Milan R. Balinton is running for the Santa Clara County Valley Water District Board, District 6. He brings more than a decade of experience leading a growing public-facing organization through crisis, budget expansion, and community-driven decision making.

Milan is a Bay Area native. He was born in Oakland, raised in San Francisco, and has called San Jose home for the past 26 years. He serves as Executive Director of the African American Community Service Agency, a role he took on in 2011 when the organization had just two employees and almost no budget.

Under his leadership, the agency has grown to 15 employees with a projected 3 million dollar budget. It added seven new staff positions during the pandemic, when many other organizations were cutting back. That record of expanding services while managing a growing public budget is the same work the Valley Water board requires.

His public service record includes a term as Trustee of the Franklin-McKinley School District. That is direct experience governing as an elected board member accountable to the public. He was named a 2022 Impact Warrior by the Golden State Warriors, and he was invited to the White House Communities in Action event on Building a Better California.

Milan's leadership was tested during the COVID-19 pandemic. He guided the agency in redirecting its services to the community's most urgent needs: food distribution, mental health support, housing assistance, and economic empowerment. Under his direction the agency distributed food boxes and essential supplies to more than 25,000 people, and helped organize housing assistance for families through partnerships with Hyatt House, Destination Home, and corporate supporters.

That same crisis brought him into direct coordination with public agencies, including the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, where he served on the COVID-19 Community Stakeholders Working Group. Navigating public-agency response and coordination is the same skill that regional water issues demand across jurisdictions.

Milan holds a Bachelor of Arts from San Jose State University and a Master of Public Administration from Golden Gate University. That is training in the public-sector management and policy analysis that water governance demands.

Milan is active in regional leadership bodies, including the American Leadership Forum, the Silicon Valley Community Foundation's Community Advisory Council, and the ALF CEO Cohort focused on diversity, inclusion, equity, and liberation. He has worked to advance policy that addresses gaps in income, housing, health, education, and employment. That work reflects a commitment to making public resources reach every community fairly, which is a core value for water access and infrastructure.

His honors include the California Legislature's Assembly Certificate of Recognition, the Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits' Patricia A. Gardner Changemaker Award, and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors' President's Medal for Exemplary Service during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Milan is running for the Valley Water board to bring that record of accountable public leadership, budget management, and cross-agency work to one of the region's most essential public services. The goal is a safe, reliable, and fair water supply for every community in Santa Clara County.

Water is where fairness starts. It should reach every street, not just some.

Executive Director, African American Community Service Agency (for identification only)