Dr. Michael A. (Mike) Moodian has served as a faculty member in various capacities at Chapman University since 2007. He codirects Wilkinson College’s Orange County Annual Survey and teaches for the Leadership Studies minor and Integrated Educational Studies major programs.

Mike has written numerous journal articles, book chapters, and commentaries and has been a guest op-ed contributor for newspapers such as the Orange County Register, San Diego Union-Tribune, San Jose Mercury News, Voice of OC, and Los Angeles Daily News. He has presented his research at national and international conferences and has served as an expert commentator on several television and radio programs. Based on his interest in local history, he wrote a short book on the ranch history of South Orange County and North San Diego County titled Images of America: Rancho Santa Margarita (Arcadia, 2010). Mike enjoys speaking to local K-12 and community groups on South Orange County’s indigenous American activity, the Portolá Expedition, Mexican governance of the land, and 20th century ranching activity.

Mike earned a doctorate degree in education from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree in communications and bachelor’s degree in communications and sociology from California State University, Fullerton. He is a former U.S. military reservist.

Jim Box is a life-long public administrator in Orange County. He is currently the Director of Community Service at the City of Buena Park and was previously the Stanton City Manager, having served Stanton for over twenty years. Jim is also an adjunct professor of public administration at Fullerton College.

Jim connected with Jodi to talk about the side of politics that is so often not understood - public administration - and how it impacts every aspect of your communities.

Homeshare OC is a program of Homeless Intervention Services OC that aims at tackling the student housing crisis. The program's innovative approach to student housing not only provides safe and affordable living conditions but also fosters an environment where students can thrive and succeed in their academic pursuits.

Jodi sits down with Carrie, Laura, and Jeanette to talk about housing policy and how college students in America are struggling to achieve their goals.

Lieutenant Commander Jay Chen is a Navy intelligence officer, small business owner, and President of the Board of Trustees for Mt. San Antonio.

He is the first Democrat to throw his hat in the race to unseat Republican Rep. Young Kim in California's competitive 39th Congressional district.

Jay is no stranger to this race. He ran in 2012 against Republican Rep. Ed Royce, which culminated into the strongest showing a Democrat ever produced against the long-term Congressman. His 2012 race is attributed to laying the groundwork for Democrats like Rep. Gil Cisneros' victory in 2018.

Jay recently returned from Kuwait where he was part of an international mission to defeat ISIS.

Jodi got a chance to sit down with Jay to talk about his race and why he decided to run again.

Dr. Calhoun is the first African-American to hold elected office in Fullerton, California.

As a little girl growing up in Fullerton, Dr. Calhoun was bussed from her home school, Maple Elementary to Laguna Road, a school in a more affluent area of the City. She received a strong foundation in academics at Laguna and at the other Fullerton schools, she later attended Ladera Vista Junior High and Fullerton High.

Having that foundation enabled Dr. Calhoun to succeed in higher education, earning her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

Jodi talks with Dr. Calhoun about her trailblazing story, her enduring perseverance, and her time singing with the Red Hot Chili Peppers!

We're back!

To kick off the new year, Jodi interviews Jose Trinidad Castañeda. Jose is a Fullerton native, serves on the City of Fullerton Planning Commission, and has served on the Parks and Recreation Commission and South Coast AQMD Youth Council. Jose played a leading role in the historic election of Democrat Fullerton Councilman Fred Jung, district 1, a historically conservative district.

He graduated from Fullerton College and California State University, Los Angeles, and works in the environmental non-profit sector.

Phil Chen is a Republican member of the California State Assembly, representing District 55. He assumed office in 2016. His current term ends on December 4, 2022. He ran for re-election to the California State Assembly to represent District 55. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Chen previously served as a representative on the Walnut Valley Unified School District Board of Education in California. He was first elected to the board in November 2011 and served until he took office in the Assembly.

Phillip Chen earned his B.A. in communications from California State University, Fullerton, as well as an M.A. in public administration and a doctorate of educational psychology from the University of Southern California.

Chen's professional experience includes working as a health deputy to former L.A. County Supervisor Michael Antonovich and as a Los Angeles County reserve sheriff’s deputy. In 2009, he was recognized as the Walnut/Diamond Bar Sheriff’s Station Reserve Deputy of the Year. Chen also served as a board member for the California Physical Therapy Board. He was also appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson to the Governor’s Office of Criminal Justice Planning.

Fred Jung and Nick Dunlap both recently won seats on the Fullerton City Council in districts 1 and 2, respectively. I got a chance to talk to them about why they ran, their experience campaigning during a pandemic, and what they plan to do when they formally join the council.

The election didn't just end on November 3rd. There are ballots STILL being counted and campaigns are anxiously awaiting those remaining results. Did the type of race those campaigns ran impact their long, drawn-out result? This is just one of the many questions answered in today's episode with Democratic political consultant Steven Sherry.

We're still watching those final mail-in ballots trickle in and get counted but we have a pretty clear idea of who won and what happened on November 3rd. To help triage these election results, I invited onto the podcast Dr. Sarah Hill, a professor at Cal State Fullerton and graduate of California Institute of Technology