Profiles

Jim Gonzalez is a public policy consultant and campaign strategist. He has co-managed three successful California statewide citizen ballot initiatives. Proposition 36, or otherwise known as The Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act of 2000 permanently changed California law to allow first and second-time simple drug possession offenders the opportunity to receive substance abuse treatment instead of incarceration. Proposition 215, which passed in 1996, protects seriously ill patients, with a physician recommendation, from being charged with a criminal offense for using medical marijuana. Proposition 63, which passed in 2004, creates a new mental health system for California. In 2008, he was the official proponent and campaign chair of Proposition 7 - The California Solar and Clean Energy Act.

Jim Gonzalez was a chief aide to San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, and later was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. During his terms at City Hall, he served as Chairman of the Finance Committee and as a board member of the San Francisco Health Services System, the Golden Gate Bridge Highway the Transportation District, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the Association of Bay Area Governments. In 1994, President Clinton offered him the position of Regional Administrator for the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Jim holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government and Latin American history from St. Mary's College of California. He holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of San Francisco, and was a Kellogg Fellow at Harvard University's JFK School of Government.

Jim is a member of the Board of Regents of St. Mary's College of California.

He serves as Chair of the Latino Policy Coalition, a national research organization that studies public policy issues affecting the Latino Community.

He also serves as Chair of the Renewable Energy Accountability Project - REAP.

Prior to her work at Jim Gonzalez & Associates, Maria served as a chief assistant to Assemblyman Peter R. Chacon (D-San Diego), at the State Capitol. Her responsibilities included advancing legislative proposals and building coalitions with interested parties to refine legislation and secure its passage. She then went on to become the Executive Director of the two thousand member California Association for Bilingual Education (CABE).

Maria also served as co-host of Sacramento's weekly "Progreso" television program on KOVR-TV, Channel 13. In that capacity, Maria interviewed guests including local and statewide elected officials on various public policy issues.

Maria is JGA's Chief Financial Officer and Managing Partner.

Maria is a graduate of California State University, Sacramento, with a degree in Spanish and Communications.

John Thiella brings over 30 years of professional experience in local, state, and national politics to the firm. Mr. Thiella has advised JGA on national policy strategy, and the economic and employment consequences of outsourcing. Mr. Thiella has served in senior staff positions for a variety of elected officials including Senator Dianne Feinstein, State Controller John Chiang, and Members of Congress. Mr. Thiella served as a Chief Deputy and Senior Legal Counsel at the State Board of Equalization, California's elected tax commission; and has served as political director of the California Democratic Party. John Thiella received his undergraduate degree in history from the University of California, Berkeley; a Juris Doctor degree from the University of San Francisco School of Law; and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California's School of Policy, Planning and Development, where he was awarded the distinction of "Outstanding Master's Graduate Student." Mr. Thiella is licensed to practice law in California and the District of Columbia.

Sara provides the firm with strategic advice of economic trends and business opportunities.

Prior to joining Jim Gonzalez and Associates, Sara Gonzalez worked as lead counselor for the Educational Partnership Center, of the University of California. Sara studied economics and Hispanic studies abroad at Carlos III University, in Madrid and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management/Economics from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 2003.

Sara is a licensed California real estate broker and advises JGA clients on land acquisition and development issues.

Sofia provides the firm with creative management and coordination of public policy and political events (rallies, volunteer mobilizations, summits, and conferences).

Sofia is an honors graduate in Politics with a Bachelor Degree from the University of California - Santa Cruz.

Jaime produces political advertisements and documentaries for JGA.

Prior to joining Jim Gonzalez and Associates, Jaime studied international film and political institutions at Carlos III University, in Madrid and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Film and Digital Media at UC Santa Cruz. When he returned to Sacramento he participated in relief work in Louisiana to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

He has worked as a cinematographer and screenwriter for Alexandra Pelosi of HBO's "Journeys with George" fame.

The filmmaker's most recent work, The American Outsourcing Epidemic, premiered to an audience of 7,000 at the 27th Annual Teamsters convention. The film went on to be an official selection of three film festivals and received a Best Documentary nomination.

