Home: San Mateo, CA. Organization: San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD). Title: Emergency Preparedness Manager. Alma mater: University of California, Santa Barbara (BA); California State University Long Beach (MS). Languages spoken: English, Spanish, Portuguese.
Current project: Developing a common operating picture for safety across the college district. Latest contribution to others: Designed and led a multi-campus active-shooter response drill. What’s been your big (or biggest leap)? Transitioning from field-based emergency response to executive-level safety planning. Recent travel or adventure: Traveling to Missouri for kid’s sports camps. Last book read: Crime and Punishment, by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Recent unique acquisition: A Volvo, safety packaged in an SUV.
Personality profile: Calm, strategic, grounded. What one word would your closest friend use to describe you? Passionate. Moral compass: Would I want my kids to learn from this decision? How do you define a perfect friendship? Loyalty, honesty, and shared laughter. How do you define an ideal business relationship? Mission-driven, transparent, and collaborative. What is your greatest joy? Being with my wife and kids, whether on the mat or in the mountains. What is your go-to workout? Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, or playing with my dog. What ingredient is essential to your perfect vacation? Family and luxury.
What was your first paying job? Babysitter. What was your favorite college course? Ethics. What book have you repeatedly read? The Godfather, by Mario Puzo. What’s prominently featured on your home or office wall? Photos of my family. What’s the best advice you received in your career? The best way to predict the future is to create it. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? Mass notification systems that actually reach people. What world event has had the greatest influence on your life? COVID-19, which was professionally and personally transformative.
What is your big idea?
To evolve our systems, institutions, and selves based on evidence—not archaic beliefs.
What change are you working on to effect in your profession or field? Making preparedness inclusive, practical, and empowering. What change would you like to see in the world? A culture where planning ahead is second nature. What widely held belief do you reject? The belief in a supernatural god. What mega-trend most excites you? AI-assisted hazard detection and public safety innovation.
What title would you choose for the movie about your life? Compartmentalization. What actor would you choose to play you in the movie about your life? Tom Hardy. As a kid, what did you first want to be when you grew up? A pilot. How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? With my family. What advice would you give your younger self? Do not compromise your goals. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? My early years in this field.
Personal mission: To leave the world better than I found it. Personal motto: Rise. Favorite quote: “It is not the critic who counts… The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena…” (Theodore Roosevelt). Desired epitaph: He lived.
