Partnering with the Public and Employees

I believe the most useful skill of any public servant is respectfulness, illustrated by the ability to listen and communicate diplomatically with the public they have been elected to serve. Though Assessors are expected to have financial expertise so that they can manage the office well, they must also perform the necessary public outreach and education efforts for residents of their county.

I have honed these leadership and outreach skills through serving as Treasurer for several volunteer organizations paired with more than a decade of experience with educational outreach programs. Furthermore, my technical credentials as a Certified Public Accountant, data analyst, and certified Appraiser are a perfect match for the challenges of this position.

That said, there is one other area of expertise that an Assessor must demonstrate to be effective with any of this: earning the trust of their staff. To do this, an Assessor must be a partner working beside their employees in running the office, rather than a tyrant ruling over them. Here in Santa Clara County, partnership would unlock over 2,000 years of combined employee experience regarding best practices for the office, as well as provide a precise idea of what is working and not working within the office that can be addressed. Indeed, recognizing employees as the stakeholders they are in the future of this office will unlock this office’s potential for public service excellence, with the ultimate honor being handing over a thriving office to the next generation of leaders.