit to ensuring communities throughout the state thrive.
Angela has an amazing ability to analyze complex data, research policy, and present information in an accessible and engaging way. Through her work she demonstrated a nuanced understanding of communities throughout California by building a coalition of diverse stakeholders, supporting the development of local and statewide initiatives, and managing convenings including a statewide conference for early childhood and K-12 advocates.
Angela is a natural leader and in addition to her work building external partnerships, she thoughtfully contributed to the growth, development, and operations within our organization. She led internal processes and facilitated organization-wide conversations to ensure multiple voices were considered, moved forward difficult discussions with the objective of developing mutual understanding and continued respect, and coordinated input across the organization to support decision-making processes.
Angela would bring an extremely valuable set of skills and experiences to the Citizen's Redistricting Commission.
Warmly,
Lori Holmes

Comment 1312, submitted by L. Forouzan

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former Work Colleagues

Submitted On: 11/05/2019

Comment:

I believe Angela Vazquez make a wonderful addition to the Redistricting Committee. We worked together for several years at Advancement Project California, a racial and social justice research and advocacy organization, and remain friends. She is a tireless advocate for foster youth and low-income people of color across the state. She has convened tables with geographically and demographically diverse stakeholders, leading the group to consensus and collective action. She has worked with community members as well as academics, policymakers, and electeds. Angela also used her skills in using data analysis for policy research at Advancement Project. She was a frequent fixture at public meetings, sharing that data and policy analysis to fight for underserved communities. As a tireless advocate with data and policy skills, a life-long Californian who has lived in Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, and someone who has built relationships across the state, Angela is an ideal candidate for the Redistricting Committee.

Comment 1425, submitted by Richard Cohen

How Submitter Knows Applicant: See Attached Comment

Submitted On: 11/06/2019

Comment (PDF)

Comment 1456, submitted by Kawena Cole

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former Colleague

Submitted On: 11/06/2019

Comment:

Dear Applicant Review Panel:

I am honored to submit public comment to recommend Angela Vasquez as a Commissioner on the California's Citizen Redistricting Commission. I met Angela in 2015 while working at the National Center for Youth Law where she served as the Education Policy Manager then Associate Director for an initiative FosterEd California. During a period of time, Angela was my supervisor and in that role I was able to also see her leadership skills as it relates to inspiring our team to be efficient and ensuring objectives are me however quality of service is not compromised. Additionally, Angela demonstrated the ability to delegate when necessary by empowering myself and colleagues to take the lead and also being a decision maker, providing guidance when needed. During that time, I had the pleasure of learning from Angela in a professional capacity in areas such as using analytical skills to solve complex social problems that face children in the child welfare system as it relates to their access to quality education. In a personal capacity I was able to see her work based on integrity despite challenges and the power in grit when she is serving on behalf of the most vulnerable among us. Angela's skillset in community organizing, political will building, and engaging stakeholders is superb. She developed a coalition to address challenges that are raised in the intersect of education and child welfare, she is tenacious is using her voice fight for those that may be challenged in fighting for themselves and led work around policy changes that are relevant to people in her community.

I have no doubt that Angela's passion comes from a genuine place of believing in social justice, providing equitable opportunities to individuals and ensuring the inclusion of all persons while tacking barriers that may suggest limiting a persona's abilities an access. While driven by passion, Angela is also able to just in her decision, always doing what is right and fair. It is no secret that Angela is proud of her heritage, which is one of her greatest strengths. She is also conscious of diversity and how the acknowledgement of such diversity and taking opportunities to learn from it makes her a better person and our society a better place to live in.

It is a pleasure to submit this letter of recommendation on Angela's behalf. She would do an amazing job representing the best interest of constituents in California. As a California resident, I appreciate the opportunity to share my thoughts on who a great representation would be.

Comment 1505, submitted by Miranda Mammen

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former colleague at National Center for Youth Law

Submitted On: 11/07/2019

Comment:

Dear Applicant Review Panel:

I enthusiastically recommend Angela M. Vázquez to serve all Californians on the Citizens Redistricting Commission. I had the opportunity to work with Angela at the National Center for Youth Law, as colleagues on a multi-disciplinary project to improve education outcomes for students in foster care. Angela is a true leader with a lifelong commitment to equity and an unparalleled ability to bridge differences and build consensus.

