4. Housing and Public Service Grants Committee Applications — Costa Mesa City Council, April 7, 2026

City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 1 / 2
Q1
Full Name:

Maria Castellon
Q2
Indicate the name of the Committee you are interested in serving on:

Housing and Public Service Grants Committee
Q3
Indicate why you wish to serve on this Committee. Provide any experience or qualifications you may possess that you think would be beneficial to this Committee. A resume (optional) may be attached.

I am interested in being of serve on the Housing and Public Service Grants Committee because I believe equitable access to housing and essential services are foundational to community stability and dignity. My background in community advocacy, including my service on the Pasadena Commission on the Status of Women, has strengthened my ability to analyze community needs, engage diverse stakeholders, and support resource allocation that centers those most impacted.

Also, as a graduate student in community development, I bring research, data analysis, and community-informed planning skills, along with lived experience navigating housing and economic challenges. I am especially committed to ensuring that funding decisions reflect equity, transparency, and the real needs of residents.

Q4
As a Committee member, what ideas or projects are of interest to you? I am especially interested in projects that expand access to stable housing while strengthening the support systems that help residents stay housed long term. This includes funding initiatives that connect housing with services such as mental health support, workforce development, and family assistance.

Q5
Optional Resume:

Maria_Castellon_Resume_CostaMesaCommission_2026.pdf (105.2KB) #18#18

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Started:Started: Monday, March 16, 2026 9:03:50 PMMonday, March 16, 2026 9:03:50 PM Last Modified:Last Modified: Monday, March 16, 2026 9:20:37 PMMonday, March 16, 2026 9:20:37 PM

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City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 2 / 2
Q6
Contact Information:Note: This contact information will not be posted on the City's website or distributed to the public.

However, this information is still subject to release pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

Name:

Address:

City/Town:

ZIP/Postal Code:

Email Address:

Phone (cell):

Q7
Signature Required:

By checking this box and typing my name below, I am
electronically signing my application.

Q8
Full Name:

Maria Guadalupe Castellon

María G. Castellón (she/her/ella)
Community Advocate | Public Policy Contributor | Equity-Focused Civic Leader

Equity-driven community leader and policy advocate committed to strengthening public systems through inclusive representation and community -informed decision -making. Experienced in civic engagement, public health outreach, program development, and advancing access to essential services for historically underserved communities. Brings lived experience, research -informed analysis, and collaborative leadership to advisory and commission spaces where thoughtful policy and ethical governance are essential.

EDUCATION
University of California Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Bachelor of Arts, Law and Society
Bachelor of Arts, Film Studies
California State University Northridge
Northridge, CA
Master of Arts, Diverse Community Development
Leadership

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Graduate Research and Capstone Project
Student Support Program Design and Evaluation | August 2024 - Present • Developed a research-informed policy and program model addressing institutional barriers impacting older Latina and nontraditional students in higher education. • Conducted extensive qualitative research and literature analysis to identify structural barriers affecting student persistence and access to essential support services. • Developed a three-phase program model integrating student outreach, restorative dialogue facilitation, leadership development, and institutional collaboration. • Created program assessment tools, evaluation methods, and measurable student learning outcomes to support continuous program improvement.
• Produced a comprehensive grant proposal including program budget, staffing plan, implementation strategy, and long-term sustainability framework. • Designed outreach and communication strategies to increase student engagement and program awareness.
• Proposed partnerships with campus equity centers and student support offices to strengthen access to student resources.

City of Pasadena — Commission on the Status of Women
Commissioner | August 2023 – September 2025
• Advanced gender equity initiatives through policy review, research, and structured community listening sessions.
• Analyzed public reports and community data to develop informed recommendations to City Council.
• Facilitated public forums and strengthened civic participation among diverse stakeholders. • Led outreach efforts expanding awareness of economic, healthcare, and leadership opportunities for women and girls.
• Collaborated with city departments and community organizations to support equitable policy implementation.
• Championed inclusive leadership and public accountability in local governance.

