Candidate for
Council Member; City of Gilroy

A lifelong resident of Gilroy, Roland Velasco grew up with a deep sense of pride for the city he calls home. Civic duty and concern for the well-being of his community led Roland to serve two successful terms on the Gilroy City Council, elected by voters first in 1999 and then re-elected in 2003.

Roland's commitment to public service spans decades. After graduating from Gilroy High School, Roland served in the United States Army as an Intelligence Analyst for four years. Upon returning home to Gilroy, Roland attended Gavilan College and then San Jose State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Political Science. Later, he received a master's degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco. In addition, Roland is a graduate of the Santa Clara University Markkula Center Ethics and Leadership Camp and the Santa Clara County Leadership Seminar Series.

Roland has served on a number of local and regional committees and commissions, including the Rebekah Children's Services Community Advisory Board, Leadership Gilroy, Gilroy Economic Development Corporation, Gilroy Gang Task Force, Santa Clara County Water Commission, Santa Clara County Emergency Preparedness Council, Santa Clara County Waste and Recycle Commission, and the Santa Clara County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO).

Due to his knowledge of South County cities, Roland was appointed by former Santa Clara Valley Water District Director Sig Sanchez to represent South County cities during the formal 2010 redistricting process for the District.

Currently, Roland serves as a Fire Commissioner for the South Santa Clara County Fire District representing the Redwood Retreat area of the district.

Roland works for an elected Santa Clara County official as a Land Use Policy Analyst and lives in Gilroy with his wife and three children. When he's not at work or with his family, Roland enjoys being an active member of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Search and Rescue Team and can often be found working with his search and rescue dog, Ava.