Rick Rivas, Director of Public Affairs
Rick Rivas, who joined CJAC in June 2007, directs CJAC’s political research program, the California Project. He oversees CJAC’s campaign contribution tracking project, Latino outreach, and membership development.
Prior to joining the CJAC team, Rivas was Legislative Aide/Communications Director for Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, who took office in late 2006. He was her campaign manager in the 2006 elections.
Rivas holds a Masters in Public Policy from the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy where he was also a research assistant and was named a Ford Fellow. He is a graduate of Santa Clara University with a major in political science and minor in English. At Santa Clara University, Rivas was one of 30 students nationally to receive a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellowship, which he completed at the University of Michigan before attending graduate school.
Rivas was also a campaign coordinator and a fundraiser in Assemblyman Joe Coto’s 2004 election campaign and has participated in a number of other local campaigns in the area. He also served as chief consultant for Measure A, a successful $90 million school bond measure in the City of Salinas — the largest bond measure in the history of the Alisal Unified School District.
