Candidate for
Council Member; City of Elk Grove; Council District 4

For the last 16 years, Elk Grove has been home to School Board Trustee Steve Ly and his family. As a nationally recognized educator, Steve has devoted his entire career to educating young people and creating the communities that help them thrive. Driven by his passion to help every youth succeed, Steve was chosen by Elk Grove residents to serve as a trustee on the Elk Grove Unified School Board. By electing Steve, Elk Grove voters helped him make history as the first Asian Pacific Islander elected to the board. As trustee, Steve took the lead in restoring Freshmen sports and K-12 Library Technicians and Bilingual Teaching Associates. To engage the public in process transparency and collaboration, Steve voted to have board meetings televised and held at different school sites throughout the year. Furthermore, Steve involved all stakeholders in the search and employment of EGUSD's new Superintendent. Today, Steve is running for Elk Grove City Council to build a bridge between schools and businesses. His priorities are: 1) Jobs-Economic Development, 2) Public Safety, 3) Customer Service, and 4) Strong Collaboration.

Steve and his family immigrated to the United States as refugees following the Vietnam War. At the age of 4, Steve started his life in America with very little money and very little understanding of American culture and the English language. With the support of his teachers and bilingual aides, Steve was able to learn English and became the first in his family to pursue higher education. He is a proud graduate of the University of California, Davis. After earning degrees in Sociology and Political Science, Steve continued his education and subsequently earned his Doctor of Jurisprudence. Steve's forward thinking leadership and commitment to serving his community has earned him numerous awards including the KVIE Hero of the Year Award, California State Assembly and Senate Commendation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Day of Peace Award-Sacramento County Probation Department and the School Violence Prevention Award-Sacramento County Criminal Justice Cabinet. On a regular basis, Steve continues to provide support for foster students and young people in juvenile hall.

Steve currently serves as the Elk Grove School Board's Clerk and was previously the Board's official liaison to Sacramento County Office of Education. Steve has also previously served on the Carroll Elementary School Site Council, the California State Advisory Council on Refugee Assistance and Services, as an Executive Board member of SEIU-UHW and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Community Advisory Board. Steve's current service and appointments include being a member of SEIU-UHW, Elk Grove Optimist Club, Director to the National Parent Teacher Home Visitation Project, Director to the Hmong National Development (HND), Director to Serve Elk Grove and Director to Asian Pacific School Board Members Association (APISBMA).