Personnel Profile: Cory Salzillo

Capitol Weekly: What led you into consulting?
Cory Salzillo: I started with an internship during college with Assembly
member Bruce Thompson. When I graduated I used those contacts that I had
established to get a job with Senator [Richard] Rainey. I worked with him
for a year and a half. Then, I went over to the Assembly and worked with
Dick Ackerman for a year on his personal staff. I came back to the Senate
with him when he was elected and was with him for his first six months in
the Senate. Then, I went back to Assembly and became a consultant for the
Republican Caucus on Transportation. I did that for two- and one-half years
and then I came over here [to public safety]. So it was just a progression
of moving on and moving up while focusing more on policy. That was the most
interesting part of being a staffer: working on policy.

CW: What do you see that are the most pressing issues right now in public
safety?
CS: I think there are a couple. I think the future of the death penalty is
one of the big ones. The whole process is kind of on hold right now. And
what’s going to happen with that with the pending execution, the Morales
case, and what it is going to mean for future executions in the state.
And, I think, what has been an issue for several years is Megan’s Law,
Jessica’s Law: the sex-offender legislation protecting kids, giving parents
enough information to protect their kids and ensuring there are adequate
penalties for sex offenders, and keeping track of them once they are
released. I think those are the two big ones facing the state. Those have
definitely been the highest profile issues we’ve seen this year.

CW: Is it true you are really into music?
CS: Yeah, I’m a big music fan. Half of my art [in my office] is music
related. I like going to concerts for all types of music, well, most types
of music. I’ve seen a lot of Dave Matthews shows. I try to catch them
whenever they come to California. I’m a huge jazz fan, real jazz, not fake,
soft jazz; Miles Davis, Coltrane, Monk, Charles Mingus