City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 1 / 2
Q1
Full Name:

Syed Zia Hussain
Q2
Indicate the name of the Committee you are interested in serving on:

Animal Services Committee,
Active Transportation Committee,
Finance and Pension Advisory Committee,
Housing and Public Service Grants Committee,
Mobile Home Park Advisory Committee
Q3
Indicate why you wish to serve on this Committee. Provide any experience or qualifications you may possess that you think would be beneficial to this Committee. A resume (optional) may be attached.

I have served as member of Mobile Housing Committee Costa Mesa for the past three years. Planning for master's in urban planning (Transportation). Working in Education field. Organized online international Research student seminar for the past three years with Malmo University, Sweden (Transport Dept) research topics cover sustainability, infrastructure, and transportation in California and Sweden. SCD-SEMINAR III https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMANNx3cnV8&t=10246s Q4
As a Committee member, what ideas or projects are of interest to you? I would like to support the committee in achieving its goals for the coming years. I would like to volunteer and actively participate in any possible way for the committee projects if required.

Q5
Optional Resume:

ESL-Teacher-CV.pdf (302.4KB)
#22#22

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Started:Started: Friday, March 20, 2026 1:49:37 PMFriday, March 20, 2026 1:49:37 PM Last Modified:Last Modified: Friday, March 20, 2026 2:22:50 PMFriday, March 20, 2026 2:22:50 PM

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City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 2 / 2
Q6
Contact Information:Note: This contact information will not be posted on the City's website or distributed to the public.

However, this information is still subject to release pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

Name:

Address:

Address 2:

City/Town:

ZIP/Postal Code:

Email Address:

Phone (cell):

Q7
Signature Required:

By checking this box and typing my name below, I am
electronically signing my application.

Q8
Full Name:

Syed Zia Hussain

1 SYED ZIA HUSSAIN

Internationally experienced educator with 15+ years of teaching and youth program experience in schools, after-school programs, and community settings. TEFL- certified, with training in child development and project management. Skilled in engaging diverse learners and creating safe, inclusive learning environments.

Professional Milestones
 Serving as Member of Mobile Housing Committee at City of Costa Mesa (2024 to 2026)  5 years’ experience in teaching English to all grades in “My Little World” Secondary school, Karachi, Pakistan.  Guest lecture to Art Therapy undergraduate students at Stenden University, Leeuwarden, Netherlands.  Guest-taught classes in schools across the Friesland province, delivering engaging lessons and supporting classroom learning, Netherlands.  Worked for kids development, activities and educations projects with the city of San Clemente and City of Costa Mesa, California, USA.  Organized school level workshops and activities for language students in Pakistan and Netherlands.  Certificate “Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED” American Red Cross. 

 Certifications
Essentials of Project Management –
Coastline Community College 3 credit course.
 Events & Activities for Seniors - Relias Learning Management System (RLMS)  Certificate in “TEFL” Teaching English as a Second Language  IDTA: Certificate in “International Dance Teacher Association” (Gold Level)  Certificate in “Basics of Child Development & Wellbeing”.

Professional Summary

Program Lead (After-School Program)
Think Together at Vista Heritage Middle School. Santa Ana, CA. Jan 2026 - present Supervise assigned grade students for their enrichment activity, homework, recreation, and lunch arrangements.

Instructional Provider (After-School Programs)
Creative Brains | Unified Santa Ana School District, CA Feb 2025 – Jan 2026 Deliver structured academic and enrichment lessons
Support student learning through interactive and activity-based instruction Maintain positive classroom behavior and student engagement Private Activity Vendor / Educator

Recreation Leader
City of Costa Mesa and City of San Clemente, CA Feb 2019-2024 Led safe, age appropriate activities for children
Member of Mobile House Park Advisory Committee at City of Costa Mesa

Personality

Mysers-Briggs Type Indicator: ESFJ personality type: helpful, high value to harmony, close attention to people’s needs, Committed, prefer closure, structure, organized situation, nurture warmth and compassion and contribute to others achievements and ESFJs are best in organizing people for a job done.

StrengthFrinder: EAS Highest themes are Enterprising, Artistic, Social, Investigative, Conventional, and Realistic and top four traits are Strategic: Theme creator in any given scenario, Positive: motivated and encouraging, Maximizer:

Ability to transform superb results by placing right person for the right job, Communication: Easy, effective, thoughtful conversationalist, and presenter, Futuristic: Inspiring visions, unique tact to achieve outstanding goals.

