Christopher Cabaldon
Encyclopedia
Christopher L. Cabaldon (born November 12, 1965) is an American politician from California
who serves as mayor of West Sacramento
. He also represents the State of California on the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education as an appointee of California Governor Jerry Brown
.
Cabaldon was elected to the City Council of West Sacramento in 1996 and is the first mayor elected directly by its voters. He is a widely recognized statewide leader in both education and in land use, transportation, housing, environmental, and economic policy.
Cabaldon has served as as Vice Chancellor of the California Community Colleges which is the largest system of higher education in the United States, President/CEO of EdVoice
, a Sacramento based education non-profit advocacy group, Chief Consultant and Staff Director at the age of 24 to the Assembly Higher Education Committee, Chief of Staff to the State Assembly's chair of Appropriations Committee, and Legislative Director of UCSA
. He was founder and Chairman of the Board for the Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project, a founding member of both the Asian Pacific Islander caucus and LGBT Local Officials caucus of the League of California Cities, and a founding member of the Capital Unity Council, a group created to eradicate hate crime violence. Cabaldon has served as President or Chair of many organizations and boards, including President of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE), President of the Yolo County Health Council, President of the National Brownfields Association (California), and chair of the Yolo County Transportation District.
Cabaldon is Vice Chair for Education at the United States Conference of Mayors
, where he was elected to the board in June 2011. In June 2007 Cabaldon authored a resolution for the US Conference of Mayors that supported the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act that was cosponsored by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg
, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
, Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo
, and passed unanimously at the annual conference. In June 2009 he pushed through the most sweeping gay civil rights resolution of any national elected officials organization, winning support for marriage equality, hate crimes, employment nondiscrimination, and repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
, and a signer of the groundbreaking environmental US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.
He serves on an array of state and regional commissions, including being appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly to the Commission on Regionalism, member of the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Governor's Initiative to Turn Around Failing Schools, appointed by Governor Gray Davis
to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, and a member of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Protection Commission.
As chair of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments Cabaldon led the region's historic "Blueprint for the Future", which under his leadership won prestigious awards from the US Environmental Protection Agency, two Governors, and a diverse array of national, state, regional, civic, business, and environmental organizations for land-use planning and smart growth strategies.
Cabaldon earned his BS in Environmental Economics at the University of California, Berkeley
, where he was student body vice president, and a Masters in Public Policy and Administration at California State University, Sacramento
in its founding class, where he has taught as an adjunct faculty member and received the institution's "Distinguished Alumni Service" award.
Cabaldon is both Filipino-American
and openly gay. The LOGO
network featured Cabaldon in a documentary as part of their show Coming Out Stories in 2006, when he came out openly and publicly in his annual State of the City address.
A Democrat
, he was a candidate for the 8th district seat in the California State Assembly
in 2008. He lost the primary by three percentage points to Yolo County Supervisor Mariko Yamada
.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
who serves as mayor of West Sacramento
West Sacramento, California
West Sacramento is a city in Yolo County, California. It is contiguous with Sacramento, but is separated by the Sacramento River which is also the county line, so West Sacramento is in a different county than Sacramento...
. He also represents the State of California on the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education as an appointee of California Governor Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
.
Cabaldon was elected to the City Council of West Sacramento in 1996 and is the first mayor elected directly by its voters. He is a widely recognized statewide leader in both education and in land use, transportation, housing, environmental, and economic policy.
Cabaldon has served as as Vice Chancellor of the California Community Colleges which is the largest system of higher education in the United States, President/CEO of EdVoice
EdVoice
EdVoice is an educational non-profit organization dedicated to improving public schools in California.According to its , the EdVoice network connects over 37,000 teachers, parents, and community leaders with their state elected officials on important educational issues.-Notable people:* Ted...
