From: [email protected]
To: CityClerk; Karina L. Lafarga; Amanda Fredeluces; Audrey Malone; Parks & Recreation Commission Subject: City of Chula Vista - Parks and Recreation Commission Application Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 7:31:50 AM
WARNING - This email originated from outside the City of Chula Vista. Do not click any links and do not open attachments unless you can confirm the sender.
PLEASE REPORT SUSPICIOUS EMAILS BY USING THE PHISH ALERT REPORT BUTTON or to [email protected]
A new entry to a form/survey has been submitted.
Form Name: Parks and Recreation Commission Application
Date & Time: 07/21/2026 7:31 AM
Response #: 53
Submitter ID: 147833
IP address:
Time to complete: 9 min., 57 sec.
Survey Details
Application for membership on the Parks and Recreation Commission
1. Prefix
(0) Mr.
2. Preferred Pronoun
(o) He/Him/His
3. First and Last Name
Matt Yagyagan
4. E-mail
5. Home Address
6. City
Chula Vista
7. ZIP code
8. Primary Phone
9. Secondary Phone
Not answered
10. I certify that lam a resident of the City of Chula Vista and at least 18 years of age.
When applying for a Youth Advisory member: I am a resident of the City of Chula Vista and between 16 and 22 years of age.
(0) Yes
11. How long have you been a resident of the City?
Not answered
Please click here to view the interactive map and verify your District of residency I am a resident of the following City Council district. (0) 2
13. Present employer
City of San Diego
14. Occupation
Director of Policy
15. Have you ever been employed by the City of Chula Vista? (0) No
16. If you have worked for the City of Chula Vista please provide the department and dates of employment.
Chula Vista
17. Please select the seats for which you are interested and qualify: (select as many as applicable) [x] Resident of the City At-Large
[x] District Representative
18. Are you currently serving on a Chula Vista Board/Commission? (o) No
19. Which one(s)?
Not answered
20. Have you previously served on a Chula Vista Board/Commission? (0) No
21. Which ones?
Not answered
22. Per Chula Vista Municipal Code Section 2.25.030, I understand:
-If I am currently serving on a board or commission, I must resign from my current board or commission if I am appointed.
-I must have served at least 12 months on my current board or commission in order to be appointed to another board or commission.
(o) I have read and acknowledged the above statement.
23. Are you or have you been involved in any local, civic or community groups? (o) Yes
24. Which ones?
Not answered
25. What are your principal areas of interest in our City government, and what experience or special knowledge can you bring to those areas?
My principal interest is in accessibility and inclusion within Chula Vista's parks and recreation programming I have a four-year-old son who has hearing loss and wears hearing aids, and that's given me a close-up view of how much a family's ability to participate in a park, a rec class, or a youth sports league depends on whether that program was designed with kids like him in mind. I want to help make sure Chula Vista's parks and youth programming are genuinely accessible to kids with different needs.
I also care broadly about how the City makes decisions about park design, capital improvements, and program funding, and about making sure residents have a real voice in those decisions before they're finalized.
Professionally, I bring over a decade of experience in municipal government that supports this work. As a policy advisor to a San Diego City Councilmember, I administered more than $300,000 in discretionary grant funding for community programs and arts, culture, and community festivals, deciding how those dollars were allocated across neighborhoods with different needs. Earlier in my career, I designed curriculum and led training for community advocates on how to participate effectively in public decision- making.
I also currently help direct development of a $6 billion municipal budget for the City of San Diego, including oversight of capital and infrastructure spending, and I've spent years managing how a public body runs its meetings, from docketing to parliamentary procedure. I understand both how these decisions get made and how to make sure the public is genuinely part of making them.
26. What would you hope to accomplish in the role of a Parks and Recreation Commissioner? (250 words or less)
As a Commissioner, I'd want to help make accessibility and inclusion a standard part of how the City plans parks and recreation programs. Concretely, that means asking whether new and renovated parks account for kids with sensory, mobility, or developmental needs from the design stage, and whether youth programs and rec classes have the staffing, training, and format flexibility to include kids like my son rather than assuming a one-size-fits-all model works for everyone.
I'd also want to strengthen how the City brings residents into decisions about park capital improvements and programming before those decisions are finalized, not after. I've spent years designing training and facilitation for community members who'd never engaged with a public process before, and I'd bring that same instinct to the Commission: make sure the people who'll actually use a park or program get a real chance to shape it.
Finally, I'd bring budget literacy to the table. I currently help direct a multi-billion-dollar municipal budget and have spent years tracking capital and infrastructure spending across committees. I'd use that experience to help the Commission give the City Council informed, specific recommendations on how parks and recreation dollars get prioritized, especially across neighborhoods that don't always get equal attention.
