Submit Date: Feb 06, 2023
First Name Last Name
Email Address
Street Address Suite or Apt
City State Postal Code
Primary Phone Alternate Phone
CITY OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
Boards and Commissions Application
Profile
Please note, applications are continuously accepted to the City of San Jose Boards and Commissions. The Board or Commission you select may or may not indicate there is a vacancy.
Your application will remain on file for one year from the date of submission. During the year, your application may be considered for unanticipated vacancies.
Are you a resident of San Jose?
Yes No
What district do you live in? To verify, please click here:
https://rovservices.sccgov.org/Home/IndexPost?
selected=dt&electionId=133&distance=5&navtab=vc&asm=simple * District 2
Length of Residency
3-5 years
Which Boards would you like to apply for?
Council Appointment Advisory Commission: Submitted
Question applies to multiple boards
Christopher Lee
San Jose CA 95136
Christopher Lee
Employer Job Title
Question applies to Clean Energy Community Advisory Commission I am applying under the following stakeholder categories (Pick top 3): * Business Owner/Association
Electricity Field (e.g. Electrical Utilities, Energy Production, Efficiency, Demand Reduction, Technology, Financing, Policy)
Energy Advocate
Environmental (Association, Advocacy, Justice)
Current Employer Address
Current Employer of Spouse
N/A
Address of Current Employer of Spouse
Spouse's Job Title
N/A
If you or your spouse is retired and receiving a pension, please state source of pension.
Ernst & Young Product Manager
Christopher Lee
Interests & Experiences
High School, College, Professional, Vocational, or Other Schools Attended. Please include Major or Field of Study, Dates Attended, Degree and Date of Degree.
Benjamin N. Cardozo HS, Advanced Regents Diploma, 2002-2006 City University of New York - Queens College, B.A. Media Studies, 2006-2010
List any position or office held in any governmental agency, civic, or charitable organization including the dates.
Young Supporters Committee - Hope for New York, 2012-2014 Languages Spoken
American English, Hong Kong Cantonese, Taiwanese Mandarin Special Awards or Recognitions Received
Please state why you want to become a member of this Board or Commission including specific objectives which you would work toward as a member.
Please state any other information which you feel would be useful in reviewing your application
Ernst & Young Eco Innovators Activist and former Sustainability Champion for Ernst & Young Eco Innovators Bay Area Citizens' Climate Lobby Silicon Valley South member Do you own property in the City of San José?
Yes No
If yes, please list the addresses here.
Do you rent property in the City of San José?
Yes No
If yes, is it a month-to-month lease?
Yes No
Christopher Lee
Question applies to multiple boards
Are you currently experiencing homelessness or have you experienced it in the past?
Yes
No
State and local law require that you abstain from participation in decisions that may affect your financial interests, including sources of income, interest in real property, personal finances or investments.
In addition, if appointed, you may be required to fill out a disclosure statement which identifies certain financial interest beginning with the immediate twelve-month period prior to your appointment.
Please review the scope of your
board/commission in Municipal Code Chapter 2.08.
Based on your best judgment, does this
Board or Commission make decisions that may affect sources of income, interests in real property, personal finances or investments of you or your spouse?
Yes
No
If yes, please explain.
Please identify any organizations, associations, corporations, or entities by which you are employed or associated that might be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission, and the positions you hold in these entities.
Question applies to multiple boards
If appointed, you will be required to fill out a disclosure statement, which identifies certain of your financial interests beginning with the immediate twelve-month period prior to your appointment and annually on or before April 1 of each year thereafter. Please confirm that you have read Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Form 700 Reference Pamphlet and agree to file required FPPC Form 700 Statements of Economic Interest, as required by current City Council Conflict of Interest resolution.
Yes
No
Question applies to multiple boards
Have you ever been required to file a Statement of Economic Interest (Form 700) and failed to do so?
Yes
No
Question applies to multiple boards
If yes, please explain in complete detail.
Question applies to multiple boards
Please confirm that you have reviewed and agree to comply with the San Jose Municipal Code Chapter 12.08 (Prohibition of Gifts), City of San Jose Ethics Policy (City Policy Manual
1.2.1), and City of San Jose Gift Policy (City Policy Manual 1.2.2).
