Dana Cruz
Governmental Affairs Attorney, Judicial Council of California
This story is part of our July 2026 Young Professionals issue. To read the print version, click here.
Growing up in Pittsburg, Calif., Dana Cruz didn’t realize his childhood was unusual. The son of Filipino immigrants and the youngest of five children, he was raised in a working-class community where grit was a necessity and opportunity wasn’t guaranteed. His father, a Vietnam veteran who emigrated from the Philippines after growing up in deep poverty, reminded Cruz of how many opportunities he’d been given.
“There was always this sense that life is a gift and that you should do something meaningful with it,” he says.
That perspective has shaped a career in public service. Today, Cruz serves as a governmental affairs attorney for the Judicial Council of California. The 34-year-old has worked in all three branches of California government legislative, executive and judicial — helping shape policies related to veterans’ services, housing, mental health and homelessness.
His path began as a first-generation college student at UC Berkeley. Like others in his family, Cruz planned to serve in the military and earned an ROTC scholarship with the goal of becoming a judge advocate in the U.S. Air Force. When military budget cuts altered those plans, he pivoted to law school at UC Davis, where a strong emphasis on public service clarified his direction.
“I never really envisioned a career in the private sector,” he says. “I always felt drawn to government and public service.”
That calling led him to the California State Senate. One of his earliest successes as a Senate Fellow was advancing SB 410, legislation that streamlined the process for military service members transitioning into state employment. The experience taught him a lesson about public policy.
“There are so many moving pieces,” he says. “No one person accomplishes anything alone. Change happens because people work together.”
At the California Department of Finance, Cruz helped implement major housing and COVID-era rental assistance programs during a turbulent period. He remembers a press conference where a recipient described how the assistance would help her family stay housed.
You see the impact on real people with immediate needs, he says.
Today, his work at the Judicial Council places him at the intersection of some of California’s most difficult challenges, including homelessness and behavioral health policy. Rather than shying away from tough issues, Cruz finds them energizing.
“Complex problems require serious solutions,” he says. “You have to be willing to ask what is actually causing the problem and how different parts of government can work together to address it.”
Friends and colleagues see that same curiosity outside the office, where Cruz is known for hosting Jeopardy game nights and exploring topics spanning history, politics and current events. “I’m a bit of a nerd,” he laughs.
His intellectual pursuits are balanced by a taste for adventure. A self-described thrill seeker, he has gone skydiving and even jumped off a Las Vegas high-rise. But he also values time to rest and recharge and remains active in his local church.
“Serving my community through my church helps keep me grounded,” he says.
Along the way, Cruz has had to overcome a few doubts. Coming from a community that was often overlooked, he sometimes questioned whether he belonged in elite academic and professional spaces. A high school counselor, Pat Diokno, became one of several mentors who encouraged him to push past those doubts and trust that his experiences mattered.
“She always believed I could do more than I thought I could,” he says. “People like that remind you that your voice belongs in the room.”
That mindset eventually led him to Harvard’s Kennedy School, where he earned a master’s degree in public administration and studied alongside public servants from around the world. The experience broadened his perspective while reinforcing his appreciation for opportunities in the United States.
On America’s 250th birthday, Cruz remains optimistic. For him, the nation’s strength lies in its capacity for progress and in the willingness of ordinary people to serve causes larger than themselves.
That belief was reinforced by a letter he received from former President George W. Bush. After writing to share the story of an elementary school project he had done on the president, Cruz received a response containing a lesson he still carries with him: “When you serve a cause greater than yourself, you give hope to others and your life will gain greater purpose.”
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