Candidate for
Board Member; Sequoia Union High School District

ABOUT VIRGINIA

Commissioner Virginia Chang Kiraly of Menlo Park is committed to supporting educational opportunities for all students, especially for career development and advancement. She wants to strengthen the District's career technical education and Middle College programs while retaining its first-rate college preparatory curriculum.

Virginia attended and graduated from public schools and supports public education...

• Board member, Sequoia High School Education Foundation
• Member, Sequoia Union High School District's Career Technical Education Steering Committee
• Member, Las Lomitas Elementary School District's Ensuring Educational Excellence Committee
• Member, Las Lomitas Elementary School District's Green Advisory Committee
• former PTA President of Las Lomitas Elementary School
• former eight-year Board member and Executive Committee member, Las Lomitas Education Foundation
• Chair, Las Lomitas Elementary School District's Superintendent Search Advisory Council
• former member, Las Lomitas Elementary School District's Strategic Plan Committee

• appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to the California Commission for Economic Development in 2007 and chairs the Biotech Advisory Committee for the Commission
• served on the San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury for two consecutive years:
  

-2007-2008- Chair, Education Committee; Vice
Chair, Administration & Finance and Editorial
Committees
-2008-2009- Foreperson

Virginia's background...

Virginia is a former Senior Director of the Nasdaq Stock Market with a professional background in financial research, analysis, and investments. She has worked at some of the country's premier financial institutions, including Drexel Burnham Lambert, Bear Stearns, and PaineWebber.

Virginia is actively involved with her community having served on the boards of The Tech Museum of Innovation, Asia America MultiTechnology Association (AAMA), and Cultural Initiatives Silicon Valley. She is past President of the Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo and the Parents Club of Palo Alto & Menlo Park. Virginia has volunteered her time mentoring and tutoring eighth grade boys at East Palo Alto Charter School, the Humane Society of Silicon Valley, and SV2 (Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund). She is a sustainer of the Junior League of Palo Alto*Mid-Peninsula.

Virginia is a graduate of the Redwood City-San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program ("Leadership Redwood City/Belmont/San Carlos), Class of 2009, and the San Mateo County Citizens Academy, Class of 2008.

A daughter of Chinese immigrants, Virginia was born and raised in Austin, Texas and earned her B.A. in Government and Economics from the University of Texas at Austin. For fun, she designs and knits unique accessories and owns a small business, Knitting Girls. She is a former concert pianist and sings in the Menlo Park Chorus, loves to read, travel, write, and spend time with her family and friends. She and her husband, Ken, are the proud parents of two boys, ages 10 and 12, and their adopted family dog.