SVARW Endorses Leslie Reynolds

San Jose City Council District 10

In June 2012, voters in San Jose District 10 will go to the polls and vote for a San Jose City Councilmember to replace Nancy Pyle who is termed out.  If no candidate receives 50% plus 1 of the votes, the top two candidates face a runoff in November 2012.  With San Jose District 10 being the most conservative in San Jose, we have a real opportunity to replace the very liberal union-backed Pyle, with a fiscal conservative.    Although June 2012 sounds like a long way off…it really isn’t when you consider:

• It has been reported in the San Jose Mercury News that Mayor Reed is likely to endorse a candidate as early as this September…less than 5 months from now!
• Candidates are allowed to start fundraising in early December of this year.  Considering that a race for San Jose City Council will cost about $100,000…candidates need to be in campaign mode this fall!
• The Public Employees Unions have millions of dollars to spend to get their candidate elected…so we need to organize early and work smart.  There are NO LIMITS on what the public employee unions can spend!!

In February, the Candidate Development Committee of the Silicon Valley Association of Republican Women chaired by Gail DeSmet interviewed the Republican candidates. It was great to have three well-qualified Republicans step up to the challenge.

As we reviewed the three candidates, we considered:

• Candidate awareness in the community.
• Political experience/resume as would be perceived by the majority of primary election voters who will make a decision without meeting the candidate.
• Likely endorsements from both sides of the aisle.
• Negatives that likely would be used by the unions to cast dispersion on the candidate’s credentials.
• Political view that would be most in line with the majority of the members of SVARW.

Although it was a difficult choice, the SVARW board has voted to endorse Leslie Reynolds for the following reasons:

• Current office holder representing the community on the San Jose Unified School District Board (Trustee 5 for Almaden Valley).  See list of Leslie’s current board positions and committee assignments below.
• Leslie Reynolds ran unopposed for both terms on the San Jose Unified School District Board because she received key endorsements that dissuaded opponents.  In the race for San Jose City Council she has already lined up endorsements on both sides of the aisle because of her work at the local and state level.
•  A Google search of Leslie Reynolds reveals only positive press in her background.

Current Board Positions and Committees:
Board of Education Member, San Jose Unified
Executive Board Member, Santa Clara County School Boards Association
Executive Board Member, Asian Pacific Islander School Board Member Association
Delegate, California School Boards Association
Federal and State Governmental Relations Chair
San Jose 2020 Commission
Committee Member, California School Boards Association
Board Member, Leland High School Foundation
Board Member, Leland High School Transformation Board
San Jose Unified District Audit Committee
San Jose Unified Budget Advisory Committee
San Jose Unified Community Advisory Committee for Special Education
San Jose Unified PTA District Council
San Jose Unified Autism Committee
San Jose Unified District English Learners Advisory Committee
Alternative Education Collaborative, United Way
Santa Clara County Charter Schools Task Force
California School Boards Association, Presenter
Santa Clara County School Boards Association, Candidate Workshop Presenter
Teach For America Fellows Program Mentor
Board Member, District Assistance Survey
Masters in Governance Graduate
Past Positions:
President, Vice President, San Jose Unified School District
President, Vice President, Treasurer, Santa Clara County School Board Association
President, San Jose Unified Council of PTA's
President, Williams Elementary School Site Council
Vice President, Williams Elementary PTA
Executive Board Member, Santa Clara County PTA
Executive Board Member, Santa Clara County Education Coalition
California State City/County/Schools Coalition, California Constitution Convention
Employment:
GE Calma - 8 years                                                                     
Manager, Corporate Software Purchasing                                      
Manager, Customer Configuration Database
Software Master Scheduler
Software Technician

Christensen's Saddle and Supply - 3 years
Manager, Lead Buyer