Count and Be Counted: The Safety and Importance of Voting and Census in the Era of COVID
Worried about the election? Wondering how the Census count will impact our representation and local funding? Anxious about voting during a pandemic? You are not alone! We’ve put together a panel of experts to walk through what you need to know about Census 2020 and the November Election. Join us!
Featuring: Emma Gonzalez, Director, San Mateo County Manager’s Office of Community Affairs and Census 2020; Julia Marks, Staff Attorney on the Voting Rights and Census Team, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus; Miriam Yupanqui, Executive Director, Nuestra Casa de East Palo Alto. This session will be facilitated by Petra Silton, Director of Advocacy & Education, Thrive Alliance.
Hosted in partnership with the San Mateo County Libraries
Zoom link will be sent to registrants prior to the event.
SPEAKERS
Emma Gonzalez, Director, San Mateo County Manager’s Office of Community Affairs and Census 2020
Emma Gonzalez is the director for San Mateo County Manager's Office of Community Affairs, including Equity and Social Justice. With more than 30 years of experience working for the County, the has operated in a variety of capacities which include community/civic engagement development, community needs assessment, program redesign and development, child welfare quality improvement, and advancing racial equity. For over two decades, Gonzalez has worked with local municipalities, nonprofit organizations, community groups, philanthropy, and businesses on a variety of community issues to improve health and well-being in diverse communities. She has organized regional campaigns to build awareness and collaborative partnerships across sectors. What has excited her most about Census 2020 has been the ability to create opportunities for regional and local partnerships; while ensuring all residents, regardless of citizenship status, are equally represented. She is committed to protecting the rights of every resident.
Julia Marks, Staff Attorney on the Voting Rights and Census Team, Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Asian Law Caucus
Julia Marks provides technical assistance to community organizations regarding Census 2020 and elections operations and engages in legal and policy advocacy around census, elections, and redistricting. Before joining Advancing Justice – ALC, she clerked for the Hon. Keith P. Ellison of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas. Julia previously litigated civil rights class actions and other high-impact cases at Disability Rights Advocates to expand access to public, and private, sector services. She received her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where she participated in the California Asylum Representation Clinic, the East Bay Community Law Center’s Neighborhood Justice Clinic, and the Berkeley Journal of International Law.
Miriam Yupanqui, Executive Director, Nuestra Casa de East Palo Alto
Miriam Yupanqui is building a movement to transform East Palo Alto into a place where every resident thrives. A thriving community is one where everyone has a place to call home, a living wage, and the same opportunities for success we see across Highway 101. In her words, “President Obama once said that no one who works 40 hours a week should live in poverty. In East Palo Alto, people are working 60 hours plus per week and living in poverty. We are building leaders in our community to change that.” An East Palo Alto native, Miriam is thrilled to be back in her old stomping grounds. Miriam attended College Track and graduated from Carlmont High School. She received her B.A. from UC Berkeley and her M.P.A. from the University of Southern California. Miriam served as a Board Member of Nuestra Casa prior to being hired as the Executive Director. Miriam also has vast experience working in our communities and program evaluation. Before Nuestra Casa, she was a Program Manager at Family Connections in Redwood City. There she developed and implemented their Young Scholars Program.
FACILITATED BY
Petra Silton, Director of Advocacy & Education, Thrive Alliance
Petra Silton has been involved in nonprofit work for over 20 years, mostly in San Mateo County. She has held leadership positions at local schools, including President of the North Shoreview Montessori (NSM) PTA, Chair of the NSM Site Council, and Vice-President for Communications at Menlo School. She has helped established innovative programs, such as the School Choice Program at Peninsula Bridge and a novel revenue-generating program that employed formerly homeless men and women and helped fund job training and food rescue at D.C. Central Kitchen. She has led many fund-raising activities supporting local nonprofits and schools. She holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Pennsylvania.
