E-mail: sheila.sanchez@patch.com

Phone: 408-391-8725

Hometown: Van Nuys, California

Birthday: July 1, 1963

Sheila Sanchez was born in Van Nuys and moved to Guayaquil, Ecuador, as a child. When she was 18, she returned to the U.S. to finish high school and enroll at Brigham Young University. That's where she earned her bachelor's degree in journalism in 1990.

Sanchez has worked for more than 20 years as a reporter and editor at mid-size daily and weekly newspapers. She's won several awards from the Associated Press for her spot news and investigative reporting, and in 2007, the Morgan Hill Times won the coveted General Excellence Award from the California Newspaper Publishers Association, while Sanchez was editor. 

She's married to Mario, a software engineer in Santa Clara, and has three children—two daughters, ages 18 and 16, and a son, who is 9. That means Sanchez is a busy woman, but she's also an avid runner. She's completed eight marathons and now is training for the San Diego Rock 'n' Roll marathon in June 2011.

 My Beliefs: At Patch, we promise always to report the facts as objectively as possible and otherwise adhere to the principles of good journalism. However, we also acknowledge that true impartiality is impossible because human beings have beliefs. So in the spirit of simple honesty, our policy is to encourage our editors to reveal their beliefs to the extent they feel comfortable.

Politics: I'm not affiliated to any political party, but tend to vote Republican. I'm conservative on issues related to family, but I'm liberal on social issues. 

Religion: I'm a devout member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a.k.a. Mormons. I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic schools in Alausi, Ecuador, living in a boarding school run by Sisters of the Oblate Order. It was there that my love for spirituality and faith was born. I converted to Mormonism in Guayaquil, Ecuador, after searching and studying religion for many years.

I respect all denominations and faiths and believe all of them can help us draw closer to a higher power to live happy lives full of purpose and hope.

Local hot-button issues: Everyone in town is talking about the need for more recreational opportunities for youth. The planning of the proposed youth sports park is being closely followed by youth advocates, parents and young people. Capital improvement projects are also a big concern. The town is building a new library and last year built a police operations center to give more room to the police department. Other government buildings, however, are old and too small for a growing community. And due to dwindling funds from Sacramento, the town's general fund next fiscal year could be $2.5 million less, which could impact services.