Ultimately, I'd hope to leave the Commission having made Chula Vista's parks and programs measurably more accessible to families who don't always see themselves reflected in how a city plans.
27. I understand that to be considered, 1 must submit a resume along with this application.
Matt Yagyagan Resume - Chula Vista Parks and Recreation Commission 260721.pdf
28. The City understands meeting schedules and individual's availability may change. We ask that you consider the meeting schedule when submitting an application. (o) I have reviewed the Parks and Recreation Commission regular meeting date, time and frequency.
29. (o) I am familiar with the responsibilities of the Parks and Recreation Commission. I attest that the information I have provided is accurate and true.
30. (o) I understand that this application and any documents submitted in connection with the application process are public records and may be publicly disclosed.
31. Where did you hear about this vacancy?
(0) City's Website
Thank you,
City of Chula Vista
This is an automated message generated by Granicus. Please do not reply directly to this email.
MATT YAGYAGAN
CHULA VISTA, CA |
SUMMARY
ublic policy professional with over a decade of experience in city government, specializing in municipal budget oversight ublic meeting management, and community engagement. Chula Vista resident with hands-on experience administering community programming, seeking to bring that experience to the Parks & Recreation Commission.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Municipal Budget & Capital Project Oversight | Community & Stakeholder Engagement | Public Meeting Facilitation & Parliamentary Procedure Grant Program Administration | Coalition Building
EXPERIENCE
CITY OF SAN DIEGO, OFFICE OF THE MAYOR February 2024 - Present Director of Policy San Diego, CA
• Lead a team of policy advisors covering neighborhood services, housing, infrastructure, public safety, and economic development, in addition to managing City Council affairs. • Direct the Mayor's policy agenda from proposal through adoption and implementation, including research and development of changes to governing and administrative documents. • Direct development and adoption of the City's $6+ billion annual budget.
CITY OF SAN DIEGO, OFFICE OF THE MAYOR December 2020 - February 2024 Deputy Director of Policy & Council Affairs San Diego, CA • Represent the Mayor at the Budget & Government Efficiency, Budget Review, Rules, and Audit Committees. • Served as the Mayor's primary liaison to City Council and represented the Mayor at Council meetings. • Assisted in managing a team of Policy Advisors and coordinated citywide responses to Grand Jury reports.
CITY OF SAN DIEGO, OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT February 2020 - December 2020 Director of Government Affairs San Diego, CA
• Built the City Council's Government Affairs program, setting state, federal, and local legislative priorities for the Council President's Work Plan.
• Represented the City Council with state and federal delegations at advocacy meetings and conferences.
CITY OF SAN DIEGO, OFFICE OF THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT January 2019 - January 2020 Director of Legislative Affairs San Diego, CA
• Directed the docket process for the Council President's Office, coordinating with the Mayor, City Attorney, Independent Budget Analyst, and City Clerk on legislative items.
• Managed meeting procedure for the Council President, including parliamentary procedure and closed-session dockets with the City Attorney's Office.
• Developed the legislative calendar and managed the performance evaluation process for the City Clerk and Independent Budget Analyst.
CITY OF SAN DIEGO, OFFICE OF COUNCILMEMBER GEORGETTE GÓMEZ January 2017 - January 2019 Policy Advisor & Council Representative San Diego, CA
• Managed $300,000+ in discretionary grant funding through the Community Projects, Programs & Services (CPPS) and Arts, Culture & Community Festivals (ACCF) programs.
• Represented City Heights, San Diego's densest neighborhood at 70,000 residents, plus Kensington and Talmadge, at community meetings and events.
• Advised the Councilmember on legislative items before the Budget & Government Efficiency, Economic Development & Intergovernmental Relations, Infrastructure, and Rules Committees.
ALLIANCE SAN DIEGO September 2014 - January 2017
Development Manager San Diego, CA
• Represented Alliance San Diego at 25+ community events per year, building fundraising support for community programs.
• Built and maintained relationships with a donor base of 500+ foundations, corporations, labor unions, and individuals in support of $1.5 million+ in annual revenue goals.
ALLIANCE SAN DIEGO September 2011 - August 2014
Special Projects Organizer San Diego, CA
• Designed curriculum and facilitated 15+ training sessions for 30+ community advocates through the Educate San Diego Family Leadership Development Program.
• Built working relationships with 100+ educators, administrators, employee unions, parents, and students through coalition-building and public presentations to community stakeholders. • Tracked local and state legislation and authored policy briefs, action alerts, and opinion editorials on student achievement outcomes.
EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY September 2007 - December 2010 Bachelor of Arts in Political Science
Bachelor of Arts in Ethnic Studies