Maya grew up in San Jose and has made a lifetime commitment to fighting for the community and solving problems.
The daughter of teachers in San Jose, her family instilled in her the importance of education, hard work and community service, and she has many memories of attending public meetings and helping with her parents’ community organizing. She spent her youth volunteering for nonprofits and helping build community in San Jose.
Passionate about community empowerment, Maya’s experience include nonprofit, for-profit and government. Prior to joining the City Council, she led the All The Way Home campaign to end veteran homelessness in Santa Clara County at local nonprofit Destination: Home and is co-founder of Veterans Voices Santa Clara County.
In 2012, Maya was elected as a trustee on the Franklin-McKinley School District Board, and is also a former Commissioner on the Community Development Block Grant Commission at the City of San Jose, was the founding Board President for Latinas Contra Cancer, and on the boards of the Girl Scouts of Santa Clara County and Operation: Care and Comfort, a local nonprofit serving military, veterans and their families.
Maya’s government experience includes several years working for Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and as Chief of Staff to then-Councilmember Nora Campos fighting for safe neighborhoods, helping residents resolve issues and supporting our businesses.
Maya has worked for Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara & San Mateo Counties, she was Vice-President of Community Outreach and Services for the American Red Cross- Silicon Valley, and oversaw 211 services for several counties in the Bay Area for the United Way Silicon Valley.
In 2018, Maya was elected with more than 54% of the vote to represent District 7 on the San Jose City Council. It has been her honor to work for the residents of District 7, particularly in making a difference during the past two years in which the district has been so impacted by Covid-19.
As Councilmember, Maya has focused on public safety needs; fought for equity in the city infrastructure and resources; worked to address our housing crisis; advanced traffic safety improvements; worked to revitalize the Monterey Corridor and brought new resources to District 7.
Maya represents the City of San José on the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). She is Chair of the Monterey Corridor Working Group, Vice Chair of the Community & Economic Development Committee, and serves on the Neighborhood Services & Education Committee, the Transportation & Environment Committee and the San Jose Arena Authority Board. She is Co-Chair of the the Santa Clara County Hate Crimes Prevention and Inclusion Task Force, which she worked to establish after the Gilroy shooting.