Candidate for
Mayor; City of San Leandro

Stephen Cassidy is a consumer attorney and former San Leandro school board member. His wife Amy was raised in San Leandro and taught at Monroe Elementary school. They are homeowners in San Leandro and have two daughters.

A Record of Accomplishment

Stephen served a full term, from 2004 to 2008, as a school board trustee for the San Leandro Unified School District. He was a forceful advocate for San Leandro's children. Stephen proposed the Ninth Grade campus to solve the critical overcrowding at San Leandro High School and championed the 550-seat Performing Arts Theater under Measure B, a $109 million school construction bond. Measure B is transforming San Leandro High School into the true flagship school it should be. In August 2010, the state-of-the-art Ninth Grade campus opened on time, under budget and to rave reviews from students, teachers, and parents.

As a school board member, Stephen also:

• advocated for joint-use projects with the City of San Leandro;
• took a proactive approach to the district budget crisis, advocating for cuts to administrative expenses;
• spearheaded the launch of a new district website;
• strongly supported arts and music education;
• reinvigorated career and technical education; and
• strengthened the District's residency verification procedures.

Stephen is an active member of our community. He is a member of the board of directors of Building Futures for Women and Children. The non-profit organization operates a shelter in San Leandro for victims of domestic violence victims and provides many other social services.

Stephen serves on the board of directors of the San Leandro Scholarship Foundation, which provides grants to seniors residing in San Leandro graduating from San Leandro and San Lorenzo public high schools. He also serves as the scholarship chair for his homeowner's association.

Stephen a graduate of Leadership San Leandro. The program provides training in leadership and collaboration skills while introducing participants to all aspects of San Leandro government, commerce and the community. Stephen is a member of the San Leandro Lions Club. He also belongs to the Sierra Club, the San Leandro Chamber of Commerce, and is as a delegate to the annual convention of the California Democratic Party.

Educational Background

In 1989, Stephen graduated in the top of his class from University of California, Hastings College of the Law in San Francisco. Stephen earned his college degree in 1986 from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.