District 4 Councilmember Sheng Thao

Sheng Thao comes from humble beginnings. One of four daughters of asylum seekers from the Vietnam War, she is a member of a tight-knit, Hmong American family. As a single mother, and a domestic violence survivor, Sheng put herself through college while working and raising her son. She graduated as Valedictorian from Merritt College and transferred to U.C. Berkeley, where she earned her degree in Legal Studies. During her time at Cal, she co-founded a food access program for students with children because she encountered many students who struggled to afford healthy food for their families.

Sheng has many years of experience on the Oakland City Council as a senior legislative staff member and as Council Chief of Staff. As Chief of Staff, she has managed multiple city budget cycles - focused on balancing a transparent and responsible budget. Sheng also has extensive experience in staffing regional government Boards and Commissions where she has worked on ways to bring funding to Oakland for public safety, transit, and capital improvement projects. Sheng is also an active participant on the Alameda Labor Council's Rapid Response working group, which aims to protect undocumented immigrants in Oakland and its neighboring cities. As a champion for the environment, Sheng has worked on policy solutions to provide cleaner air and water for Oakland residents.

Sheng is a lifelong public servant and currently serves as a board member on the Redwood Heights Association, she is also on the board for the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, and serves as the Vice President for the Asian American Democratic Caucus of Alameda County. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her son, biking through Joaquin Miller Park, and camping in the Stanislaus and El Dorado forests with her family. Sheng lives in District 4 with her 11-year-old son, Benedict, who is a Joaquin Miller Elementary alum.