The Good Troublemaker’s Guide to Local Legislative Advocacy

Ken Yeager received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from San José State University and his Ph.D. in Education from Stanford University. In 1984 he co-founded BAYMEC, a political action committee in the Bay Area that is still active today. In 1992, he was elected to the community college board, becoming the first openly gay official in Santa Clara County. He subsequently won election to the San José City Council and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. A long-time lecturer at SJSU, he returned to teaching in 2019. He and his partner Michael are proud dads to their Yellow Labrador, Hank.

Dr. Angelica Cortez is a Queer activist and organizer with a background in public policy and advocacy. Voted as a Silicon Valley 40 Under 40 and Woman of Influence, she is the Founder and Executive Director of LEAD Filipino, a nonprofit organization based out of San José and Senior Vice President of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) at Pacific Clinics, the largest mental and behavioral health nonprofit service provider in California.

Starting her career in public policy and advocacy, she spent over a decade working in local government before serving in prominent leadership roles with policy associations from Sacramento, San José, to Los Angeles. In 2020, she became the first Vice President of Racial Justice & Equity for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group.

In 2015, she founded LEAD Filipino, a rising nonprofit organization honored as “Community Organization of the Year” California State Senate District 10 for their regional civic programs and campaigns. Under her leadership, the organization has grown to serve thousands of youth and families every year and opened their first office in downtown San José in late 2022. In May 2023, the group launched the Asian American Voter Empowerment Project with the Pilipino Workers Center (PWC) in Los Angeles.

Wendy Ho is a community advocate and civic leader with over 10 years of experience working on public policy at the local, state, and federal level. Prior to leading the District 3 Office and Team, the majority of Wendy’s career was in the nonprofit sector, serving most recently as the Chief Strategy and Policy Officer for the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits. Her experience also includes policy roles with United Way Silicon Valley, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum, and U.S. Congress.

Wendy has served her community on the San José-Evergreen Community College District Board of Trustees since 2012. She earned her MPA from Indiana University, and BA Political Science & BA Japanese Studies from UC San Diego.

Vice Mayor Sergio Lopez was elected to the Campbell City Council in 2020 and appointed Vice Mayor for 2024.

An author and historian, his writing has been published in TIME, Teen Vogue, America, Scalawag, Sojourners, Soft Punk, National Catholic Reporter, Geez, and Hanif Abdurraqib's 68to05 project. He is a monthly columnist for the Campbell Press. Lopez serves on the Board of Directors of the Children's Creativity Museum and is on the Board of Trustees for Junior State of America Foundation. His first book, a work of American history, is forthcoming from University of Georgia Press.

A regional leader in housing, environmental, and transportation issues, Vice Mayor Lopez serves as Vice Chair of the Valley Transportation Authority and on the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.

Lopez is a proud child of immigrants and was the first in his family to graduate college. He attended Yale University as a Questbridge Scholar, received his M.A. at Duke Divinity School (with a certificate in Black Church Studies), and attends the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.

Yvonne is a policy professional and community organizer with over a decade of federal and local government experience. Yvonne graduated from San José State University (Go Spartans!) with a B.A. in Political Science. Previous to her role at SVCN, she served as a senior policy advisor to Supervisors Ellenberg, Wasserman, and Yeager; focused on behavioral and public health, justice reform, and social services. Yvonne is a passionate advocate for equitable and inclusive policies and increasing opportunities for underrepresented communities. She lives in Eastside and in her free time can be found hiking around the east foothills with her husband, twin boys, and two dogs.