Yes
No
Christopher Lee
Reference 1 Name
Walt Lemmermann
Reference 1 Address
Reference 1 Email address
Reference 1 Phone
Reference 2 Name
Ninous William Bebla
Reference 2 Address
Reference 2 Email address
n
Reference 2 Phone
Supplemental Questions
Question applies to Board of Fair Campaign and Political Practices,Civil Service Commission,Planning Commission Are you a registered voter in the City of San Jose? (Please note, your voter registration will be independently verified)
Yes No
Question applies to Civil Service Commission,Board of Fair Campaign and Political Practices,Planning Commission Please provide the name and residential address under which you are registered to vote. If it is the same as listed above, please note see above.
Christopher Lee
Question applies to
Board of Fair Campaign and Political Practices
Have you participated as a candidate in any election to public office in the year prior to your application to the Commission? Please note, if you have, you are ineligible for appointment.
Yes
No
Question applies to
Board of Fair Campaign and Political Practices
If you are applying for the Board of Fair Campaign and Political Practices, please indicate any familiarity or experience you may have with campaign laws.
Question applies to
Appeals Hearing Board,
Civil Service Commission
Are you an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of California? If you are, please provide your California State Bar Association Number:
Question applies to
Civil Service Commission
If you are applying to the Attorney-at-Law position on the Civil Service Commission, please indicate how long you have been licensed to practice law in the State of California. Note, you must have been licensed at least five years to be considered eligible for the position. If this question does not apply to you, select 'n/a'.
None Selected
If applicable, have you ever attended or watched a meeting of the Commission(s) to which you are applying?
Yes
No
Would you be available to attend meetings at the scheduled time?
Yes
No
Please describe your experience in serving on a Commission or Board.
Considering your experience and activities in business, labor, School, professional, social,
Commissions, Boards, or other organizations, indicate the experience, training, knowledge and/or skills which qualify you for appointment.
What is your understanding of the purpose of the Commission? Please list three issues facing the City that you feel the Council should address.
Christopher Lee
Question applies to
Arts Commission
Describe recent San José arts activities you have participated in during the last twelve months (up to five activities) and what drew you to attend? Question applies to
Arts Commission
Describe the ways in which you believe the arts bring value to the general community.
Question applies to
Arts Commission
Should the City of San José have an active role in arts and cultural development? If so, in what ways and why?
Question applies to
Arts Commission
How can you contribute to advising City Council on policy and programs related to cultural development in San José?
Question applies to
Civil Service Commission
Council Policy prohibits former or current City employees to serve on the Civil Service Commission. Have you previously been employed by the City of San Jose?
Yes
No
Question applies to multiple boards
Do you meet the requirements for appointment to this commission?
Yes
No
Question applies to
Library and Education Commission
Do you have a background in early care and education issues?
Yes
No
Question applies to
Library and Education Commission
What involvement have you had in library and/or early education issues? Christopher Lee
Question applies to
Library and Education Commission
Would you be willing to attend local special events/meetings as a representative of the Library and Early Education Commission?
Question applies to
Parks and Recreation Commission
Please describe your experience in working with governmental agencies.
Question applies to
Parks and Recreation Commission
As a Parks and Recreation Commissioner, how would you handle a situation where you have a volatile
Community group which is opposed to a staff proposal?
Question applies to
Parks and Recreation Commission
Can you provide examples of major public policy issues that you have been involved in and what your role was in the issue?
Question applies to
Senior Citizens Commission
What is a major issue facing San José’s older adults and what do you see as the Commission’s role in this issue?
Question applies to
Senior Citizens Commission
Please describe a leadership role you have assumed within the last five years.
Question applies to
Senior Citizens Commission
How would you handle differences in opinions or positions on issues being heard at a Senior Commission meeting?
Question applies to
Senior Citizens Commission
What makes you knowledgeable about senior issues in the community? Question applies to
Clean Energy Community Advisory Commission
Based on the stakeholder categories you selected, please briefly describe your qualifications and applicable experience. Please attach resume at the end of the application.
Christopher Lee
(Optional) Please upload a resume.
Question applies to
Clean Energy Community Advisory Commission
Given the small number of committee members, having a quorum is essential.
