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Commission application number 158 submitted by David Quin on 06/22/2020
First Name David
Middle Name/Initial J.
Last Name Quin
Voter Unique Identification number 1177654306
Education Level Post-Graduate Degree
Major Pursued Political Science
What is your occupation? Program Manager for Energy Purchasing program for political subdivisions
Submitted Address
City Austin
State TX
Verified Address
Do you have a spouse or domestic partner? Yes
Spouse/Domestic Partner First Name Ysabel
Spouse/Domestic Partner Last Name LeMay
Are you applying to be the student member of the commission? No
Have you been continuously registered to vote in the City of Austin for the last five years? Yes
Have you voted in 3 of the last 5 City of Austin general elections (or corresponding runoff if applicable)? Yes
Been appointed to a state or city office? No
Been elected to a state or city office? No
Been a candidate for a state or city office? No
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a political party? No
Served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of the campaign committee of a candidate for elective state, county, or city office? No
Been a registered state or local lobbyist? No
A paid employee of the City of Austin? No
A person performing paid services under a professional services contract with the City of Austin? No
A person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to the City Council of the City of Austin or to any individual member of the City Council of the City of Austin? No
A controlling person of a person performing paid services under a professional or personal services contract to any member of the City Council of the City of Austin? No
Contribute or bundle one thousand dollars ($1,000) or more in aggregate to candidates for City of Austin elective office? No
Please describe your relevant analytical skills. BA in Political Science from the University of Manchester, UK; MA in Latin American Studies (emphasis on Political Science) from UT-Austin with statistical analyses and mapping components used n the production of dissertation; Two years working in a reputable polling operation learning statistical modeling and data analytics in Texas politics; 13 years working in the Texas State Senate, including a detailed focus on senate, house and congressional redistricting from 1994-97 and in 2001-03; learned to use Red Apple redistricting software; 16 years living in my community continuously for 16 years with a good understanding of Austin's many "communities of interests"; Broad understanding the legal precedents that require the redistricting process to be fair and statistically defensible.
Please describe your ability to be impartial. For the last 12 years I have worked with both Democrats and Republicans on a daily basis on budget items worth millions of dollars in taxpayer dollars. I bring an independent bipartisan approach as an aggregator of energy purchases for 98 political subdivisions (not including Austin or Travis) which requires me to work with local officials on both sides of the aisle. I have also worked on former UT Professor James Fishkin's Deliberative Democracy project, which rebalances the public discourse through the direct communication of issues to voters through issue-specific focus groups and discussions. I bring a collaborative approach to decision-making that avoids alienating participants. I have the courage of my convictions but I don't wear them on my sleeve. I enjoy finding common ground on controversial subjects. As a legislative director in the Texas Senate I worked with many different sides on a wide range of contentious and sometimes divisive issues from domestic violence to animal welfare to environmental protections to city code regulations to privacy protections and, in many cases, was able to achieve consensus.
Please describe your appreciation for the City of Austin's diverse demographics and geography. Having lived in Austin since 1990 I have seen this city grow from "the biggest small town in Texas" to an internationally-recognized metropolitan hub that is a great deal more ethnically diverse and complex than it was 30 years ago. I have direct experience with gentrification and the issues it raises locally; the street I moved onto has gone from being majority elderly African American to majority young and white in less than a decade. I have a wide range of community contacts in many different fields and from different walks of life, that inform my knowledge of this city. I have an intimate knowledge of the geography of the east side of Austin, where I have resided for 16 years, and the wider city. I have worked with minority communities on several different cultural events (Forklift Danceworks' "Trash" project, for example, the Austin Creative Alliance and the Austin Men's Soccer Association). I know that the redistricting process is essential to ensure the fair distribution of resources and representation in our city so that the value of all communities working together is bigger than the sum of each community acting alone.
Please provide your employment history. 1992-1994: Pollster, Shipley and Associates, Austin 1994-2002: Legislative Aide, Office of State Senator Mike Moncrief 2002-2008: Legislative Director, Office of State Senator Royce West 2009-Present: Program Manager, Texas Conference of Urban Counties - Public Power Pool Electricity Aggregation
Please provide any other information you wish to be considered during the selection of the most qualified applicants for the Commission. Secretary, Board of Austin Creative Alliance, 2014 to present President, Forklift Danceworks to 2008 to 2014
How did you hear about redistricting/Applicant Review Panel? Radio
Disclaimer Agreement Checked
Disclaimer Signature David J Quin
District District 1
Does this application qualify? Yes
Austin Auditor, City of Austin
redistrictatx@austintexas.gov
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