Meet Angelo

I am running for California State Senate because the families of District 31 deserve a voice that will fight for the high quality of life that we each deserve. The urgent challenges of affordability, housing, homelessness, public education, climate change, economic and workforce development all require proven leadership. I am committed to collaboratively developing effective policy solutions for the complex problems facing our local communities and the State of California. Please join our diverse coalitions (representing the vibrant District 31 communities) that include my hometown, where my wife and I are raising our daughter and where I plan to retire one day. Together we can shape and realize a promising vision that future generations, will continue to be proud, to call their home also.

Dr. Angelo Farooq is an entrepreneur and educator. Angelo is married to Vessy and their daughter Maya attends preschool at Riverside Unified School District. He is proudly born and raised in the Inland Empire. Angelo and his two younger sisters were raised by their immigrant mom in a low-income household. His mom’s resiliency instilled the values that motivate Angelo towards public service. Angelo is determined to fight for all families to have a fair opportunity to realize the California dream.

After attending local public schools k-12 (Jurupa Unified School District), Angelo earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California Berkeley, Executive Master and Doctorate of Policy, Planning and Development degrees from the University of Southern California (USC). He serves in a part-time capacity as Director of Economic Development at the University of California Riverside (UCR) and also previously taught entrepreneurship at the Graduate School of Business there (this lecturer position is represented by AFT Local 1474 and he is currently a member of the Retiree Chapter AFT Local 1474-R).

Angelo has been elected for two terms (spanning nine years total through 2024) on the Board of Education for Riverside Unified School District (RUSD). RUSD educates nearly 42,000 students across 50 public schools and has an annual operating budget of about $600 million. Angelo is a delegate to the California School Board Association where he also served on their inaugural Climate Change Task force and serves on the Equality California’s Safe and Supportive Schools Advisory Committee.

His personal journey, growing up in a low-income home, has shaped him to advance equity so that all students can get a quality public education. RUSD boasts 30 California Distinguished and 5 National Blue Ribbon schools. Angelo has been an effective governing member responsible for nearly $400 million of Measure O facility funds to modernize and upgrade local schools. This includes developing new 21^st century science labs and vocational training facilities that represent 45 career pathways throughout the district.

He facilitated RUSD to be the first school district to partner with Girls Who Code in the country including the establishment of an innovative summer coding lab.

In 2016, RUSD was recognized by The White House based on its national best practices in computer science education. RUSD has been a leader of the Inland Code Consortium that includes 18 school districts across Riverside, San Bernardino and LA counties to support students and teachers.

Angelo collaborated with his colleagues to prioritize the safety of students, employees and families including their social and emotional well-being. This includes expanded learning services such as 24/7 tutoring for students in grades 7-12, after school programs throughout every school, to accelerate student achievement. 

As many school districts face a complicated fiscal environment, RUSD boasts an AA2 credit rating by Moody’s and (during Angelo’s 2019 Presidency) doubled its reserve requirement to have a higher ongoing standard of financial governance for its future. That same year, 2019, also featured Riverside Unified School District boasting the highest graduation rate (96%) in the County of Riverside and the highest of all of the 16 largest school districts in the State of California.

Angelo was the first recipient of the NAACP Riverside Branch Waudieur Rucker-Hughes Legacy Service Award in 2018. He is an inductee into the Hall of Fame of his alma mater: Jurupa Valley High School, and is the recipient of the 2021 Community Leadership Award at the Moreno Valley State of the City among many other recognitions.

Angelo is the Chair of the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB). CWDB governs all federal workforce funds and develops a common policy framework for an overall $6 billion annual system that includes over 200 America Job Centers.

In 2021, Angelo collaborated with the State, County of Riverside and City of Moreno Valley leaders to establish a new designated America Job Center to help broaden access to jobs and employer services for residents and businesses of Western Riverside County.