Phil Serna, 41, lives and works in Sacramento's Natomas community. Phil grew-up in Sacramento's Curtis Park neighborhood where he attended local schools. Phil earned a B.A. from California State University, Sacramento in 1992 and a Masters Degree in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 1994. While attending graduate school, Phil met his wife Roxanna. They've been happily married for 14 years.
Following graduate school, Phil and Roxanna lived in San Francisco where Phil worked for a consulting firm specializing in environmental, economic and fiscal assessment. Later, Phil took a position with the Home Builders Association of Northern California as its Vice President of Governmental Affairs managing research and advocacy efforts relative to urban planning, environmental mitigation, and regional cooperation. Phil routinely worked with state legislative commissions, environmental and affordable housing advocates, business groups, and local governments to advance smart growth initiatives. Phil was also very active in his local community serving as an appointed member of the San Ramon Planning Commission and Architectural Review Board.
After returning to Sacramento in 2003, Phil established his own project management firm, Serna Consulting, LLC. Serna Consulting offers clients a variety of project management services, including advocacy and government relations. Phil has worked on a number of real estate projects with an emphasis on negotiating "win-win" solutions for both property owners and local governments. Some of his achievements include negotiating a multimillion dollar developer-funded supplemental school fee agreement for new school construction, crafting a first-of-its-kind agreement requiring developers to fund Interstate 5 congestion relief, and securing hundreds of acres of permanent open space and habitat mitigation over and above current regulatory requirements. In addition to his daily responsibilities with Serna Consulting, Phil is also a partner in Revolution Wines, a small commercial winery and tasting room located in Midtown Sacramento.
When Phil isn't working or playing music with several local jazz, folk, and rock-n-roll bands, he commits his time and energy serving on the Board of Directors for the CSUS Serna Center and for Cottage Housing Incorporated, a local non-profit transitional housing provider. Phil has also served as an adjunct faculty member of the CSUS Geography Department where he has taught economic geography and urban planning.