Meet our 2023-2024 Leadership
JUN-XIONG SEAN HUGHES
Policy Director
he/him
I grew up in Cupertino, going through local schools (Lincoln, Kennedy, Monta Vista) before leaving the state for college. I returned and lived in Cupertino during the pandemic, and continue to visit family and friends here. Cupertino has changed in some ways, but in many, has remained the same: high housing costs, unsustainable city design, and exclusionary policies that all hurt not only us, but the shared community we are a part of in the Silicon Valley and society at large. I care deeply about advocating for a more inclusive and progressive Cupertino. I believe Cupertino for All’s advocacy and community work can help make that future a reality.
When not listening to Vox podcasts or finding new music genres to explore, I enjoy aquatic sports (swimming, water polo), and immersing myself in stories told through animation, tv, film, and video games.
YVONNE STROM
Membership Coordinator
She/Her
I moved to Cupertino with my husband 26 years ago, a month before our first child was born. Both of our children were raised here and graduated from Monta Vista High School. I earned a PhD in Genetics from UC Berkeley and worked most of my career in Molecular Diagnostics.
I am a lifelong volunteer with broad experience, from youth activities, to contact tracing during the pandemic, to homeless advocacy through my faith community. I am passionate about building community, and making the world a better place one relationship at a time.
Gauri Chawla
Secretary
She/Her
I have always lived in Cupertino; I went to Faria Elementary School, Lawson Middle School, and am currently attending Cupertino High School.
I first engaged in community activism through local groups at my high school, followed by a working group with the ACLU. As a student, I have learned about the way the world around us works to systemically keep housing from all, especially in wealthy areas like Cupertino. Housing is a human right – one that I hope to ensure through my work at Cupertino For All.
I think Cupertino has the ability to become a thriving community that encourages the wellbeing of its people. Through community organization, Cupertino can reach its full potential and become a city where individuals are able to easily find shelter, schools, libraries, and jobs while also better interacting with those around them through the development of mental health resources and social centers.
In my free time, I like to read, listen to music, and go for long drives with my friends. I am always on the lookout for bookstores and ice cream trucks!
Connie Cunningham
Informations Officer
She/Her
My unlikely journey to Cupertino began in a small farming town in Nebraska. My family moved west to other small towns In other states, where Dad could find work. When he landed a job with a union, and with company-provided housing, in the Mojave desert in a small town in California, along Route 66, Dad and Mom and my family’s good luck grew..
In those days, you would be accepted into the University of California if you finished in the top 10% of your class and had a good SAT score. No Advanced Placement classes existed or were required. From a desert town of 5,000 to a premiere university. That was my “brass ring.”
Fast forward to today. I earned my Masters in Public Administration at Harvard University. I managed the acquisition division at NASA Ames research center for 10 years prior to my retirement. Since early 2017, I have been actively engaged in community dialogue about affordable housing for all incomes and abilities by visiting Cupertino City Council meetings and seeking out other organizations, like West Valley Community Services . I voiced support for the Cupertino’s below market-rate housing program and support for those who need help including those suffering housing insecurity.
I consider myself fortunate indeed to have joined with other like-minded people in the social justice group, Cupertino For All. I have learned so much from the fine minds and enthusiastic voices of its many members.
I have lived in Cupertino 33 years. My husband and I have two adult children and have six grandchildren ages 8 to 26. Our children attended Cupertino schools in the late 80s and early 90s before they graduated from college. Dennis and I love to camp. Yosemite is our favorite national Park. I also love Birding, and I have over 260 wild birds on my life list. I consider my nickname to be “Lucky,” but everybody just calls me Connie
SHIVANI KAVULURU
Communications Director
they/them
Shiv envisions a bay area future centered around community healing via trauma-informed abolitionist pedagogy.
Shiv got a double degree in English Creative Writing and Philosophy and is planning to study law and psychology and apply its intersections to help co-create safer kinder communities.
Shiv was one of Cupertino For All's original members at the organization’s inception and fondly remembers meeting in a retired cafe with inspirational young leaders that made the whole experience feel like they were part of Dumbledore's Army. A long-term Cupertino and San Jose resident and FUHSD alum (L.P. Collins and Lynbrook), they are committed to making sure housing in the Bay Area is not only affordable but is also built to accommodate all disabilities, access needs, and cultural resources.
When Shiv is not doing all these things they write poems, songs, paint, sing, and dance. You might find Shiv with their head tucked into a book in the corner of your public library or flooded with puppies and kittens at your nearest humane society.
Philip Nguyen
Events Coordinator
He/Him
I went to Monta Vista High School as well as De Anza College and have worked nearby. Currently for work, I am a web developer for the VTA developing internal tools. Since middle school I have been concerned about climate change and sustainability when they showed The Inconvenient Truth in class. It was not until the pandemic when many issues people in the South Bay and beyond were facing become impossible to ignore: housing insecurity, the climate change, the environmental impact of California’s housing crisis, how the U.S. sacrifices marginalized people for the sake of profit, etc. The historical restrictive and discriminatory housing policies only work to exasperate the housing crisis and climate crisis as people have to live and drive further away, creating more emissions to get where they need to go. I have now realized the deeply interconnected nature of housing, the environment, city planning, and policy, and am motivated to co-create a more inclusive, community-oriented, housing abundant, transit-oriented Cupertino and South Bay.
