Responsive, Engaged, Ready to Serve!

For a summary, please view my candidate statement.

I am running in the November election for City Council because I'm passionate about San Ramon and its residents. I have lived here for 40 years and chose to raise my family here because San Ramon is a great place to live. San Ramon values families, education, parks, and open space. These are my values too. I am eager to listen to you and to represent you in our local government. My vast experience in public service and community engagement will help me lead the City to new heights.

My Early Years

I grew up in Bogota, Colombia, and moved to San Ramon when I was 15. My dad was a small business owner and my mom helped with the business and was a homemaker. My grandfather worked to establish some of the first national parks in Colombia. I was shaped by my family’s values: education, social justice, environmental protection, humility, compassion, and hard work. 

San Ramon Became My Home

I fell in love with San Ramon right away. I discovered our neighborhood’s hidden gems: the creek below Mudd’s Restaurant, the hiking trails in Las Trampas, and the best summer fruits I had ever tasted at Windmill Farms. The following year I got a summer job as a mail clerk to save for college. I later joined St. Joan of Arc’s choir, learned to drive, and before I knew it, I was taking the SAT and applying to college.

Qualified and Experienced

I graduated in the top 10% of my class and was admitted to UC Davis. I chose Community Nutrition as my major because it allowed me to study natural and social sciences, two disciplines that I love. I went on to earn a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley and became a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. At first, I wanted to alleviate hunger in the developing world, but I soon realized that people experienced hunger right here in the Bay Area.

Becoming A Leader for the Community

I have always wanted to serve the community, so my first job out of college was as Director of the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) Program in the South Bay. I managed budgets, staff, and the nutritional well-being of 1500 low-income women and their young children. It was deeply rewarding. 

I went on to work for Contra Costa’s Public Health Department, creating and leading collaborative partnerships to improve health and prevent malnutrition in our most vulnerable communities. 

My role as Chief of Staff for one of our County Supervisors allowed me to learn about government at the local, state, and federal levels. I led health, education, climate, and environmental initiatives. I was the liaison to three communities, ensuring that County services were meeting the needs of residents. I learned about planning, zoning, budgeting, effective policy development, and the vital role of the community in the life of government.

More recently, I worked for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District as their Community Engagement Manager. I worked with environmental justice communities to develop plans to improve air quality in the most impacted neighborhoods. I also engaged residents to help create the Bay Area’s first regional climate protection plan, Spare the Air, Cool the Climate. 

Ready to Serve District 1

All my education and professional experience prepared me well to serve District 1. From teaching nutrition to the community to managing complex programs and budgets, my work has focused on improving the quality of life for the community.

I am grateful we raised our children here. They participated in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, children's theater, soccer, basketball, baseball, Summer Nature Day Camp, music, and more. Volunteering in all these activities along the way was very rewarding!

I serve on the San Ramon Library Advisory Committee and co-founded the Free Masketeers, a local volunteer effort to make and procure masks for our healthcare heroes when COVID-19 started. I am a Rotarian, served on School District committees, and regularly volunteer through local service clubs. Today, I proudly serve as a COVID-19 Case Investigator for our County. I hear firsthand how this virus is impacting our community and economy.

I have an overwhelming love for my family and my neighborhood. My parents still live in the house on Morgan Drive where I grew up. I purchased my first home in Newcastle to be close to them. My sister lives in District 1 as well and now teaches science at Montevideo Elementary, the school my children attended. I know how unique San Ramon and District 1 are. With your support, I will use all my passion, talent, and experience to make District 1 a great place to raise a family, start a business, and retire. Let’s do it together.

Left to right: Angie, John, Luz, Alex and Kirsten

Luz Gomez for City Council 2020 

FPPC ID# 1425968