Meet the staff of the Office of Council District 1! 

Select our names to email us directly. To reach our office for general inquiries, please call (408) 535-4901, or email district1@sanjoseca.gov.

J.R. Fruen | policy & legislative director

J.R. is a third-generation resident of neighboring Cupertino. He grew up attending schools in District 1—Miller Junior High School and Lynbrook High School. He is a graduate summa cum laude of UCLA, holds a J.D. from Santa Clara Law, and has actively practiced law since 2015. Between undergrad and law school, J.R. ran a number of retail establishments on Santana Row, which reinforced his love of well-designed, active spaces. As Policy and Legislative Director for Vice Mayor Kamei, J.R. is responsible for policy matters touching on land use.

In addition to his legal training, J.R. brings special policy expertise to the District 1 team as a sitting member of the Cupertino City Council, and through his prior experience as Policy Director of Cupertino for All—a community-based neighborhood organization dedicated to making the West Valley a more inclusive and sustainable place.

J.R. is fluent in Italian and German. Friday nights will usually find him playing mahjong with his husband and friends.

Primary Responsibility Areas: Housing & homelessness, planning & land use, environment

Alex Dersh | council assistant

Alex grew up in Palo Alto, and now lives in San José with his family. He went to Hofstra University in New York for political science and public policy to learn about how he can serve his community and create change on issues he cares about. Since graduating, he has organized for causes to make the Bay Area more affordable and interconnected.

He is primarily responsible for events, communications, and parks-related issues as a Council Assistant to Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei. He is eager to help her serve the people of San José and District 1.

In his free time, Alex enjoys sharing cute cat pictures with friends and family, going for walks around his neighborhood, and volunteering.

Primary Responsibility Areas: Parks, events, social media, newsletter

Aaron Zeelig | Policy & Legislative Advisor

Aaron is a product of San José and has dedicated his career toward helping others. Prior to his current role as Council Policy & Legislative Advisor, Aaron served as Director of Social Services for LifeSTEPS, a non-profit focused on providing residential services for affordable housing communities. There, he created, implemented, and managed supportive services and programs for over 1000 residents across the Bay Area and Tri-Valley. His priorities centered on employment, healthcare, safety, and financial assistance.

Aaron holds an M.A. in Education Policy from Teacher's College, Columbia University and a B.A. in Sociology from University of California, Davis. While in school, Aaron also held internships for the U.S. House of Representatives and the New York Department of Investigation.

Outside the office, Aaron is an avid runner, jiu-jitsu hobbyist, and enjoys all things matcha.

Primary Responsibility Areas: Transportation, code enforcement, newsletter

Lorena Rivera | Council Assistant

Lorena was raised in the City of San José and grew up in a Mexican household. Lorena went to Yerba Buena High School in eastside San José, and attended University of San Francisco for Political Science and Legal Studies. There, she learned about political ideologies, public administration, the impact of legislation in her community, and how she can help them to have better living conditions and opportunities.

She supports Vice Mayor Rosemary Kamei as a Council Assistant, helping her serve the people of San José and District 1. 

In her free time, Lorena enjoys reading about history and philosophy, cooking and baking, going out with her family, watching series, and helping people from her community. Lorena is fluent in Spanish and has knowledge in romance languages like Latin and Italian.

Primary Responsibility Areas: Scheduling, events