HILDA ZACARIAS: Candidate for City Council

HILDA ZACARIAS -- Candidate for Council Member -- City of Santa Maria -- Contact Hilda at www.hildaforcitycouncil.com

Hilda's accomplishments and accolades go on forever.  She seems to be particularly shy about tooting her own horn, as her web site doesn't list anywhere near the achievements noted in her official Biography -- which I picked up somewhere in my travels around Santa Maria.

(Note to Hilda:  Add this stuff to your web site.  The citizens of Santa Maria need to know how much you've accomplished and given to the city.)

I may get carpal tunnel entering all her accomplishments, but here goes:

Hilda grew up in Santa Maria and graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, with an emphasis in accounting.  She recently completed her Masters Degree in Public Administration at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Her bio says she "attended as a Harvard Presidential Scholar Fellow".  This means scholarship -- free money -- funds given to support a student who the school thinks is particularly valuable.  Rumor has it that Hilda graduated from this program with honors . . . .  Again, she doesn't mention this on her web site.

Hilda owned her own accounting and tax firm in Santa Maria for 12 years, as well as working as an auditor of non-profits for a Santa Barbara based CPA firm.  She taught taxation and accounting at Cal Poly.

Public Offices Held & Appointments

          (1) Santa Maria Joint Union High School District Board of Directors (1993 - 1998)

          (2) Santa Barbara County Commissioner: Affirmative Action (1991 - 1993) & Women's Commission (1999 - 2000)

          (3) Santa Barbara County Children & Families Commission Leadership Team

Recognitions

          (1) County of Santa Barbara Human Relations Commission Honoree (2003)

          (2) California Polytechnic University -- Distinguished Service Award (1993)

          (3) Allan Hancock College Distinguished Alumni (1995)

          (4) Latino Today -- Influential Latinos of the Central Coast of California (2006)

          (5) Santa Barbara Hispanic Achievement Council Annual Achievement Award (2004)

Community Activities & Board Associatons

          (1) National Conference of Communities & Justice, Central Coast Region (2002 - 2005) -- Founding Board Member and Co-Chair

          (2) Santa Barbara Community Foundation (1999 - 2000) -- Chief Financial Officer

          (3) Santa Barbara Community Foundation (1994 - 2003) -- Trustee; Present -- Trustee Emeritus

          (4) Future Leaders of America, a leadership develpment program for teens (1994 - 2005) -- Founding Member, Santa Barbara County Future Leaders, Regional Director (1995 - 2004) -- Trustee (2000 - 2005)

          (5) Alpha Resource Center of Santa Barbara County (1998 - 2000) -- Board Member

          (6) Camp Fire Boys & Girls (1995 - 1997) -- Treasurer / Board Member

          (7) Santa Maria Valley Boys & Girls Club (1992 - 1994) -- Board Member

          (8) Santa Maria Noontime Kiwanis (1994 - 1998) -- Member

          (9) St. John Neumann, Santa Maria, & Our Lady of Sorrows, Santa Barbara (1992 - 2005) -- Catechism Instructor and Lector

Professional Business Associations & Activities

          VITA -- Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program -- California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo (1993 - 2002) -- Provided over 350 families per year with free icome tax preparation at the Santa Maria Town Center mall.

(Wow.  350 tax returns -- per year -- from '93 to '02.  That's 3,150 tax returns.  And I have trouble getting mine in by October 15th.)

Comments

[sophia]

she has accomplished soo much in her lifetime... i know from perosnal expirence... she is a hard worker and it so much of an honor to have her on our city council.