Staff Bios

Sakshi Walia

Email Staff Member

Chief of Staff

Issue Responsibility: K-12 education, higher education, environmental quality, natural resources and water, public safety, and student success

Sakshi grew up in Los Angeles and Orange County and is a proud graduate of California State University, Fullerton where she earned her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on Finance and Economics, and a minor in Political Science. As a student leader on campus, she represented more than 475,000 on issues pertaining to impacted programs and transfer pathways. 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. After graduating, Sakshi served as a legislative aide for Assembly Member Patrick O’Donnell before transitioning over to the Senate as a senior legislative aide and then legislative director for Senator Glazer. 

Sakshi is the youngest Chief of Staff in the Legislature and hopes to continue to be a trailblazer for future generations interested in pursuing a career in politics. When not working, Sakshi spends her time volunteering at juvenile halls, weightlifting, and traveling.


Deanna Jarquin-LaTour

Email Staff Member

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.


Jennifer Rizzo

Email Staff Member

District Director
 

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.


Ivona Smith

Email Staff Member

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.


Steven Harmon

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Email Staff Member

Policy Analyst & Communications Director

Issue Responsibilities: Media Relations and Labor Policy

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 a 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 33 years, Jennifer, their 20-year old daughter and four cats (Baby & Ruthie and Mickey & Finnegan).


Shoshana Levy

Email Staff Member

Senior Legislative Aide
 

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 earning a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) from Sacramento State. She is also a coach at a local high school 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.


Noah Bilyeu

Email Staff Member

Legislative Aide

Policy areas include Public Safety, Education, Energy, and Human Services

Originally from Nevada, Noah moved to the big city (Sacramento) after completing his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice from the University of Nevada. While attending university, Noah became interested in politics, interning in a US Senate district office and volunteering on local campaigns. After moving to California, he begin his career working as a consultant on regional campaigns and ballot initiatives around the state. Through his campaign work, Noah became interested in public policy, opting to make the switch to working in a district office and eventually making his way to working on legislation in the California State Assembly. Noah joined Senator Glazer’s office in March 2023, working across an array of issues areas, including Public Safety, Education, Energy, and Human Services. In his free time, Noah enjoys Sacramento’s proximity too outdoor recreation. Whether it be a weekend camping on the coast or skiing the Sierras, he can generally be found outdoors.


Jesus Nolasco

Email Staff Member

Legislative Aide and Office Assistant

Policy areas include Public Safety, Education, Energy, and Human Services

As a 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.


Diana Ramirez

Email Staff Member

Constituent Case Manager & Intern Coordinator and Office Manager
 

Diana has worked in various positions for the California State Senate for the past 23 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.


Vivian Bossieux-Skinner

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Press Secretary
 

Originally from the East Bay, Vivian started out her career in journalism at Bay Area news radio stations, working as a reporter for KALW and as the morning producer at KCBS for several years. She started working with Senator Glazer in 2023 as Press Secretary and Podcast Host/Producer/Editor. Outside of work Vivian enjoys playing soccer, going to museums, and exploring the hiking trails of the Bay Area. 


Alexia Lopez

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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 dogs, and listening to political/ crime podcasts.


Matthew Boer

Email Staff Member

District Representative for the Tri-Valley
 

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.


Don Tatzin

Email Staff Member

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.