Rodriguez has eye on City Council seat
Jose Rodriguez, 41, is seeking a seat on the Madera City Council, running for position 2, the seat presently held by Councilman Andrew Medellin, who is a candidate for mayor.
Rodriguez and his wife of 15 years, Carmina Rodriguez, have two children Vincent, 9 and Vivienne Rodriguez, 6. As a family man, he said, he is grateful to the community for supporting his family and business, he said.
He is the owner of American Pacific Mortgage.
“Madera is my home and I learned the importance of education and value of hard work from my parents,” said Rodriguez.
He said he is running for the city council, to “improve the quality of life for all Madera residents.” He wants to accomplish this by creating good jobs, improving public safety and ensuring fiscal responsibility.
His past community service includes a term on the Madera Unified School District board of trustees, from 2010 to 2014. As a trustee, he gained a wealth of knowledge in governance, finance and budget, collective bargaining, career technical education, facility planning and curriculum, said Rodriguez.
As a business owner he knows the value of hard work.
“Keeping a business running requires experience and the tenacity to achieve the goals you set for yourself,” Rodriguez said. “I’d like to take that experience, value of hard work and leadership to our city council to make a difference in our community.”
He is a past president of the Greater Madera Kiwanis Club, serving the needs of students and community.
“I will work hard for Madera and continue to improve the robust efforts our current city council has provided,” he said. Arredondo seeking re-election to school board Trustee Ricardo “Ric,” Arredondo, 44, and his wife of 11 years, Alyssia, are native and life-long Madera residents.
Their adult children Ashley, Ricardo Jr. and Alexis, all graduated from Madera High School. His son, Andrew, is in high school and daughter Ava attends elementary school.
Arredondo and his wife are both MHS alumni. He has a bachelor’s degree in business and she has a degree in family and consumer science.
“I am working to improve our schools and our community because it is where we have chosen to raise our family,” he said.
He has served on the Madera Unified School District Board of Trustees since 2009. He was appointed by his colleagues to serve as board clerk, and twice as president, he said, because of his “commitment to good governance and the execution of board bylaws and policies as they were intended.”
He is running for re-election as trustee for Area 6 to ensure all Madera’s children receive the best educational experience possible, he said.
“I work hard to do a good job as trustee and have a proven track record. Our district has significantly improved during my tenure on the board,” said Arredondo. “We have experienced record-breaking graduations and record low suspension and expulsion rates.
“I spearheaded policies that have led to millions of dollars in added revenue and new opportunities for all students. He supports increasing career technical education, college and career readiness, rigorous curriculum and innovative programs that will help our students achieve in school and in life, he said.
“We have made significant progress and together, we will continue the work we have started. I am grateful for the opportunity and I enjoy serving as trustee.”
Arredondo is sales manager of American Pacific Mortgage.
