Staff Bios
Chief of Staff
Issue Responsibility: K-12 education, higher education, environmental quality, natural resources and water, public safety, and student successSakshi hails from southern California, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a double concentration in Finance and Economics and a minor in Political Science from California State University, Fullerton. During her time at Fullerton, she was heavily involved in a Women’s Leadership Program and Student Government for all 5 years where she was Advocacy Coordinator and represented more than 475,000 students by being on the CSU Admission Advisory Council. After analyzing data and policy pertaining to national student cohort loan default rates for the American Institutes for Research in DC, she developed a passion for civic engagement and discovered her interest in the legislative process. Soon after graduating, Sakshi served as a legislative aide in the Assembly before transitioning over to the Senate. Besides working with Senator Glazer, Sakshi is currently the Chair of the Sacramento Semester Program Alumni Association and Treasurer of Capitol Network. She is also an alumnus of the API Staff Academy and is passionate about helping young API women pursue a degree in politics. On her down time, Sakshi enjoys working out, hiking, volunteering in juvenile halls, volunteering as a Girl Scout troop leader, and spending quality time with her pitsky, Nala.
Legislative Director
Deanna grew up in the East Bay towns of Lafayette and Martinez and is a graduate of Acalanes High School. She worked as a legislative aide for former California Assembly Majority Leader Ian Calderon and is a graduate of the nationally recognized Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship. After working in the Assembly, she was a lobbyist for the Personal Insurance Federation of California, an association that represents the largest home and auto insurers in the state, and California State Parks Foundation, a non-profit with 70,000 members. Deanna graduated from California State University, Chico, where she served as Associated Students President, with a degree in Psychology and Multicultural and Gender Studies. In her free time, she is usually outside with her husband, Sean, running on the American River Parkway and camping in Northern California.
District Coordinator
Dominic Aliano is a native of Contra Costa County and is proud to be serving the communities that he grew up in. He attended Diablo Valley College and then received his bachelor’s degree from Whitworth University.
After graduating from Whitworth University, Dominic came back home to Contra Costa County and started his career working on campaigns. Eventually he went on to serve as a District Representative for Contra Costa County Supervisors Karen Micthoff and Federal Glover. He has also served on several non-profit boards and currently serves on the Concord City Council.
Dominic currently lives in Concord with his wife Johanna and their Miniature Schnauzer Sophie. Johanna and Dominic love to hike, travel, playing board games, going boating in Clear Lake or the Delta and enjoying the beaches of Miami.
Scheduler
As a young child, Ivona immigrated to Sacramento from Poland with her parents and two older sisters. Her passion for government began during her first internship in the Senate when she worked for Independent Senator Quentin Kopp. She attended the University of California, Davis, and later the University of Southern California to obtain her Master’s in Public Administration. She has previously worked in the Governor’s office, State Assembly and Senate, as well as CalPERS. She began working for Senator Glazer in 2016. When not working, Ivona stays busy with her husband Nick raising their two kids. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and playing tennis.
Policy Analyst & Communications Director
Issue Responsibilities: Public Safety & Labor and Media Relations
Born in San Francisco and raised in the tumult of Berkeley in the 1960s and 1970s, Steven has a Master’s Degree in American Studies from Michigan State and a bachelor’s in Broadcast Communications (Radio) from San Francisco State University. Steven worked 7 years as a sportswriter, covering the Giants & A’s in the World Series and the 49ers in the 1990 Super Bowl. He also served as an ACE (Assistant City Editor) for a small daily before taking his two-year hiatus to attain his Master’s. He remained in Michigan for 12 more years as a political reporter, where he covered local, state and national politics, including presidential races. He returned home in 2006 to become Capitol bureau reporter for the Bay Area News group for seven years. He covered Gov. Brown’s 2010 run for governor, where he met Senator Glazer, who was running Brown’s campaign. After 28 years in the business, Steven left journalism in 2013 for work in the Assembly before joining Senator Glazer in 2015. Steven lives in East Sacramento with his wife of 30 years, Jennifer, their 18-year old daughter, four cats (Mickey, Finnegan, Baby & Ruthie) and a Golden Retriever, Luke, who's 12.
Senior Legislative Aide
Issue Responsibilities: Budget, Governance and Finance, Housing, Insurance, the Select Committee on Student Success, and Jewish Caucus
Shoshana grew up in Sacramento and earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and English from UC Davis, the self-proclaimed bike capital of the United States. She won the Herbert A. Young award for graduating summa cum laude and at the top of the College of Letters and Sciences. Originally planning to become an English teacher, Shoshana became interested in California policy and public service after her first year of college while interning for the California State Senate. Prior to joining Senator Glazer’s office, Shoshana worked with the California State Assembly, NextGen Policy, the National Whistleblower Center in Washington D.C., and candidate campaigns for public office. Outside of her work with the Legislature, Shoshana is a coach at two local high schools where she is committed to providing a free and fulfilling program for low-income students. In her free time, she enjoys dancing and fitness, performing at local events, traveling, and spending time with her partner.
