MEET SAM

City Council and Committees
Councilmember Sam Liccardo represents San José's downtown district, District Three, on the San José City Council. On the Council, Sam leads several key legislative bodies, which influence decisions made for the City and its neighborhoods:

• Chairperson of the Council's Transportation and Environment Committee
• Vice Chair of the Community and Economic Development Committee
• Co-chair of the Envision San Jose 2040 General Plan Update Task Force

Sam also holds leadership positions on several regional agencies, as:

• Board Member of the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)
• Executive Board Member of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
• Board Member of the Santa Clara County Cities Association
• Commissioner, Metropolitan Transportation Commission

Professional Experience
Prior to winning election to City Council in November of 2006, Sam served as a prosecutor of sexual assault and child exploitation crimes in the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office. He previously worked as a federal prosecutor, and at private law firms. Sam's previous work in the community included tutoring homeless children, serving on the boards of several affordable housing organizations, and advocating for a successful countywide transit ballot measure in 2000.

Education
Sam graduated from Bellarmine College Prep in San José, and attended Georgetown University, where he enjoyed his four years studying government and economics, and rowing on the heavyweight crew. Sam graduated from Georgetown magna cum laude in 1991. Two years later, he enrolled at Harvard Law School and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and graduated cum laude with a law degree and a master's degree in public policy. Sam returned to the Bay Area in 1996.

Resident of San Jose
Sam and his partner, Jessica Garcia-Kohl, live in downtown's Northside, which boasts San Jose's oldest neighborhood association, a diverse community-spirited group of residents, and many historic homes.