Silvia Paz is a public policy professional who has called the Coachella Valley home since childhood. After graduating summa cum laude from the University of San Diego, she returned to teach at Coachella Valley High School. During her years teaching, she fostered partnerships with members of the community and city officials to effect the building of a skate park in the City of Coachella. Soon after, Mrs. Paz moved to Massachusetts to obtain a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University. Her policy expertise is in housing, economic development, and transportation. She brought this expertise to the 56th State Assembly District, where she worked on legislation including air quality and water. Mrs. Paz is now director for Building Healthy Communities Eastern Coachella Valley, a health equity initiative of the California Endowment. In this role, she combines her policy and community experience to find solutions to the health disparities that exist in the Coachella Valley.