Of her many skills and strengths, I particularly note that Angela would bring to the Commission a unique understanding of California's geographic diversity. Angela has family roots in the Inland Empire and Central Valley. She led a coalition of education advocates all across Los Angeles County. And she has developed statewide campaigns with stakeholders in every region of the state. All the while, she has demonstrated her ability to consider every stakeholder's perspective and build the consensus that broad-scale projects need to succeed.

Angela has the experience, integrity, and stamina that Californians need on this Commission. I highly recommend her for this leadership role.

Sincerely,

Miranda Mammen
Law & Public Service Venture Fellow, National Domestic Workers Alliance

Comment 1544, submitted by Randi Wolfe

How Submitter Knows Applicant: worked together

Submitted On: 11/08/2019

Comment:

Angela Vazquez is exactly the kind of person we need in public service at this time. She is bright, personable, committed, well-informed, and committed both to excellence and to change.

In my experience working with her, I found her to be self-directed and willing to go the extra mile out of a deep dedication to the mission -- as opposed to being motivated by ego or ambition.

Angela is exactly the kind of person we need on the Citizens Redistricting Commission. She understands California. She understands California diversity -- both its strengths and its challenges. And she can speak to and represent the voice of young people -- which is critical if we're to be effective in the long run.

I heartily recommend Angela and would be proud to see her embrace this opportunity.

Sincerely,
Randi B. Wolfe, Ph.D.
President, ECEPTS
(Early Care & Education Pathways to Success)

Comment 1706, submitted by Samantha Stewart

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Elementary School

Submitted On: 11/09/2019

Comment:

Hello Applicant Review Panel!

I wholeheartedly support and recommend Angela Vazquez to serve on California's Citizen's Redistricting Commission. Angela and I have know each other since childhood, and throughout the years I have known her to be an intelligent, kind, and spirited individual. She is a confident, go-getter since starting out in our small town and has blossomed throughout her advocacy work in Los Angeles. I believe her background growing up in a tiny, but diverse community, and moving into one of California's largest cities gives her a unique perspective that not every candidate is going to have. She deeply understands and has lived through California's dynamic and diverse culture.

From a young age she has shown amazing leadership skills and an ability to get along with a wide diversity of people. Her years of advocacy work, helping the poorest in California rise up, is admirable and exceptional. In all the work she has done, she has done it with sensitivity and inclusion in mind. All of California would benefit from her values, ethics, intelligence, and hard work.

Comment 1767, submitted by Brigette Dutra

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former fellow member of an educational advocacy coalition

Submitted On: 11/09/2019

Comment:

Dear Applicant Review Panel:
I believe Angela Vazquez would be a valuable member and important voice on California's Citizen's Redistricting Commission. I've known Angela since August 2015, when I joined a group organized to bring stakeholders together to improve educational outcomes for foster youth. The Coalition for Educational Equity for Foster Youth (CEEFY) met monthly and Angela was one of the initial founders. At the time Angela was working with FosterEd and each month I grew more and more impressed with her ability to lead the diverse group, knowledge of recent changes in education law, and incisive analytical skills.

When I first began attending CEEFY meetings I was working on special education issues for a non-profit advocacy organization for charter schools. A few months after getting involved with CEEFY and participating in the meetings I asked Angela to present to my organization on the topic of foster youth, their unique needs, and new education laws related to foster youth. Charter schools are frequently a divisive topic, however, Angela always remained neutral regarding charter schools and made the impartial presentation of data, solutions, and best practices her priority. She was extremely professional throughout the whole process of preparing the webinar, which required coordinating with two other outside agencies. Angela was easy to brainstorm and problem solve with and provided extremely relevant, practical, and useful information to my organization. She was an integral part of making our webinar successful and it ended up reaching over 75 school leaders throughout the state of California.