I believe that housing is inherently a human right and every human deserves to have their basic needs met. Food, water, shelter and education to then be free to develop to their full potential. Denser housing built around services, food, entertainment and transit hubs - so having a car becomes optional rather than a necessity - is how cities like Cupertino can address both the housing and climate crises together. I believe community power will help us achieve this goal.
In my free time, I love to play volleyball, video games, swim, attend music festivals, spend time with my partner and just connect with others.
Jean Bedord
Informations Officer
She/Her
Jean Bedord is publisher and editor of Cupertino Matters, a newsletter that keeps our community informed about what’s happening in local government in the absence of meaningful news coverage in the media. Local government impacts our quality of life, as well as our schools and the businesses we patronize. Taxpayer money pays for parks, recreation facilities, streets, bikeways, and the library, as well as day-to-day operation of the city. Information is essential for ensuring good governance and accountability of elected officials. You can sign up for updates at CupertinoMatters.org.
Jean was introduced to local politics growing up on a ranch in Wyoming. Her grandparents and parents were deeply involved in the community, with her dad serving in the state legislature. She went to University of Wyoming, where she got a B.A. in math education, followed by an M.A. in high plains archaeology. Her first experience with the publishing world came when her research was published, then referenced in James Michener’s book Centennial. However it’s hard to earn a living in archaeology…..
Computer skills were much more employable, and Jean was the first woman hired in a technical position at the Bureau of Mines in Laramie. She then worked on computerization of the academic library systems at Washington State University. Jean and her husband moved to Silicon Valley for his job at a pharmaceutical company. They have now lived in Cupertino for more than 25 years. Their son attended Cupertino schools, so they spent many hours at athletic activities. In transitioning from academia to corporate jobs, Jean returned to school as a working adult to get an MBA from Santa Clara University.
Over the years, Jean wrote for professional publications in the information industry, and spoke at numerous conferences. She’s been active in the library community, serving as Chair of the Library Commission during the campaign to build a new Cupertino library. Jean taught part-time for many years at San Jose State University in the graduate program in Library and Information Science, a pioneer program for online education
NEIL PARK-MCCLINTICK
President
he/him
I moved to Cupertino in 2004—I was 7 years old. Cupertino represented a fresh start, an escape from a traumatizing family ordeal, accompanied by high-ranking public schools and quiet suburbia. I did not realize the degree of socioeconomic segregation here in Cupertino until I ended up enrolling at De Anza Community. I currently work at Working Partnerships USA as a full-time organizer, and chair Cupertino for All.
"Give people what they need: food, medicine, clean air, pure water, trees and grass, pleasant homes to live in, some hours of work, more hours of leisure. Don't ask who deserves it. Every human being deserves it." - Howard Zinn
In my spare time, I enjoy roller-blading, video games, reading, spending time with my boyfriend, and writing!
KAMYAB MASHIAN
Treasurer
He/Him
A lifelong Californian, I studied philosophy, politics, and econ in college and have experience working in various policy and advocacy roles. I'm currently pursuing a legal education. Having lived most of my life "over the hill" in Santa Cruz, I first came to Cupertino after graduating from college. After being exposed to some of the local politics — as well as the frankly depressing local housing situation — I got involved with CFA during the pandemic.
I hope that we can create a Cupertino that is welcoming and attainable for everyone, whether their family has lived here for generations or whether they are brand new arrivals. Since the housing crisis is impacting every community in the Bay Area, I especially hope that we can collaborate with other organizations in working toward regional solutions, as well as those that are specific to our town.
When I am not busy applying to law schools, I spend my free time hiking, reading, drawing, and playing strategy and city-builder video games.
John Zhao
Membership Coordinator
They/Them
I am a second generation Chinese American who grew up in Cupertino and went to Eaton, Lawson, and Cupertino (Class of 2014), lucky enough to be able to live here as a young adult in my parents' home. As a young person growing up, I first became socially engaged through climate change and sustainability. During my time as an undergraduate student at Stanford University, I learned of the interconnected nature of environmental, social, economic, and political issues and became passionate about city/urban planning. I organized with Stanford Coalition for Planning an Equitable 2035 (SCoPE 2035), a student group that advocated for Stanford to develop its campus equitably and sustainably. I served on the City of Cupertino's Housing Commission for 3 years (2017-2019). I received a Masters of Community and Regional Planning from University of British Columbia in 2021. For my paid job, I am the Co-Director at South Bay Youth Changemakers.
I am dedicated to working collectively to transform Cupertino and the South Bay. I dream of abundance and possibilities beyond what we're told is realistic or possible. I want an inclusive, vibrant, intergenerational community where everybody can thrive and live to their full potential. Everybody should always have their basic needs (food, water, shelter, etc.) met and be able to nurture their social, emotional, and spiritual needs as well.
In my free time, I enjoy playing tabletop games, hiking, biking, nerding out to music, and cooking/eating with friends.