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Debbie Rocha
City Beat
District 6 city office gets a new council aide
Debbie Rocha took over for Denelle Fedor last month
By Moryt Milo
Willow Glen residents have a new council aide for District 6 City Councilman Ken Yeager.
Debbie Rocha, who began her new job Nov. 26, replaced former council aide Denelle Fedor, who moved on to manage Santa Clara City Councilman Rod Diridon Jr.'s campaign for the state's 22nd Assembly District seat.
As one of Yeager's three council aides, Rocha is responsible for handling constituent issues in four District 6 neighborhoods--Willow Glen, Canoas Park, Sherman Oaks and Hamann Park. Her responsibilities also include economic and neighborhood development; cultural, housing and recreation services; and education.
Rocha comes from a history of family members who chose politics as careers.
"Walking into city hall feels like familiar ground," Rocha said. "It feels like home."
Her grandfather, Frank M. Santana, was a former commissioner on San Jose's Planning Commission. Her father, Roy Brown, worked in the Santa Clara County Assessor's office. Her brother, Ronny Santana, is a part-time safety commissioner for the city of Saratoga, and her son, Donald, is a council aide for District 8 City Councilman Dave Cortese.
Rocha said if her family members didn't choose politics, then they went into education. A San Jose native, Rocha's first choice was education, and like her grandmother, Rocha became a teacher.
She taught English at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose for eight years and then became the activities director at Milpitas High School until leaving the position this June.
"But even as a schoolteacher, I always kept abreast as to what was going on politically," Rocha said.
She feels her years in education will benefit Willow Glen.
"Last week, we meet with the San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services to talk about homework centers [at Willow Glen High and Middle schools]," Rocha said. "As a teacher, I felt very comfortable making a couple of staffing suggestions."
Rocha suggested the program consider working with retired teachers from the community.
Rocha said she also felt comfortable working with city services because prior to teaching, she helped establish a parks and recreation teen youth program in the mid-1980s.
It was her years in education that stood out as Yeager's office was choosing a candidate.
"I really liked her background in education," Yeager said. "She will be working on education policy in the office."
Yeager also said he chose Rocha out of many candidates for the job because of her diverse career and her poise.
"People will find her easygoing and understanding with whatever issues they might have," Yeager said.
The combination of politics and education fits nicely, Rocha said, and although she is no longer teaching, education is still a big part of her family life. Her husband, Paz, is a teacher at Yerba Buena High School in San Jose, and her second son, Scott, is an English Teacher at Oak Grove High School.
Rocha also adds another dimension to Yeager's office with her ties to the local community.
"The other day I had two phone calls," Rocha said. "One was someone I went to high school with, and the other was someone who knew me via a friend. I think those types of relationships will come up, and I see that as a positive."
Having lived all her life in San Jose, Rocha said it's rare that she doesn't run into someone she knows. Even when first starting the council aide job, Rocha discovered another council aide whose sister Rocha taught at Archbishop Mitty High School.
Although Rocha doesn't live in Willow Glen, she is a resident of District 6, shops on Lincoln Avenue and drives through the neighborhood.
"These are the stores I frequent and the streets I drive," she said. "It's personal, not just a job."
Rocha also said having grown up in the community, issues like traffic calming and the Strong Neighborhood Initiatives programs are familiar topics.
As a longtime resident of San Jose, Rocha said she has watched the communities change over the years and understands current community concerns. Having lived in several District 6 neighborhoods, which the city of San Jose wants to improve, and being familiar with how the neighborhoods have changed over the years is helpful when constituents call, Rocha said.
"It's not foreign country to me. It feels right," she said.
Rocha said she plans to be "Ken's ears and eyes in the community," and she adds, "I'm a District 6 constituent also. So this really matters to me."
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