, a Sacramento based education non-profit advocacy group, Chief Consultant and Staff Director at the age of 24 to the Assembly Higher Education Committee, Chief of Staff to the State Assembly's chair of Appropriations Committee, and Legislative Director of UCSA
University of California Students Association
The University of California Students Association is a higher education student advocacy group organized to voice the interests of students attending the University of California system. It has been noted for its opposition to education funding cuts and increases in student fees and for its...
. He was founder and Chairman of the Board for the Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project, a founding member of both the Asian Pacific Islander caucus and LGBT Local Officials caucus of the League of California Cities, and a founding member of the Capital Unity Council, a group created to eradicate hate crime violence. Cabaldon has served as President or Chair of many organizations and boards, including President of Asian Pacific Americans in Higher Education (APAHE), President of the Yolo County Health Council, President of the National Brownfields Association (California), and chair of the Yolo County Transportation District.
Cabaldon is Vice Chair for Education at the United States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors
United States Conference of Mayors, sometimes referred to as the United States Council of Mayors, is the official non-partisan organization for cities with populations of 30,000 or more. The cities are each represented by their mayor or other chief elected official...
, where he was elected to the board in June 2011. In June 2007 Cabaldon authored a resolution for the US Conference of Mayors that supported the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act that was cosponsored by San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom
Gavin Christopher Newsom is an American politician who is the 49th and current Lieutenant Governor of California. Previously, he was the 42nd Mayor of San Francisco, and was elected in 2003 to succeed Willie Brown, becoming San Francisco's youngest mayor in 100 years. Newsom was re-elected in 2007...
, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
, Sacramento Mayor Heather Fargo
Heather Fargo
Heather Fargo is a former Mayor and former City Council Member of Sacramento, California. She was sworn in as Mayor in November 2000, replacing Jimmie Yee, and served until December 2008, when she was replaced by Kevin Johnson.-Early life and education:Heather Fargo grew up in Davis, Santa Maria,...
, and passed unanimously at the annual conference. In June 2009 he pushed through the most sweeping gay civil rights resolution of any national elected officials organization, winning support for marriage equality, hate crimes, employment nondiscrimination, and repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. He is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition
Mayors Against Illegal Guns is a coalition of over 600 mayors who support a number of gun control initiatives that the group calls "commonsense reforms" to fight illegal gun trafficking and gun violence in the United States...
, and a signer of the groundbreaking environmental US Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.
He serves on an array of state and regional commissions, including being appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly to the Commission on Regionalism, member of the Blue Ribbon Committee for the Governor's Initiative to Turn Around Failing Schools, appointed by Governor Gray Davis
Gray Davis
Joseph Graham "Gray" Davis, Jr. is an American Democratic politician who served as California's 37th Governor from 1999 until being recalled in 2003...
to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, and a member of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Protection Commission.
As chair of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments Cabaldon led the region's historic "Blueprint for the Future", which under his leadership won prestigious awards from the US Environmental Protection Agency, two Governors, and a diverse array of national, state, regional, civic, business, and environmental organizations for land-use planning and smart growth strategies.
Cabaldon earned his BS in Environmental Economics at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, where he was student body vice president, and a Masters in Public Policy and Administration at California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system...
in its founding class, where he has taught as an adjunct faculty member and received the institution's "Distinguished Alumni Service" award.
Cabaldon is both Filipino-American
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
and openly gay. The LOGO
Logo (TV channel)
Logo is an American digital cable television channel owned by Viacom's MTV Networks division. Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community...
network featured Cabaldon in a documentary as part of their show Coming Out Stories in 2006, when he came out openly and publicly in his annual State of the City address.
A Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, he was a candidate for the 8th district seat in the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
in 2008. He lost the primary by three percentage points to Yolo County Supervisor Mariko Yamada
Mariko Yamada
Mariko Yamada is a Democratic assemblywoman from California's 8th Assembly district. Assemblywoman Yamada was elected in 2008 after defeating West Sacramento mayor Christopher Cabaldon in a competitive Democratic primary, a defeat that many considered an upset win for Yamada...
.