Education
 Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Planning
Sept 2019-May2025
Cal Poly Pomona, California, United States
 Associate Degree in Architecture
Sept 2017-Sept2019
Orange Coast College. California, United States
 Associate Degree in Event Management
Sept 2013- Sept2016
Orange Coast College. California, United States
Bachelors in Management
Sept 2008-Sept2010
Stenden University, Netherlands

2 Supervised groups and promoted positive behaviour
Encouraged participation, teamwork, and creativity

Recreation Leader
Village Management Services (VMS), Laguna Woods, CA
Oct 2018 – Oct 2019
Supervised recreation venues and daily operations, providing customer service and supporting events through setup and breakdown.

Managed weekly event calendars and assisted with program registration, facility rentals, and event applications.

Conducted facility and equipment inspections, identified safety or maintenance issues, and submitted service requests as needed.

International Work Experience
Netherlands: 5 years of teaching experience with Parnas Arts Institutes at Leeuwarden Town, Netherlands. Even Coordinator and Radio Host for Expect- Leeuwarden Non-Profit Organization. And conducted a guest lecture to undergraduate students of Arts Therapy at Stenden University.

Pakistan: Teach all grades at My Little World Secondary school. Organized workshop for school children, title “Promote English As Second Language”.

Students were prepared to participate performances in English from a singing a song to presenting a story. Karachi, Pakistan.

California: Experience working for Recreational Dept programs and working as after-school Program Lead. And organize International Research Exchange seminar for the undergraduate students of urban planning between Malmo University Sweden and California for the past 3 years. (All certificates and evidence can be provided on request) City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 1 / 2
Q1
Full Name:

Andrew Kenny
Q2
Indicate the name of the Committee you are interested in serving on:

I am really passionate about increasing housing supply and affordability of general living costs, and would love to be able to be more connected to that cause in my immediate area. I spend a lot of my free time reading about it, talking to professionals who engage with it at different levels (mortgage originators, developers, lawyers, politicians, etc.) and that along with the developmental changes around it (public transit, general subjects of modern urbanism, etc.) is where I am aiming to make a career.

I have attended a large number of Costa Mesa housing meetings hosted by Neighbourhood Where We All Belong and Planning Committee meetings, and so I feel very up-to-date on where things are and where they are headed in the city.

There is no doubt that I lack firsthand professional experience though, and I would be remiss to mention that—nonetheless, I would really love to be more involved with these efforts locally and feel this is one such avenue I can do that. #27#27

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Started:Started: Thursday, March 26, 2026 2:14:30 PMThursday, March 26, 2026 2:14:30 PM Last Modified:Last Modified: Thursday, March 26, 2026 2:28:10 PMThursday, March 26, 2026 2:28:10 PM

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City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 2 / 2
Q4
As a Committee member, what ideas or projects are of interest to you? Genuinely, anything related to increasing housing supply and affordability and renovating the urban and suburban environment(s) of Costa Mesa. I think that Costa Mesa is a nice location and area, but has a ways to go to becoming a truly excellent urban and suburban part of the county, state, and country.

Something I am very passionate about is re-zoning, as I believe that it's one of the biggest handicaps to developmental innovation. I am very aware of the obstacles in the way of those efforts and would love to be able to get more involved with paving that way forward. Mixed-use zoning and eventually more effective public transit in the more densely populated/visited areas really interests me, and I would love to try to find ways to balance that with people's desires to stay away from that in R1 suburbs so long as that's tenable with the longer term demographics of the city.

But truly, so many different pathways lead to what I am interested in contributing to. Higher density development also allows for more green space, more bike lanes and alternatives to car transit can lead to lower traffic, a single mixed-use area can be a "testing ground" of sorts for a broader scope of it: I am enthusiastic about progress, and I believe that progress and innovation have momentum, and I would really love to be a part of pushing that momentum forward.

Q5
Optional Resume:

Respondent skipped this question
Q6
Contact Information:Note: This contact information will not be posted on the City's website or distributed to the public.

However, this information is still subject to release pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

Name:

Address:

Address 2:

City/Town:

ZIP/Postal Code:

Email Address:

Phone (cell):

Q7
Signature Required:

By checking this box and typing my name below, I am
electronically signing my application.

