OCED Alumni: John Gonzalez

John Gonzalez, Business Resource Coordinator at the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County

1. Tell us about your former role at OCED.

I began at OCED as an intern, as additional help for staff on various projects.  Upon graduation from Fresno State, I was offered a full-time position at OCED coordinating Parent University and the San Joaquin Valley Regional Broadband Consortium.

2. How did your time at OCED prepare you for what came after OCED?

OCED was the entity that gave me my first opportunity to step into the world of public service.  Working alongside passionate people who were doing great things for the people of the San Joaquin Valley gave me invaluable insights that I could not have learned or gained anywhere else.  My experiences at OCED laid a great foundation for everything that I have learned and will continue to learn as I progress through my career. 

3. What do you enjoy most about your current role?

In my current position with the Workforce Investment Board of Tulare County, I look forward to learning more about the field, and contributing to it by improving processes through the use of human-centered design.

4. Who inspires you?

My daughter, who has changed my life, by showing me how to enjoy the present.

My Mom, who is the most selfless and hardworking person in my life.

My Wife, who challenges me more than anyone, and makes me a better person.

5. What was the best concert you've ever attended?

Kids See Ghosts (Kanye West and Kid Cudi) at the 2018 Camp Flog Gnaw Festival 

6. What's the last book you read?

Walden, Henry David Thoreau 

7. Who would you most like to swap places with for a day?

Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO

8. What is your dream job? Have you had your dream job yet?

Any job in which I am able to help improve a process or service through human-centered design