Please
describe your ability to make a commitment to attending and actively contributing to the committee (The committee will meet at least quarterly and in the evenings, but may meet more frequently in the early stages)
Anything else you would like us to know?
Retirement Board Questions Only
Verification
By checking the box below, you agree with the following statement.
I agree that all of the information contained in my responses to the questions on this application are true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I further agree that, by checking the box below and submitting this application, online or otherwise, I am affixing my digital signature to this form as of the date submitted.
I Agree
*
Christopher Lee
Submit Date: Feb 15, 2023
First Name Last Name
Email Address
Street Address Suite or Apt
City State Postal Code
Primary Phone Alternate Phone
CITY OF SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA
Boards and Commissions Application
Profile
Please note, applications are continuously accepted to the City of San Jose Boards and Commissions. The Board or Commission you select may or may not indicate there is a vacancy.
Your application will remain on file for one year from the date of submission. During the year, your application may be considered for unanticipated vacancies.
Are you a resident of San Jose?
Yes No
What district do you live in? To verify, please click here:
https://rovservices.sccgov.org/Home/IndexPost?
selected=dt&electionId=133&distance=5&navtab=vc&asm=simple * District 2
Length of Residency
6 or more years
Which Boards would you like to apply for?
Airport Commission: Submitted
Question applies to multiple boards
Question applies to Clean Energy Community Advisory Commission I am applying under the following stakeholder categories (Pick top 3): * Energy Advocate
Hai Bui
San Jose CA 95138
Hai Bui
Employer Job Title
Current Employer Address
Current Employer of Spouse
N/A
Address of Current Employer of Spouse
Spouse's Job Title
N/A
If you or your spouse is retired and receiving a pension, please state source of pension.
Interests & Experiences
VMware Principal Software Engineer
Hai Bui
High School, College, Professional, Vocational, or Other Schools Attended. Please include Major or Field of Study, Dates Attended, Degree and Date of Degree.
Cornell University, 04/2020 to 07/2020, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Certificate University
of Texas at Austin, 5/2002 to 12/2003, Master of Science in Computer Engineering, Specialized in Software Engineering Milwaukee School of Engineering, 9/1996 to 5/2000, Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Pulaski High School, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 9/1993 to 6/1996, High School Diploma
List any position or office held in any governmental agency, civic, or charitable organization including the dates.
Area Governor, Toastmasters, 2004-2005 Club President, Toastmasters, 2004-2008 Chapter Vice President, Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) Honor Society, 1998-2000 Chapter Vice President, Association for Computing Machinery, 1998-2000
Languages Spoken
English, Vietnamese
Special Awards or Recognitions Received
Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Please state why you want to become a member of this Board or Commission including specific objectives which you would work toward as a member.
My objectives of being a Planning Commissioner are
1. Ensure the City Council’s General Plan is
executed timely, efficiently, and with quantifiable results so that all San Jose residents can enjoy and appreciate living in San Jose. Strike a balance between common sense, immediate needs, and idealistic and futuristic goals.
2. Modernize San Jose future plannings by applying my experience of over two decades as an accomplished, lead engineer at top tech companies. Transition existing buildings, constructions, and all infrastructure toward green energy, and enhancing pedestrians’, bikers’, and neighborhood safety by adopting the latest technological advancements in sustainable energy, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.
3. Improve the efficiency of land use and provide logical and reasonable zoning and regulations to improve San Jose’s appeals to employers so that more of them will establish offices in San Jose, saving more commute time and fuel costs for San Jose residents.
4. As a
member of an underrepresented group in San Jose’s city leadership, strongly advocate the Planning Committee to be more attentive to neighborhoods’ feedback, especially feedback from minority and underrepresented communities, toward the process of zoning, regulations, and Environmental Impact Evaluations.
Hai Bui
Please state any other information which you feel would be useful in reviewing your application
I have been living in San Jose for 12 years (20 years in the Bay Area.) I started my family right here in San Jose, and we cannot imagine living anywhere else.
Over the years, I have seen San Jose’s
population rise and shrink, new condos and offices erected, Adobe, Zoom, and Google expanding in downtown, and the varying successes and failures with the new City Hall, and the Airport. Apparently, efforts have been made to effect many positive changes. Also apparently, there are still a lot of work to do.
