Kaia Tanaka

I attribute my success to keeping an open mind with what could possibly find me. I never saw myself entering politics or caring about it at all, but through staying open to new opportunities - like seeing that internship advertisement at a career fair - I ended up in a role I honestly love so much. I also think making the bold decision to change from what was familiar in my family, even though it was really scary, was crucial. I had to shy away from the healthcare path everyone in my family took and pursue what was right for me in business, economics, and eventually public service. My personal values of always doing my best work possible, aiming for perfection, keeping to my word, being reliable, doing everything with integrity, and having a positive attitude - those have been ingrained in me, maybe from my background of coming from an Asian family. I always heard that you could always do your best and work your hardest, regardless of what you do, and I take that with me through any work that I do.

The most challenging part of my work is when certain things are out of our control and out of our jurisdiction, and we can't always help the constituents to the best of our ability. I work for an office that serves communities that are more conservative, and we're the minority on the Board of Supervisors. It's hard for me to see how when things become very partisan, it impacts and neglects our communities - they kind of get outvoted being the minority. It's hard watching that when there are certain things that don't need to be so political, like fire safety and spending funds for public safety. It seems like it should be a non-party issue, but all sides are competing for their own interests, and it can sometimes just be hard when parties don't always want to work together and find a compromise that works for everyone, and one side kind of wins. I've observed a lot of political polarization in the world lately, and that's something I pledge myself to not get sucked into, especially when it comes to doing my job.

From a public service perspective, one of my most important values is being able to put aside my own political views and political background to help people. I believe in working across party lines. Something I've observed in the world lately is a lot of political polarization, and that's something I pledge myself to not get sucked into, especially when it comes to doing my job. I respect other people's opinions that differ from mine and still provide everyone the same standard and quality of service in government, because everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I have understanding and compassion for people that come from much different backgrounds than me. I come from the Bay Area, which is very liberal and urban, and the first time I attended one of our community coffee events in the rural Republican communities we serve, I saw their lifestyles, their environment, the way they grow up, and the types of tight-knit communities they have. I understood they just have such a different life experience, and who am I to judge them for wanting to protect that? I can still help these people despite us coming from such different backgrounds. Another important value is making people's voices feel heard, especially those that are underserved in rural communities, where they're often ignored and neglected because they're the minority and smaller communities. I also value empathy and understanding because I'm interacting with people who are facing very vulnerable, difficult situations, especially when it comes to housing resources or different cases with health and human services. When it comes to my personal values that apply to any kind of work I do, I always do my best work possible, always try my best, and I always aim for perfection. I know perfection is not possible, but I think you can strive to do the best work possible, keep to your word, be reliable, do everything with integrity, and have a positive attitude when it comes to anything you do. That's been ingrained into me - I don't know if it's from my background of coming from an Asian family, but I always heard that you could always do your best and work your hardest, regardless of what you do.