One of the more seasoned Filipino American politicians in Northern California is six-term Union City councilmember Manuel Castillo Fernandez, who won his seat in his first try in 1987.
That 1987 victory, where he garnered the most votes out of 11 candidates to the City Council, earned Fernandez a place in history by becoming the first Fil-Am elected to political office in the County of Alameda.
Born and raised in the Philippines, Manny immigrated to the United States in 1969. The BS Architecture degree holder from Mapua Institute of Technology worked as an architect for Franklin, Douden & Associates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before moving to California where he was an architect for John Carl Warnecke & Associates and Michael Painter & Associates.
While fully employed, Fernandez continued his education in design, particularly in Landscape Architecture. He became a registered Landscape Architect in California in 1976.
In 1979, Fernandez left the private sector to join the Department of the Navy where he served in various capacities, including Engineer-In-Charge, Landscape Architect and General Engineer/Project Manager for the Navy Housing Program. He also served briefly as Senior Planner with the US Coast Guard.
In 1990, Manny left government service to found Manuel C. Fernandez & Associates Inc., a design firm offering services in Architecture, Planning, Landscape Architecture and Project Management. His firm’s clients include local cities and municipalities, developers, and various agencies of the federal government.
Concurrent with his career moves, and while raising a family, Fernandez has also been active in community work. He was the first Fil-Am to serve as an officer of an American professional society when he was elected Vice-President of the American Society of Landscape Architects of Northern California (ASLA).
He later on served as president of the Filipino American Society of Architects and Engineers (FASAE), and as Board Member of the Fil-Am Council of Union City.
Prior to being elected to the City Council of Union City, Fernandez was named as Planning Commissioner in 1985, a position he applied for because he felt that the city could benefit from his expertise as a planner and as an architect.
Concurrent with his duties as a Councilmember, Manny Fernandez has also served at various times as Vice Mayor, and as representative of Union City for the Alameda Transportation Authority, the Alameda County Library Commission, the Housing Authority, the Waste Management Authority, and the Associatiion of Bay Area Government (ABAG).
Among Manny’s other community affiliations include Filipino Architects, Contractors and Engineers (FACE) and the Filipino Community of Alvarado and Vicinity (FCAV).
( Published on January 23, 2009 in Asian Journal Northern California p. B1 )
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