Before San Jose, I have lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Houston, Texas for over a decade. In Milwaukee, I saw intense focus on the city’s future developments, both in land use and social causes.
Unfortunately, the efforts were seriously hampered by the lack of a vibrant local economy. In Houston, the local economy was vibrant and diverse, but the lack of zoning, or planning in general, made the city a chaotic eyesore in many neighborhoods.
From that experience, I believe San Jose has the best of all worlds to be a well-planned, well-zoned, well-managed city while also promoting a clean and safe environment, with better quality of life for everybody. San Jose’s economic strengths, coupled with a dedicated, strong, diverse, and inclusive Planning Commission will continue making San Jose one of the best cities in the world.
Do you own property in the City of San José?
Yes
No
If yes, please list the addresses here.
Do you rent property in the City of San José?
Yes
No
If yes, is it a month-to-month lease?
Yes
No
Question applies to multiple boards
Are you currently experiencing homelessness or have you experienced it in the past?
Yes
No
State and local law require that you abstain from participation in decisions that may affect your financial interests, including sources of income, interest in real property, personal finances or investments.
In addition, if appointed, you may be required to fill out a disclosure statement which identifies certain financial interest beginning with the immediate twelve-month period prior to your appointment.
Please review the scope of your
board/commission in Municipal Code Chapter 2.08.
Based on your best judgment, does this
Board or Commission make decisions that may affect sources of income, interests in real property, personal finances or investments of you or your spouse?
Yes
No
Hai Bui
If yes, please explain. Please identify any organizations, associations, corporations, or entities by which you are employed or associated that might be affected by decisions of this Board or Commission, and the positions you hold in these entities.
N/A
Question applies to multiple boards
If appointed, you will be required to fill out a disclosure statement, which identifies certain of your financial interests beginning with the immediate twelve-month period prior to your appointment and annually on or before April 1 of each year thereafter. Please confirm that you have read Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Form 700 Reference Pamphlet and agree to file required FPPC Form 700 Statements of Economic Interest, as required by current City Council Conflict of Interest resolution.
Yes No
Question applies to multiple boards
Have you ever been required to file a Statement of Economic Interest (Form 700) and failed to do so?
Yes No
Question applies to multiple boards
If yes, please explain in complete detail.
N/A
Question applies to multiple boards
Please confirm that you have reviewed and agree to comply with the San Jose Municipal Code Chapter 12.08 (Prohibition of Gifts), City of San Jose Ethics Policy (City Policy Manual
1.2.1), and City of San Jose Gift Policy (City Policy Manual 1.2.2).
Yes No
Reference 1 Name
Lorraine Wong Meyers
Reference 1 Address
Reference 1 Email address
Reference 1 Phone
Hai Bui
Reference 2 Name
Manoj Kumar
Reference 2 Address
Reference 2 Email address
Reference 2 Phone
Supplemental Questions
Question applies to Board of Fair Campaign and Political Practices,Civil Service Commission,Planning Commission Are you a registered voter in the City of San Jose? (Please note, your voter registration will be independently verified)
Yes No
Question applies to Civil Service Commission,Board of Fair Campaign and Political Practices,Planning Commission Please provide the name and residential address under which you are registered to vote. If it is the same as listed above, please note see above.
Same as Above
If applicable, have you ever attended or watched a meeting of the Commission(s) to which you are applying?
Yes No
Would you be available to attend meetings at the scheduled time? Yes No
Please describe your experience in serving on a Commission or Board.
Admovio Inc., Board of Directors, 2007-2008: Director, Advertisement and Monetization startup. Held executive strategy and execution discussions with executives and investors (Sand Hill, Intel, IDG.) Formulated appropriate reactive and corrective actions as necessitated per business progress, accordingly to bylaws and business plan.
Hai Bui
Considering your experience and activities in business, labor, School, professional, social,
Commissions, Boards, or other organizations, indicate the experience, training, knowledge and/or skills which qualify you for appointment.
My day-to-day work as a principal engineer does not only involve coding, but also involves leadership, communication, and mentorship. Besides writing software for distributed systems, I also provide day-to- day guidance to chart the right course of actions in response to variable changes, for my team and others to achieve our objectives.