Hatzune Aguilar coordinates public policy research highlighting Latino communities.

She also has worked as a field organizer in California, South Dakota, Kentucky, Nevada, and Louisiana.

Prior to working for Jim Gonzalez and Associates she worked as an organizer for the Tenderloin Housing Clinic in San Francisco, California.

During her tenure there she worked with hotel residents in the Tenderloin and Mission neighborhoods. She was also the Board President of the Asian American Dance Performance Company from 2006-2008. Hatzune received her B.A. in Political, Legal, and Economic Analysis with an emphasis in International Relations from Mills College in 2003.

Brendan Bishop is a political and policy research consultant.

Prior to joining Jim Gonzalez and Associates, he worked as a field organizer in Las Vegas and Northern California during the 2008 Presidential primary.

He also worked in the legislative and political wing of the Human Rights Campaign in Washington D.C., which dispatched people into Virginia to help with voter outreach and GOTV activities during the 2007 elections. Brendan Bishop received a B.S. in Political Science from the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Pablo Rodríguez is responsible for public policy and issue research projects and press relations.

Pablo brings 15 years of professional experience specializing in field organizer training and strategic/operational planning. Prior to joining JGA, Pablo served as Director of the Dolores Huerta Community Organizing Institute where he facilitated trainings to develop mass base-building and direct political action campaigns for organizations throughout California.

Pablo attended CSU Stanislaus where he studied Fine Arts. He holds a management certificate from the University of the Pacific's Eberhardt School of Business. He currently serves as a committee member for the San Joaquin Valley Chicano-Latino Youth Leadership Institute in Fresno and as a Board member of the La Peña Cultural Center in Berkeley.

During California's November 2008 election, Alexandra was the Southern California Field Director for Proposition 7, the California Solar and Clean Energy Act of 2008.

Prior to working for JGA, Alexandra worked as a Field Organizer, Volunteer Coordinator, and Regional Field Director in California, Nevada, Colorado, Ohio, Texas, and North Carolina during the 2008 Presidential primaries.

Alexandra graduated with honors from California Lutheran University, with a degree in Communications.

Mike Dennis specializes in competitive issue-based research. Mike has significant skills and experience in campaign field organizing, and community coalition-building.

Prior to working for JGA, Mike worked with 14 Ambassadors to the United Nations as a researcher for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In addition, he worked as a grassroots organizer for the Yes on 7 campaign in California.

Mike is a graduate of California State University, Fullerton, and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Policy.

Miles Gray is a research and policy consultant for the firm. During the 2008 California general election he worked as a field organizer in Southern California for Proposition 7, the Solar and Clean Energy Act.

Prior to joining JGA, Miles taught English in Japan and worked in the entertainment industry as a comedian in Hollywood. Miles is a graduate of the University of California Los Angeles - UCLA, with a bachelor's degree in History.

Samantha Folb is a research and policy consultant.

Prior to joining JGA, she worked as a field organizer in Northern California during the 2008 general election. Samantha has worked in the Office of the Curator of the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington D.C. , assisting with research and delivering lectures to foreign diplomats and dignitaries. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Theory with Honors, from the University of California, at Santa Cruz in 2008.

Kelly Rivas coordinates website development, internet outreach, and networking.

Prior to working for JGA she worked as a field organizer for statewide ballot proposition campaigns; and as a community organizer specializing in food sustainability for the Santa Cruz Farmers Market Association. Kelly received her B.A. in Politics with a concentration in Theory from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2007.

Prior to joining JGA, Britany worked as a field organizer for Californians for Solar and Clean Energy. She was also active in organizing peace demonstrations in Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Britany graduated with honors from the University of California Riverside with a B.A. in Political Science.

 

Prior to joining JGA, Melissa worked in the Southern Orange County region as a field organizer with Californians for Solar and Clean Energy. Melissa also reported for local news stations in Orange County as a freelance reporter.

Melissa Vargas received her Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and journalism from Chapman University in Orange.