Q8
Full Name:

ANDREW KENNY

City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 1 / 2
Q1
Full Name:

Michael Tou
Q2
Indicate the name of the Committee you are interested in serving on:

I have proudly served on the Costa Mesa Housing and Public Service Grants Committee since 2022 and am committed to continuing this work for another term. My experience reviewing CDBG Public Service Grant applications and collaborating with fellow members has strengthened my ability to make thoughtful, equitable funding recommendations. I am dedicated to supporting programs that serve our most vulnerable residents and look forward to continuing to provide informed, community-focused guidance to the City Council.

Q4
As a Committee member, what ideas or projects are of interest to you? I am interested in strengthening accountability by ensuring each grantee is evaluated through clear metrics and measurable outcomes.

I also see opportunities for the City to better highlight funded programs, services, and the residents they serve to showcase impact.

Over the past term, the Committee improved the grant application and rating process to better inform funding recommendations and prioritize organizations delivering meaningful results for our youth, seniors, and low-income families.

Q5
Optional Resume:

Respondent skipped this question
#26#26

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Started:Started: Thursday, March 26, 2026 1:23:47 PMThursday, March 26, 2026 1:23:47 PM Last Modified:Last Modified: Thursday, March 26, 2026 1:47:52 PMThursday, March 26, 2026 1:47:52 PM

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City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 2 / 2
Q6
Contact Information:Note: This contact information will not be posted on the City's website or distributed to the public.

However, this information is still subject to release pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

Name:

Address:

City/Town:

ZIP/Postal Code:

Email Address:

Phone (cell):

Q7
Signature Required:

By checking this box and typing my name below, I am
electronically signing my application.

Q8
Full Name:

Michael Tou

City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 1 / 2
Q1
Full Name:

Katherine
Q2
Indicate the name of the Committee you are interested in serving on:

I think I am fair, diversified, snd care about many aspects of the city Q4
As a Committee member, what ideas or projects are of interest to you? None in particular.

Q5
Optional Resume:

Respondent skipped this question
#17#17

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Started:Started: Monday, March 16, 2026 12:16:21 PMMonday, March 16, 2026 12:16:21 PM Last Modified:Last Modified: Monday, March 16, 2026 12:21:42 PMMonday, March 16, 2026 12:21:42 PM

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City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 2 / 2
Q6
Contact Information:Note: This contact information will not be posted on the City's website or distributed to the public.

However, this information is still subject to release pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

Name:

Address:

City/Town:

ZIP/Postal Code:

Email Address:

Phone (cell):

Q7
Signature Required:

By checking this box and typing my name below, I am
electronically signing my application.

Q8
Full Name:

Katherine e stewart

City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 1 / 2
Q1
Full Name:

Greg Pinney
Q2
Indicate the name of the Committee you are interested in serving on:

Animal Services Committee,
Active Transportation Committee,
Housing and Public Service Grants Committee
Q3
Indicate why you wish to serve on this Committee. Provide any experience or qualifications you may possess that you think would be beneficial to this Committee. A resume (optional) may be attached.

I am a licensed realtor and life long Costa Mesa resident.

Q4
As a Committee member, what ideas or projects are of interest to you? Real estate expansion, pet rules and regulations as well as traffic issues that face the city.

Q5
Optional Resume:

Respondent skipped this question
#23#23

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Started:Started: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 6:36:23 PMWednesday, March 25, 2026 6:36:23 PM Last Modified:Last Modified: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 6:40:24 PMWednesday, March 25, 2026 6:40:24 PM

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City of Costa Mesa Application for City Committee (2026) 2 / 2
Q6
Contact Information:Note: This contact information will not be posted on the City's website or distributed to the public.

However, this information is still subject to release pursuant to the California Public Records Act.

Name:

Address:

Address 2:

City/Town:

ZIP/Postal Code:

Email Address:

Phone (cell):

Q7
Signature Required:

By checking this box and typing my name below, I am
electronically signing my application.

Q8
Full Name:

Gregory Pinney

Costa Mesa City CouncilApril 7, 2026

Costa Mesa City Council
April 7, 2026