As I communicate and advise upper management with technical and business strategies while also mentoring new engineers, I have the skills to be patient, to listen, to share, to explain, and to make others feel welcome and openly share their minds while we are working together to make the right decisions.
I have also held leadership roles in a startup’s Board of Directors, and in clubs, organizations, honor societies starting from high school to college, and consistently all the way to my established career.
With leadership skills, experience, and qualifications, I will help the Board evaluate, improve, and execute San Jose’s regulations regarding zoning, land use, and future development plans more rationally, effectively, and pertinently.
As a long-time San Jose resident who loves this city, and who has grown up and lived in both the Midwest and the South, I will help balancing between growth and environmental concerns, between optimizing land use and quality of life, and between business priorities and residents’ social priorities.
As a member of an underrepresented group, I will resonate feedback, concerns, and initiatives from the diverse communities in San Jose, to ensure the Planning Commission will consider their voices in helping shape up San Jose with all residents’ interest in mind, for the present and far into the future.
What is your understanding of the purpose of the Commission? My understanding is the Planning Commission works alongside with the City Council. With the Commissioners’ collective and specialized experience, expertise, and skills, the Commission supplements the City Council’s vision and goals regarding land use, zoning, environment, and redevelopment and future development plans. The ultimate goal is to optimize City Government’s strategic plannings and services to benefit all San Jose residents.
Hai Bui
Please list three issues facing the City that you feel the Council should address.
1. Lack of modern technological expertise. For example, Vision Zero is a noble goal, but from my observations, it has not shown significant and meaningful actions, let alone success. Specifically, “building a robust data analytics tool” is first in the action list, but there is virtually no transparency on how this action is being carried out. So far, Vision Zero seems to be implemented by narrowing streets, drawing crazy zig-zag lanes, and planting a lot of safety posts on Senter Rd., which confuse and frustrate a lot of people. These appear to be stopgap measures, derived from generic, prima-facie, low-quality data while in-depth, multiple-variable, more thorough data should be procured. Having a couple of experienced computer engineers in the Commission will help.
2. Lack of vision. The most obvious demonstration of the lack of vision in zoning is residential houses and apartments are built right next to busy and noisy freeways while offices are zoned in quiet areas, such as Hellyer Ave., so quiet (and remote) that virtually no businesses would like to lease there. Additionally, there are certain zones that have too many shops too close together, causing parking and general traffic and road rages. Just look at Capitol Expy and Silver Creek Rd., or Story Rd. and McLaughlin Ave. Finally, being the most populous city in Silicon Valley, San Jose should be the city with the most high-tech offices. Unfortunately, this is still a work-in-progress.
More thorough and passionate vision is needed from the City Council and the Planning Commission.
3. Lack of quality, common sense, and equality in planning. Areas of neglected communities like Story Rd. and McLaughlin Ave., and Capitol Expressway have endured chaotic traffic for decades. Capitol Expressway is still allowing bicyclists despite irrefutable data pointing to the fact that the area is inundated with chaotic traffic and aggressive drivers, and approximately ten bicyclists have been killed there in the last two years. While these areas are neglected, Silver Creek Valley Rd. gets paved every single year despite having the best-looking road surface (until recently, for inexplicable reasons. Possibly everything does get deteriorated after the pandemic.) In short, I believe the City Council and the Planning Commission should get their collective act together to ensure better and fairer planning.
These
observations should not be viewed as criticism. Instead, I believe it is healthy and rational to identify the problems before considering any solutions. If my sole purpose were to denigrate the Council and the Commission, I would just stay on the sidelines and continue complaining. By applying to the Planning Commission, I want to be a part of the solution, and from my position as a Planning Commissioner, gain more understanding of how the San Jose works, and collaborate with the City Council and fellow Commissioners to find solutions that truly work for the people of San Jose.
Question applies to
Airport Commission
What are the three most critical challenges facing Mineta San Jose International Airport in the next five
years?
What do you bring to the table in terms of experience, expertise, or perspective to help address these challenges
I believe SJC has been chronically plagued with critical challenges related to land, architectural layouts, and vicinity.