Capitol Office Assistant & Legislative Assistant
As SoCal native from Los Angeles, Jesus earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a concentration in Law and Policy from Cal Poly Humboldt. While at Humboldt, he was heavily involved with the Student Legal Lounge advocating for students' rights and making resources available to them. As a student, he interned with the mayor of Eureka, Susan Seaman, until he was accepted into the Sacramento Semester program offered by Sacramento State where he interned with the California Student Aid Commission advocating for equity in higher education. Jesus’ passion to make a difference and his interest in the legislative process led him to join Senator Glazer’s team in May of 2022. In his free time Jesus enjoys being a tourist in his own city, cooking, and being outdoors.
Constituent Case Manager & Intern Coordinator and Office Manager
Diana has worked in various positions for the California State Senate for the past 20 years in Sacramento, Sonoma County, Marin County and now Contra Costa County. Diana graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a degree in Communications Studies with a concentration in Public Relations. While attending college, she got an internship with the California State Senate and was hired on shortly after graduating. On her off time, Diana loves to travel all over the world with her husband and stepson. She also loves visiting her large extended family in her home town of Windsor, California.
Jennifer Rizzo
Email Staff Member
Senior District Representative for the Tri-Valley
Communities covered: Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore
Jennifer has been active in domestic politics and international affairs for over 20 years. Jennifer serves on the Contra Costa Commission for Women and Girls and is on the Board of the National Association of Commissions for Women. Prior to working with Senator Glazer, she was director at the United Nations Foundation and led their international Board outreach efforts. She has worked for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Mortgage Bankers Association, Bill Bradley for President and numerous U.S. Senators and Members of Congress. In addition, she served on the White House Advance team for Vice President Joe Biden. Jennifer is a graduate of the University of Georgia and earned her Master’s degree in Political Science at the American University in Washington, DC. Jennifer lives in Danville, CA with her husband and 2 daughters. She is involved with many local organizations, including Danville Children’s Guild, IMPACT Diablo Valley and Parents in Education.
Alexia Lopez
Email Staff Member
District Representative
Covering Walnut Creek, Clayton and Concord
Alexia Lopez is a proud Latina and lifelong resident of Contra Costa County. She joined Senator Glazer’s staff this spring while graduating Summa Cum Laude from San Jose State University in May, 2021 with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Legal Studies. During her studies, she was an intern for San Jose City Councilmember Lan Diep. Lopez also worked as a canvasser and organizer for Innovate Public Schools, a nonprofit located in the South Bay Area.
Her college experience was deeply rooted in her involvement within the SJSU student community. As a student, she served on the executive board of SJSU Pre-Law Society, was the president of Delta Gamma sorority, and later became an Advanced Legal Intern for the San Jose State Record Clearance Project.
Lopez volunteered on her first political campaign at 13 years old, where her interest in public service began.
Since moving back to her hometown of Martinez, Lopez plans to continue her dedication to her community as a Field Representative. In her free time, she enjoys hiking the many beautiful East Bay Regional Park trails, hanging out with her dog, and listening to political/ crime podcasts.&
District Representative
Jurisdictions covered: Municipalities, school districts, and fire districts in Lafayette, Orinda, and Moraga.
Issue Responsibility: Transportation
A native of Florida, Don graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with degrees in Urban Studies and Planning and Economics. Don received a Rotary Foundation Fellowship which he used to earn a master’s degree in Economics from the Australian National University. Following graduation, Don moved to California where he worked for an international consulting firm and specialized in strategic planning for clients around the world. He subsequently served as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer at several companies. Don was elected to the Lafayette City Council in 1985 and retired in 2018. During his tenure he served as Mayor seven times and represented Lafayette and Contra Costa County on several agency boards. Don lives in Lafayette with his wife Ellen and three border collies, Cloud, Greylock, and Tenaya.
District Representative for Eastern Contra Coast County
Claire joins Senator Glazer’s staff with a strong desire to provide assistance to the community. Her history of helping the community began as a volunteer in her children’s school. This lead to an interest in public service as she began to participate in local city events and serve on committees. That drive to help eventually lead to her being elected onto the Oakley City Council in 2016 and serving as Mayor in 2019. She currently serves as a Library Commissioner for the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, representing District 3.
Claire graduated from California State University, East Bay. She loves to travel with her family and friends, exploring everything from local little towns to big European cities, and always incorporates learning a little history in every trip. Claire also makes fitness a priority and has been an avid CrossFitter for more than a decade. She lives in Oakley with her husband, two kids and a beagle named Brutus Maximus.
District Office Executive Assistant
Born and raised in Concord, Matthew couldn’t be happier to be serving his fellow neighbors of the Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Matthew pursued his education at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a concentration in Global Politics in 2020. Along with his studies, he was active in numerous on-campus organizations including the Political Science Club, Model United Nations, and student government, where he advocated on behalf of students on the local, state, and federal levels. Stemming from his interest in politics and the legislative process, Matthew briefly moved to Washington, D.C. where he interned for a federal facing lobbying firm and engaged in voter mobilization campaigns. Matthew has also worked for the California Alumni Association and a handful of other Bay Area-based businesses, before joining Senator Glazer’s staff in June 2022. In his spare time, Matthew enjoys traveling, trying local eats, and catching the next Bay Area ballgame.