VANESSA SANDOVAL
CHIEF OF STAFF

Vanessa.Sandoval@sanjoseca.gov
(408) 535-4925

Vanessa was born and raised in rural Bishop, California and is the daughter of immigrants from Zacatecas, Mexico. She was the first person in her family to attend college. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, Vanessa worked as the U-visa and VAWA program director at the International Institute of the Bay Area in Oakland.

At IIBA Vanessa assisted hundreds of crime victims and domestic violence survivors to gain legal status in the US. In 2008 Vanessa joined SIREN as the Director of the Policy Advocacy program, where she worked vigorously to promote comprehensive immigration reform and protect immigrant rights on a local, state and national level. Vanessa then earned her juris doctorate from Golden Gate University School of Law and returned to SIREN as the Director of Immigration Legal Services. In that role, she led multiple legal collaboratives, managed advocacy campaigns and made quality legal services accessible throughout the County.

Vanessa is passionate about creating and preserving policies and laws that protect and empower our community.

Policy Areas: Budget, Federal & State Policy, Economic Development, Code Enforcement, Labor
Neighborhood Associations: Neighborhood Leadership Council, Oakridge Palmia N.A., Avenue One, Walnut Mobile Home Park, Friends of Edenvale Library
Other Responsibilities: Grant Requests, Commendations, Invocations

Helen Chapman
Policy & legislative advisor

Helen.Chapman@sanjoseca.gov
(408) 535-4926

Helen, who was born and raised in the Bay Area, has lived in San José for over 35 years. She is the daughter of European immigrant parents. An active member of the community, she served a six-year term on the City of San José Parks Commission, the last two years as Chair. She served on the Board of Green Foothills, served on the Shasta/Hanchett Park Neighborhood Association Board, and is currently serving as President of the Abraham Lincoln High School Foundation and Board Chair for the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. She also serves on the Santa Clara County Special Districts Association and is an alternate member of LAFCO.

Before serving residents of District 2, she retired from San José Unified School District as a Data Research Specialist after 16 years. She enjoys hiking and gardening in her spare time. 

Policy Areas: Housing, Homelessness, Mobile Home Parks, Environment, Parks & Trails, Seniors
Neighborhood Associations: Blossom Valley N.A., Coyote Creek N.A., Silver Leaf N.A., Southside Community Center Senior Advisory Council, VEP N.A.
Other Responsibilities: RLEI, Coyote Valley

Lucas Ramirez
Policy & legislative analyst

Lucas.Ramirez@sanjoseca.gov
(408) 535-4922

Lucas is a lifelong resident of Santa Clara County and an active member of the League of Women Voters local government observation corps. He first became interested in policy when Caltrain threatened to significantly reduce service during a budgetary crisis years ago because the change would have personally affected him.

He received his bachelor's degree from Santa Clara University. Lucas is the District 2 Policy & Legislative Analyst responsible for issues pertaining to Code Enforcement, VTA, Public Works, Land Use and Pensions. In his spare time, he enjoys listening to classical music. His favorite composers are Beethoven, Bach and Rachmaninoff.

Policy Areas: Transportation, Public Works, Planning, Land Use, Pensions - Federated
Neighborhood Associations: Cottle to Lean N.A., Station 121

Laura Nguyen
DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS &
COMMUNITY RELATIONS

Laura.Nguyen@sanjoseca.gov
(408) 535-4924

A San José native and daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Laura is thrilled to be serving the diverse community that has shaped who she is today. After graduating from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Communication and minor in Journalism, Laura’s experience in community affairs began at a San Diego news station. There, she launched a website that showcased the public’s needs and interests, led events that engaged people of all ages and leveraged multimedia platforms to connect thousands of constituents.

Laura is passionate about reaching the community in creative ways to share the issues and stories that matter most to people like her: people who call San José home.

Policy Areas: Education, Youth, Libraries, Airport, Technology
Neighborhood Associations: Oak Grove N.A., Hayes N.A., Basking Ridge N.A., E.G.O.P.I.C. Neighborhoods
Other Responsibilities: Website, Newsletter, Social Media, Events

Kimberly Hernandez
Executive assistant

Kimberly.Hernandez@sanjoseca.gov
(408) 535-4902

Kimberly has been with the City of San José since 2007, starting her career as a temporary employee in the City’s former clerical pool and eventually settling into the District 2 office. She helps with scheduling, administrative multitasking and general office management.

Kimberly has enjoyed a richly diverse work history as a former cleanroom assembler, phone operator, and mail carrier. She has also supported executives from the private, non-profit, and governmental sectors. In addition to providing excellent administrative support to the District 2 office, Kimberly enjoys kite flying, bocce ball, billiards, dog sitting and importantly, humor.

Other Responsibilities: Scheduling, Meeting Requests, Event Appearance Requests, General District 2 Information