I have since left the education sector and now work as an attorney in the child welfare system. Since my move out of education I haven't had the opportunity to work professionally with Angela, but I have had the pleasure of remaining in touch with her through attending community events and meetings for another organization she is involved with, the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN). Angela is smart and passionate about justice, fairness, and equity for Californians. I completely trust her to ensure that the voices of all Californians are represented when our political boundaries are redrawn.

Sincerely,
Brigette Dutra
Attorney at Law
State Bar No. 288364

Comment 1786, submitted by Patricia Neri

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former Colleague

Submitted On: 11/09/2019

Comment:

Dear Applicant Review Panel:

I believe Angela M. Vazquez would be an excellent addition to California's Citizen's Redistricting Commission. I have known Angela since 2011 when we worked at the Advancement Project. At the Advancement Project, I saw her display a deep commitment to equity across issues and a passion for uplifting diverse communities. I saw her tirelessly manage local and statewide initiatives through policy reform, advocacy, and coalition building. A systems thinker, she is able to understand the current landscape, recognize key players/stakeholders, identify structures, assess challenges, and develop creative comprehensive solutions. Angela demonstrates authentic leadership and a unique ability to engage various groups, facilitate discussions, and gather input while driving towards a decision.

Her knowledge of current policies of the state, city, and community she lives in, is unmatched. What is even more incredible is her understanding of the cultural wealth that California's diverse communities bring.

Angela is a genuine person. A person who's values and integrity are reflected in the career she has pursued and life she has created.

Angela would be a valuable asset to the Citizen's Redistricting Commission. There is no one better suited.

Sincerely, Patricia Neri

Comment 1804, submitted by Danielle Tenner

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Professional - Foster Youth Coalition

Submitted On: 11/09/2019

Comment:

I met Angela as she led a coalition of advocates working to promote the educational success of foster youth (the Coalition for Educational Equity for Foster Youth in Los Angeles) in he role at the Advancement Project and, later, in her work at FosterEd. I was a member of that coalition in my role as an attorney and advocate at the Alliance for Children's Rights. Angela was incredibly skilled at bringing together very busy individuals from several organizations, each with a slightly different lens, to focus on joint work for the benefit of kids. The coalition included folks with various personalities and working or organizations with different missions, and she was skilled at facilitated. She was also knowledgeable about systems and contexts through which we could further our aims of raising awareness and resources for foster youth in schools, including school districts and statewide school funding mechanisms. This knowledge stems from a broad understanding of public systems in California, and the vehicles through which services are provided to families and children.

In addition to being a knowledgeable advocate, she is a pleasure to work with - a team player who refuses to stop short of getting the job done collaboratively.

Comment 1848, submitted by Allison Gallagher

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Colleague, California School Boards Association

Submitted On: 11/10/2019

Comment:

Dear Applicant Review Panel:

It is my great honor to recommend Angela Vazquez for the Citizens Redistricting Commission. I have had the pleasure of working with Angela for the last two years and, without a doubt, she would be a high-quality addition to the Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Angela is a tireless advocate for youth, for social justice, and in making sure all voices are "at the table" in policy decisions. Angela is skilled in coalition building, seamlessly integrating all stakeholders in decision-making, ensuring all are represented. Her passion for serving others is evident in the extensive advocacy work she had done in both her current position with the California School Boards Association and past positions with Advancement Project and the National Center for Youth Law.

As a member of the Citizens Redistricting Commission, Angela Vazquez's natural sense of leadership, strong values, and commitment to service would shine in her ability to ensure fair representation for our diverse state. I highly recommend Angela Vazquez to serve on the Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Best,
Allison Gallagher

Comment 1861, submitted by Juhyun Sakota

How Submitter Knows Applicant: We used to work together

Submitted On: 11/10/2019

Comment:

