Candidate for
Governing Board Member; North Monterey County Unified School District

My name is Robert Taniguchi and I am currently serving as an appointed incumbant having served two years of a vacated board position.

I am married and a parent of three children enrolled in the North Monterey County Unified School District.

My eldest daughter is a Senior at the high school, my son is a Freshman at the high school and my youngest daughter just entred Kindergarten.

My wife of 19 years has served on the high school site council and she served on the Gambetta Middle School site council following my two year term on Gambetta's site council as Chair.

My education as summarized earlier includes earning my Master's Degree in Social Work in 1981 from San Diego State University and a Bachelor's Degree in Social Sciences (Sociology, Social Psychology, Anthropology) from the University of California Santa Barbara in 1979.

My work experience includes 20 years of service in Public Social Servics beginning in 1983 as a Social Worker, supervisor, manager and currently as an administrator in Family and Children's Services. I taught a class at California State Monterey Bay for the Institute for Community Collaborative Studies. I have also worked as a community college instructor teaching Sociology at Merced College and as an English as a Second Language instructor with Catholic Charities at Modesto Junior College. I have served as a substitute teacher for grades 1-8 in Merced County. I also worked as a special education aide in Santa Barbara while attending UCSB.

I have always dedicated my time to community service by serving on several boards, commissions and committees. These include Social Advocates for Youth, the City of Modesto's Human Relations Commission, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Child Abuse Prevention Council, the Monterey County Children's Council, the First 5 Commission, the Children's Circle of Friends and with the National Association of Social Workers.

Most of my education, career and community service has been dedicated to children and families. Education is one of my highest committments.