Tony Loaiza’s life is one of humble beginnings and an incredible journey, all in preparation for public service.  California has been in Tony’s blood since his parents met and were married in Los Angeles over 54 years ago; his Mom, an Irish American from Rhode Island, and his father, a Latino immigrating from Costa Rica to join the U.S. military.
The oldest of three children, Tony was born and raised as an Army Brat for 18 years, moving to different military posts around the country and world, from Alabama to Athens, Greece.  After high school, Tony joined the U.S. Army in 1988, still during the “Perestroika and Glasnost” era of the Cold War.  
And it was his move to Gilroy, and the true feeling of community that he experienced while serving on boards such as the Gilroy Downtown Business Association, the Gilroy Rotary, or the Garlic Festival, that inspired him to step up to the next level of responsibility in civic duty.  
Tony’s most important inspiration however is his family.  His wife, Sara, and their 5 children, are the driving force for him to help create a better future for California and our District 15.
His service as a U.S. Army Veteran, accomplished legal and business career, and lifetime of contributions in both the public and private sector, have prepared him to bring a positive change to our citizens.  Tony’s next and most important leadership position will be to serve District 15 as your next California Senator.
He proudly served in Military Intelligence as a Russian Linguist for 6 years, while serving in various leadership positions, achieving the rank of Sergeant.  Tony initially returned to the Bay Area during his language immersion training at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, California.  With intensive all-day classes, Tony learned to read, write, and speak Russian fluently in only one year, graduating with honors. 

With the fall of the Soviet Union, Tony was inspired to pursue an initial career path as an attorney, working for American companies expanding into the newly formed Russian Federation.  In preparation, he earned his B.A. Post-Soviet Studies, graduating with honors.  He then earned a J.D. from UT Law School and finally an LL.M. in Russian Law, from the Moscow Institute of Law, in Russia.  He is proud as both a son and a Latino, to say that he is the first generation of the Loaiza to graduate from college.  

Tony proceeded to live in Russia three times over several years, working as in-house legal counsel, in Mergers and Acquisitions, in a number of industries, including telecom, and oil & gas.  Realizing his love for the collaborative nature of business, he returned back to Silicon Valley in 2000.
For 23 years, Tony has worked for amazing technology companies, and even launched three entrepreneurial ventures of his own.  With hard work and by delivering bottom-line results, combined with his love of empowering others, he has been placed into many leadership roles in the private sector.  Additionally, Tony has been asked to serve on multiple advisory boards and has consulted for start-ups throughout his executive career.  These include serving as President of San Jose Unified School District DAC (District Advisory Council), Entrepreneur-In-Residence for the SKTA Innovation Accelerator, and Board Advisor for Vonzos Partners, as well as participating in TiE Silicon Valley. 
However, the greatest joy of Tony’s life has been to serve.  No other act has given him more pride or fulfillment than to help others. Whether volunteering as Head Coach for the Christian Athletic Association to teach young kids the game of soccer, becoming VP of Communications for the PTA, or participating on the Gilroy School Site Council, his ability to serve as a leader to impact others has remained consistent throughout his life.