JamesBurandt

Served at MCB Camp Pendleton and MCAS Miramar, with deployments to Bahrain and Kuwait. My time in the Marine Corps gave me early leadership responsibility, including serving as Class First Sergeant during the Lance Corporals Leadership and Ethics Seminar, where I led 39 Marines. I was recognized with a Meritorious Mast and later received a Certificate of Commendation during deployment for work supporting ammunition logistics, training, and operational readiness.

My connection to Cal State Fullerton’s veteran community began through the Veterans Resource Center, where I worked part-time helping student veterans navigate classes, campus life, and administrative needs. I also served as President of the university’s Student Veterans of America chapter and received the Legacy Achievement Award for leadership and service to the organization.

In 2022, I was selected as one of five participants nationwide for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Legislative Fellowship. I developed my own veterans mental health policy proposal and presented it to more than 30 congressional offices for consideration as potential legislation. The fellowship gave me firsthand experience turning a policy idea into a proposal that could be discussed with federal lawmakers.

During the same period, I also interned in the Washington, D.C. office of Congressman Lou Correa. That experience gave me exposure to the day-to-day work of a congressional office, including policy research, constituent issues, and preparation of materials supporting legislative work.

My work with the City of Lake Forest gave me first-hand experience inside municipal government. As a Public Works intern, I assisted with water-quality and waste-management programs, worked directly with residents, conducted field and site work, and helped prepare data and reports for management, City Council, and commission meetings.

While completing my Master of Public Administration, I served as a Graduate Assistant in the Division of Politics, Administration, and Justice, supporting faculty, students, course administration, and academic programming. During this period I also served as President of Pi Alpha Alpha, the national honor society for public affairs and administration.

While pursuing my master’s degree, I also worked full-time in Congresswoman Young Kim’s Orange County district office. I represented seven cities, worked with federal, state, county, and municipal partners, supervised the district’s internship program, and helped organize public-facing events including veteran and senior resource fairs. The role gave me extensive experience working directly with communities and local governments across Orange County.

My current county work focuses on using data to improve government operations. I analyze service and appointment information, build Power BI dashboards and visual reports for leadership, and help translate complex operational data into clear information that supports decision-making and process improvement.

Outside of my professional work, I continue to serve through organizations focused on veterans, civic engagement, and public service. I currently chair Placentia’s Veterans Advisory Committee, serve on the board of the Navy League of the United States Orange County Council, and serve on the advisory board for Cal State DC Scholars.