Anthony Phan
 |
Anthony "Ngọc Trí" Phan | |
|---|---|
| 藩玉知 | |
 | |
| Board Member of the US Selective Service System | |
| Assumed office June 2014 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November, 27 San Jose, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence(s) | Milpitas, California |
| Alma mater | Stanford University UCLA |
| Occupation | Non-profit director, educator |
| Website | www.anthonyphan.org |
Anthony "Ngọc Trí" Phan is an American politician currently serving in the Obama Administration as a Board Member of the US Selective Service System. In 2016, he qualified to be a Democratic candidate for the Milpitas City Council.[1]
He was born and raised in Santa Clara County, California and was educated at UCLA and Stanford University.
Personal life and education
Anthony grew up in Silicon Valley, attending Andrew Hill High School, and moved to Milpitas over concerns about rising crime in San Jose. He is a graduate of UCLA, where he earned his B.A. degree in Political Science. He also holds a Certificate in Political Psychology from Stanford University. He is the first in his family to graduate high school and college in America.
Anthony comes from a family of refugee immigrants. During the Vietnam War, Anthony's grandfather, Phan Dinh Hung, served as a lieutenant colonel in the South Vietnamese Army and fought alongside American servicemembers against the communist forces. After the war, he was imprisoned in a concentration camp and tortured for 13 years by the oppressive communist regime. Following his release, he came to America with his family and settled in San Jose, California to escape political persecution from his country.
Anthony's mother works as a service support worker for Santa Clara County. He lost his father to cancer while he was in college.
Public service background
As a Board Member of the University of California Student Association, Anthony worked with state lawmakers on policies related to public education. He advocated against tuition hikes and pushed for initiatives which raised revenues to fund public schools in California. In 2013, Anthony was unanimously appointed by the San Jose City Council to oversee the city's public library system as a member of the Library and Early Education Commission. In 2014, California Governor Jerry Brown nominated Anthony to the US Selective Service System Governing Board. He was confirmed by President Barack Obama and has served in that post since then.
In 2014, Anthony ran an insurgent campaign for a seat on the East Side Union High School District Board of Trustees. Although he managed to trounce a former trustee, he fell short by a slim margin of less than 1.5%. The race garnered unusual attention, as Anthony was able secure coveted endorsements from the South Bay Labor Council and Santa Clara County Democratic Party as well as high-profile names such as then-California State Treasurer John Chiang. The Mercury News noted that Anthony was "brilliant" and "is the one to watch" in an editorial.[2]
After his bid for school board, Anthony continued his work in education through founding his non-profit organization, Think 22 Silicon Valley.
2016 Campaign for Milpitas City Council
Anthony moved to Milpitas over concerns about public safety. There, he quickly became disheartened by the political process after studying the issues of his community and finding out how dysfunctional the city council is. Since declaring his candidacy in August 2016, Anthony is now widely considered to be the frontrunner in the race.
Honors
In 2015, Mochi magazine named Anthony on their list of "25 Hottest Asian Americans Worth Watching" for his accomplishments in public service.[3]
Electoral history
| Governing Board Member, East Side Union High School District, General Election 2014 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| Democratic | J. Manuel Herrera (inc.) | 40,934 | 24.09 |
| Democratic | Frank Biehl (inc.) | 34,785 | 20.47 |
| Republican | Van T. Le (inc.) | 33,933 | 19.97 |
| Democratic | Anthony Phan | 31,551 | 18.57 |
| Democratic | Patricia Martinez-Roach | 28,716 | 16.90 |
References
- ^ Mohammed, Aliyah (September 15, 2016). "Milpitas: Six vie for two spots on city council". Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Editorial Board, Mercury News (October 23, 2014). "Mercury News Editorial". Mercury News. Bay Area News Group. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
- ^ Magazine, Mochi (June 1, 2015). "Mochi's 25 Hottest Asian American Men Worth Watching". Mochi Magazine. Mochi Magazine. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
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