Dear Applicant Review Panel,
It is with great pleasure I endorse Angela M. Vazquez to be a part of California's Citizens Redistricting Commission. I met Angela when we worked together at Advancement Project in 2011.
Angela is a passionate advocate for foster youth, public education, and child welfare. She understands the political process and policies very well. As a friend and colleague, I have observed Angela building coalitions to advocate for equitable allocation of public funds to benefit various communities. She has worked on coalition building, community engagement, and policy advocacy, using her project management, data analysis, and team leadership abilities to add significant value to every project she has worked on.
In addition, she is able to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and understand their concerns and perspectives. She has convened stakeholders such as administrators, parents, local educational agencies, lawyers, academics, advocates, and politicians to advocate for more resources for underserved students. She brings in perspectives of diverse geographic and racial background given her personal experience growing up in a Latino family in Central Valley and Inland Empire, studying and working in Los Angeles, and being eyes and ears of public schools throughout the State as an advocate for the past decade.
With her personal and professional experience and expertise, I have no doubt that Angela would be a great addition to the California's Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Regards,

JuHyun Sakota

Comment 1879, submitted by Vanessa Hernandez

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former Colleague

Submitted On: 11/10/2019

Comment:

To whom it may concern:

I highly recommend Angela Vazquez for California's Citizen's Redistricting Commission. In my work with Angela over the past several years, I can attest that her expertise, knowledge, and skills align with the function of the commission and will only enhance the important work to be accomplished. I have observed Angela to be analytical, thoughtful and most impressively can hold the macro and micro impacts of decision making simultaneously. Whether the topic was a complex funding formula for unduplicated K-12 students or engaging a multitude of stakeholders, Angela navigated the spaces with expertise, passion, and integrity.

For these reasons, I highly recommend Angela Vazquez for California's Citizen's Redistricting Commission.

Sincerely,

Vanessa Hernandez
Deputy Director of Policy & Training
California Youth Connection

Comment 1906, submitted by Denisse Lopez

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Colleague

Submitted On: 11/10/2019

Comment:

It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Angela Vázquez for a seat on the Citizen's Redistricting Commission.
Angela demonstrates the geographic and demographic diversity of our state. She has extensive experience in engaging with people of from all walks of life. There is no doubt, Angela will make diligent and sincere efforts to ensure voices like mine and my community's interests are heard in this process of redistricting. As her colleague, I have witness first-hand how she carries this appreciation as a children's & community advocate for public education & child welfare/foster care. Angela was worked personally and professionally to ensure that children & communities of different backgrounds have the opportunity to live and thrive in California, no matter their zip code, income, or race/ethnicity.

I strongly support my colleague Angela because she will ensure that the voices of all Californians are heard in redrawing the political boundaries of our state in order to ensure our elected officials going forward reflect the true will of the people they represent.

Comment 1997, submitted by Raquel Maden

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Work colleague

Submitted On: 11/10/2019

Comment:

Angela is, by far, an exceptional candidate for the redistricting commission. As her coworker, I have witnessed Angela take on difficult tasks and provide tangible solutions by engaging our entire work team. She motivates and guides us to accomplish a focused goal, even though each of us have unique set of skills and backgrounds. She often leads and encourages thoughtful and meaningful deliberation while completing group tasks. She will be a valuable asset on the redistricting commission.

Comment 3368, submitted by Melissa Reardon

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Former colleague, Advancement Project

Submitted On: 02/14/2020

Comment:

Dear Applicant Review Panel:

I am happy to recommend Angela Vazquez to serve on California's Citizen's Redistricting Commission. Angela is a tireless advocate for California's communities and would be a strong asset to the Commission.

I worked closely with Angela for three years at Advancement Project, a policy and advocacy organization based in Los Angeles. In this role Angela was responsible for managing a network of early education stakeholders, with representatives from across the state of California. I saw firsthand how Angela was able to convene diverse stakeholders- from advocates and policymakers to teachers and administrators- to create dialogue around difficult policy, budgetary and legislative developments, and to find constructive ways to move forward. Whatever the topic at hand- whether it was services for foster youth, access to early education or the implementation of new funding allocations at the state and local levels- Angela has consistently been able to take the complex discussions at these convenings and translate them into nuanced policy efforts, finding paths to uplift California's most vulnerable and under-resourced communities.

Angela would be a strong addition to the Citizen's Redistricting Commission, and I give her my highest recommendation.

Sincerely,
Melissa Reardon

Files