• Land: SJC is landlocked, with virtually no room to expand. With Google setting up a large campus in the nearby downtown area, the next five years will see increasing numbers of passengers. At the same time, there is no more land for additional runways and parking. • Layouts: Because of the real estate limitations, SJC must be more innovative and creative to continue improving accommodations and revenue – parking, restaurants, hotels, lounges, to name a few. • Vicinity: As downtown San Jose continues to develop, while flight paths to SJC remain static and will not change in another five years, both air and ground traffic will keep increasing, and so will the neighborhood residents’ complaints.
These
are opportunities for chaos, requiring board members with experience working with problems with multiple variables, being critical, creative, and persevere to come up with the optimum solutions. Logistics are important, and so are human factors. That is why this could be the perfect opportunity for an engineer having worked with complex and chaotic projects, and I am one of such engineers.
Hai Bui
Question applies to
Airport Commission
What can the Airport do to balance its obligations as a “good neighbor” and as a world- class international
airport for Silicon Valley?
If there is a conflict in achieving an appropriate
balance, how would you resolve it?
From my experience of over two decades working with computer systems and software, this is a matter of tradeoffs. “Having your cake and eating it, too” would be ideal, but that can be rarely accomplished.
Anyone, having read a few books, will almost certainly arrive at the conclusion that one must achieve a balance, but the critical question here is “How?”
I believe a balance can be obtained as long as you have real leaders on board, and what distinguishes a real leader from an also-ran is the capability of handling multiple variables without neglecting the human factors. That means employing multiple tactics, strategies, improvisations, and flexibilities based on real-time situations, but still being able to appeal to all the human factions involved. There are no books and no manuals for this. Only someone with a blend of a technical, business, and social-awareness mind can pull it off. One might call it leadership; I call it rare, but not impossible to find.
Question applies to
Airport Commission
What can the City of San José and the Airport do to engage Silicon Valley business leaders and other
communities to support the Airport’s efforts to increase air service and add routes to SJC? What can you do
personally to help achieve this goal?
The City and the Airport have no choice but to accommodate growth, and they must be, for the lack of a better word, aggressive for growth. There is nowhere else to go but expansion, and there should be absolutely no doubts about it. Creative solutions have to be reached; bold moves have to be made. At the same time, the City and the Airport must also communicate better to the communities to gain their supports.
At the personal capacity, I can offer my experience as an engineer to help the City and the Airport with technical and strategic decisions. At the same time, I will also bring to the Board the human factors and empathy so that the solutions will be holistic and practical. The Board needs fresh perspectives.
Question applies to multiple boards
Do you meet the requirements for appointment to this commission?
Yes
No
Hai Bui
(Optional) Please upload a resume.
Question applies to
Clean Energy Community Advisory Commission
Based on the stakeholder categories you selected, please briefly describe your qualifications and applicable experience. Please attach resume at the end of the application.
As a principal computer system and software engineer, with over two decades of experience, I want to bring to the Commission critical and thoughtful contributions to ensure the push for Clean Energy in the City of San Jose to be executed efficiently and effectively. With this being an ambitious and potentially costly initiatives, one wrong move could set the initiative back many years, and hundreds of millions of dollars wasted.
I will help the Commission select the right technologies and the most efficient methods to deploy such technologies to ensure the widest reach and benefits to all communities in San Jose.
Please
refer to my résumé for the more details of my qualifications.
Question applies to
Clean Energy Community Advisory Commission
Given the small number of committee members, having a quorum is essential.
Please
describe your ability to make a commitment to attending and actively contributing to the committee (The committee will meet at least quarterly and in the evenings, but may meet more frequently in the early stages)
Since the subject of clean energy is a strong interest of mine, I will attend the Committee's meetings regularly. In my current work at VMware, my work schedule has been flexible, and I am allowed to work from home, in San Jose, every day for the entire week.
Anything else you would like us to know?
Retirement Board Questions Only
Verification
Hai Bui
By checking the box below, you agree with the following statement.
I agree that all of the information contained in my responses to the questions on this application are true and accurate to the best of my knowledge. I further agree that, by checking the box below and submitting this application, online or otherwise, I am affixing my digital signature to this form as of the date submitted.
I Agree
*
Hai Bui