Candidate for
County Supervisor; Santa Clara County; Supervisorial District 3

Dave Cortese, Vice Mayor of the City of San Jose, grew up in San Jose as part of a family that has been active in civic, cultural and business affairs for generations. He places high priority on transportation issues, housing, education, neighborhood business and traffic improvements, and has been a leader in promoting tougher ethical standards at City Hall. Cortese was first elected to the San Jose City Council in the Fall of 2000, and was the only councilmember re-elected without opposition to a second four-year term in 2004. He lives with his wife Pattie and four children, David Jr., Gina, Angela, and Matthew in the Evergreen area of San Jose. ? Prior to the city council Dave served on the East Side Union High School Board of Trustees where he was elected to two terms from 1992-2000. He served as President of the Board on two occasions. While there, Cortese chaired the Evergreen Valley High School "new school committee" and co-chaired a successful $80 million bond campaign which led to the completion of the first new high school in Silicon Valley in over twenty-five years. He was also a leader on school safety issues, new partnerships with parents, and innovative programs which required more rigorous curriculum and reduced the dropout rate.

Dave was educated at Bellarmine, Santa Clara University, the University of California, Davis, and Lincoln University Law School. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science, and a Juris Doctorate in Law with certifications in Environmental Law and Mediation. Soon after his swearing-in Cortese began establishing himself as a leader on the council. He has authored new ordinances clarifying the city's requirements for street trees, and protecting local businesses from the impacts of construction activities caused by local agencies. In addition he has risen to leadership positions in every organization he has served on as well as been vocal as a reform leader in the City. As a councilman and a VTA board member he has chaired and co-chaired key transportation committees and has been a strong, vocal advocate for bringing BART to the South Bay--and for freeway interchange improvements along Highway 101 at Tully, Capitol, Yerba Buena and Hellyer. He was unanimously selected by 15 mayors from the entire county to serve as the President of the Santa Clara County Cities Association (SCCCA). In addition he is the Immediate Past President of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), a 101-member city/county regional planning body for the entire Bay Area and has more recently been appointed by ABAG to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Throughout his career, Dave has maintained an active involvement in a host of non-profit causes. From co-founding the East Valley Girls Softball League to organizing the first-ever East Side Heroes banquet (which raised funds to send underprivileged youth to private school) to funding and rehabilitating homes in some of San Jose's neediest neighborhoods through Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley, he continues to view such community work as critical to understanding the social, economic and cultural challenges our community still faces and how best to overcome these challenges.

For more information, please visit http://www.davecortese.com