I was born and raised in Merced County, and attended local schools in the area. My parents were immigrants of the Azores islands, and I was blessed to learn the value of a strong work ethic growing up on the family dairy farm. After graduating from Fresno State with a degree in Accounting, I spent the next ten years working in the private sector, as an auditor and as a financial analyst for the largest winery in the world. Additionally, I spent ...