Andrae Gonzales

Andrae Gonzales was born in Bakersfield, California. He earned a high school diploma from East Bakersfield High School, and a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 2005. His career experience includes working as a nonprofit executive director.[1]

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Bakersfield, graduating from East Bakersfield High School in 2000. I had an opportunity to go off to study at UC Berkeley, but came right back home after graduating to work in the community. For nearly 20 years, I've worked in our urban core as a volunteer and an elected leader. In 2006, I formed a nonprofit called Faith in Action, to address neighborhood issues, including safety, the foreclosure crisis, and education. In 2010, I was elected to the Bakersfield City School District Board of Education and started a nonprofit to help provided enrichment and extended learning opportunities to children of East Bakersfield, called Children First. In 2016, I formed an alliance of nonprofit leaders to work to strengthen the nonprofit sector, called the Kern Alliance of Nonprofits. And in 2017, after becoming the councilman representing the urban core, I started the nonprofit the Hub of Bakersfield, in an effort to bring more community members into the work of urban revitalization.

As your Councilman, I've worked every single day fighting for Ward 2, the heart of Bakersfield, and the historic, cultural and economic center of our city. I have learned how to navigate City Hall, and stand ready to provide the experience and leadership we need.

We’ve accomplished a lot together: repaving almost all of Ward 2 streets and alleys; building sidewalks; creating our first low-barrier navigation center, and more. Let's keep moving forward!

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Bakersfield is often cited as the 9th largest city. But I don't want us to just be a large city, I want us to be a great city. And great cities invest in their urban core and work intentionally on revitalizing historic neighborhoods. As we continue to expand outward, City Hall must continue to make investments in the center of our city. As we build new roads, we must repair and rebuild the existing roads. As we look to finance new parks, we must not neglect the aging infrastructure of our urban parks. And as we build new shopping centers and amenities, we must continue to incentivize and promote more economic development and opportunity in our core.Homelessness is the most pressing issue of our time as a city and we must continue to make it a priority at City Hall. I have led efforts at City Hall to address this issue in a multi-pronged, methodical way. I led the fight to build the City's first low-barrier navigation center, Brundage Lane Navigation Center, that now over 300 guests and permanently housed over 400 people. Second, I supported city contracts to expand homeless outreach with Flood, clean city teams, and rapid response teams with Code Enforcement. I led the effort to create the city's Affordable Housing Trust fund to build more housing. And I've advocated for the State to pass CARE Court and SB 43, both critical to responding to the mental health and substance use crisis.It is imperative to me that we create more opportunities for individuals experiencing poverty to find pathways to prosperity. That is why I have led the creation of the city's Prosperity Neighborhood Initiative, a longterm, collective-impact project focused on revitalizing the Nile-Monterey corridor in East Bakersfield and the MLK Neighborhood in Southeast Bakersfield. The project will focus on targeted investment in four tiers: City Infrastructure Investments,

Invest in Private Property Improvements,

Create Economic Opportunity, and

Create Opportunity by Raising Quality of Life Indices. Related to this effort, the City has already won over $100 million in grants to revitalize Southeast Bakersfield, including reimagining MLK Park.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Neighborhood Safety; Homelessness and Housing; Community Development and Urban Core revitalization.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I believe the most important characteristics of an elected official are: integrity, humility, respect for community and its history. I believe public service is sacred work. We are entrusted with the People's resources, their fears, and their hopes. We must lead with respect for them, first and foremost. And we must lead with integrity, communicating clearly to the public even when times are tough and the news isn't great. We must also act with humility, and not fall for the seduction of celebrity and influence, and continuously remind ourselves, as Marcus Aurelius did, that we are human and only human.

The most important characteristics of an elected official are (1) vision, an an ability to see our community beyond what it is today for what it could be; (2) a strong work ethic, to work incessantly for the people; (3) a growth mindset, that is an core belief that we as leaders do not have all the answers and we must continue to ask questions, listen to others, and learn new knowledge.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibility of a councilman is to be a strong advocate for Ward Two on the Bakersfield City Council, recognizing that they are only one of seven council-members on the governing board. But they must also develop a sense of responsibility for the entire city, not merely focusing on their own wards and priorities, but also taking time to understand and take care of the issues, infrastructure, systems, and assets that are shared by the whole city.

What legacy would you like to leave?

When my dad died nine years ago after a three-year battle with Guillan-Barre Syndrome, over 700 people attended his funeral. Countless people came up to me to share stories of how he, as a counselor at Bakersfield College, impacted their lives in some way. That's the same legacy that I hope to leave, through acts of service and community work.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

In 1999, I remember vividly the school shooting at Columbine High School. A few months before, I had attended a program for high school students in Washington D.C. called Presidential Classroom. There, I met students from all over the country including students from Littleton, Colorado. I was so worried about my friend I had met, and finally got to chat with him via email and over the phone to confirm he was safe.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a dishwasher and delivery driver for Peking Palace on Auburn while in high school.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

24601

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Nunca es Suficiente

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

City Council-members do not have independent authority or administrative power to direct city services. Instead, the power comes from the full city council as a whole. The executive authority is given to the City Manager. While council-members certainly have input, their real power is at the city council dais through collective action.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

Yes, it is critically important that our Ward Two council-member has the experience, relationships, and knowledge necessary to best advocate on behalf of our community.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce PAC; Bakersfield Professional Firefighters; Bakersfield Police Officers Association; and many other building trade unions.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial transparency and government accountability are paramount to a functioning democracy. Citizens need to know how their tax dollars are being spent and understand the process through which decisions are made. They must also be given a clear rationale explaining every expenditure.

Andrae Gonzales did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Gonzales highlighted the following priorities on his campaign website:

Priority 1: Focus on STEAM ( Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics)

We must prepare our children for the future! Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics are essential to giving students the skills necessary for tomorrow's jobs!

Arts are essential, too! The transition from STEM to STEAM is an initiative championed by the Rhode Island School of Design that has been adopted by education leaders and advocates across the country. It aims to integrate art and design into STEM education. Andrae will work hard to promote STEAM programs in our schools.

Priority 2: Strengthen the role of Parents in Schools

Decades of research show that when parents are involved students have better school attendance, increased motivation, better self-esteem, and lower rates of suspension which translates into higher grades, higher test scores, and higher graduation rates. In addition, students show a decrease in use of drugs and alcohol and fewer instances of violent behavior.

In 2011, Andrae introduced a Parent and Family Engagement Resolution and a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. This served as a catalyst for many worthwhile parent involvement projects in schools throughout the district. The work continues, however.

Andrae believes that parent engagement must be embedded in the work of every school site and in every classroom.

Priority 3: Collaborate with Community Stakeholders to build a cradle-to-career pipeline for every child

Andrae knows that every single child deserves a first-class quality education when they enter our schools. But many of our students go home to neighborhoods that are torn apart by drugs, crime, and poverty. In order for our children to succeed, their families and neighborhoods must be healthy and safe.

Andrae is committed to bringing together community stakeholders, identifying new resources, and seeking out new opportunities for many stakeholders to work together to create a safety net so tight no child can fall through the cracks.[6]

—Andrae Gonzales' campaign website (2014)[7]