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Paulo Sibaja is the Director of Coalitions for the Leadership Institute (LI), one of the nation’s premier organizations responsible for training activists, students, and leaders. With LI, Paulo travels the nation conducting training schools, workshops, and seminars. He strives to promote the Institute’s mission to produce a new generation of public policy leaders committed to time-tested policies and values.

Paulo was Deputy Coalitions Director in Colorado for Mitt Romney for President and State Director of Hispanic Outreach, New Mexico for the Republican National Committee (RNC). His main priority was to connect the candidate and the Republican Party to key demographics, including Hispanics. The RNC referred to Paulo as "a veteran of California 'rough and tumble' politics, working on the California Assembly and various campaigns, including the 2008 Presidential Campaign."

Prior to the RNC, Paulo worked as Legislative Director for Assemblyman Brian Nestande of Palm Desert, California. He served as the legislator’s top public policy advocate in the State Capitol and to outside public policy players. Before working for Assemblyman Nestande, Paulo was the Director of Communications and Legislation of Capitol Resource Institute (CRI), a non-profit non-partisan public policy advocacy organization in Sacramento.

Before joining Capitol Resource Institute, Paulo was an Assembly Fellow for Senator Jim Nielsen. In his capacity, Paulo staffed several public policy bills and resolutions. The Governor signed two of those policy bills; they were AB 2530, responsible for saving the Williamson Act, and AB 1644 California’s landmark Veterans Remains bill. Senator Nielsen appointed Paulo as a delegate to California’s Republican Party.

Paulo has been quoted in the LA Times, Washington Post, by the Associated Press, and others. He was published in the Orange County Register, and he has been interviewed by publications, including Latin American news outlets, about his experience at the 2008 Republican National Convention.

Paulo was a vice-presidential candidate for the California Republican Assembly, the state’s oldest conservative organization often referred to as the “conscience of the Republican Party” by President Ronald Reagan. During the race he was endorsed by current U.S. Representative Doug LaMalfa, Senator Jim Nielsen, Republican Assembly leader Connie Conway, Assemblywoman Shannon Grove, Assemblywoman Beth Gaines, former CRA Vice-President Pete Weber, and many more.

He has also worked as a substitute teacher and for a financial institution prior to and in the midst of the financial meltdown. There he learned valuable lessons while developing first hand economic and financial experience.

Paulo holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside. He was born in Costa Rica and has lived in California for much of his life. Follow him on Twitter @PauloSibaja.