Vincent Romo: Candidate for California State Assembly District 63

💌 Email Me ⏐ Address: 2279 Eagle Glen Parkway #1112-356, CORONA, CA 92883

A Servant Leader Rooted in Community

Vincent Romo is running to represent the heart of Assembly District 63 in Sacramento, championing small government and big results. He believes YOU—the residents—are the true experts, and he’s committed to ensuring your voices shape policy, not top-down mandates. As a tenured History Professor, educator, coach, husband, father, and lifelong servant to others, Vincent brings experience, integrity, and a deep connection to our district’s values.

A Journey of Grit and Service

Born into a working-class family and a long line of small business owners in the San Gabriel Valley, California, Vincent forged his path through grit. His story of ascension began on the high school football field, wrestling mat, and track where he honed discipline and tenacity. He was discovered by legendary San Gabriel Valley and Citrus College football coach Marc Haygood, who refereed the tournament where Vincent won the Montview League Heavyweight Championship for the second time, defeating each of his opponents in less than thirty seconds.

After playing in San Gabriel Valley's "Hall of Fame Game," he committed to play at Citrus College for Haygood and new Head Coach Kevin Emerson. He was standout as a student-athlete, earning Offensive Freshman of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, twice earning All-Conference honors, and a spot among Sporting News’ “Top 100 JUCO Players in America.” At Citrus College, Vincent helped pave the way for future NFL running back Quinton Ganther to break many longstanding rushing records.

After Citrus College, he earned a football scholarship and was mentored by former NFL coach Joe Walton, Super Bowl winning coach Dan "Bad Rad" Radakovich, Super Bowl Defensive MVP John Banazsak, and NFL Strength Coach Tom Myslinski. Equally as decorated as a NCAA Division 1 athlete, a devastating leg injury and months of immobilization ignited a new passion as an avid reader. He started all 43 games of his college football career. Vincent earned a Bachelor’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences at Robert Morris University and returned home to California.

Back in Southern California, he started his first business in marketing, honing his skills as a graphic designer and innovating with social media (Facebook and MySpace), email data, and text message marketing. He opened Grub Riot in 2014, a catering, marketing, and consulting company. It was these ventures that allowed him to fund two Master’s degrees, and afforded him the time to volunteer as a youth coach and at local museums. Working at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and the Museum of Tolerance deepened his commitment to service and preserving shared stories. Vincent now holds an M.A. degree in History and Applied Media, and an M.A. degree in Education and Instructional Design from National University.

A Leader in Education and Innovation

In 2017 he was given the opportunity to become an Adjunct Professor at Mt. San Jacinto College in Menifee where the department chair dubbed him "The Swiss Army Knife" for his wide range of ability. Since then, Vincent has taught over 100 courses, including U.S. History, World History, California History, Mexican American History, Latin America, the American West, and U.S. Racial and Ethnic History, across Southern California: Cypress, Mt. San Jacinto, MiraCosta, Santa Ana, Cerritos, and Chaffey Colleges.

Known for his engaging teaching style, he’s earned stellar reviews. Today, he’s a tenured Professor of History at Cypress College, inspiring students to connect the past with the future. He has served on the Distance Education Committee since 2018, and was the campus' Open Educational Resources Liaison from 2021-2024. Beyond the classroom, Vincent has taken graduate seminars at UC Irvine and Cal State Northridge to sharpen his skills as an historian and in debate. He also did a series of panels on the state of college campuses in Southern California at the Lincoln Club in Orange County.

As an instructional designer at Chapman University and multiple community colleges during the pandemic, Vincent pioneered HyFlex instruction, blending in-person and online learning to meet diverse student needs. He developed the “Canvas Blueprint” for Cypress College, streamlining online education for all college faculty, and served as a peer reviewer for online teacher certification (POCR). As a faculty member at MiraCosta College, he was appointed to the "Outcomes, and Assessment Committee" and "Academic Senate Awards Committee,” serving on both committees from 2018-2020.

His leadership as part of the Distance Education Committee and advocacy for Open Educational Resources (OER) have made quality education more accessible and affordable. He served as a faculty advisor and reviewer of grants on the Academic Senate for the California Community College (ASCCC) in Sacramento for three years for the Open Educational Resource Initiative. On a separate committee assignment for the ASCCC in Sacramento, Vincent served as a faculty advisor for the pilot of the California Virtual Campus (CVC), which has allowed access to courses across the state for students to pursue their unique educational pathways.

Vincent and his team have brought hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants to Cypress College in the form of OER, CVC, POCR training, and a podcast studio for students. Vincent is also shaping the future by developing curriculum in Applied AI at Cypress College, preparing students for emerging industries. As Faculty Advisor to the Politics, Policy, and Podcast Club and the Wrestling Club, he mentors students in civic engagement and personal growth, fostering the next generation of leaders.

At Cypress College, Vincent has been nominated for "The Charger Award" (for significant contributions to the educational community outside the classroom), "Outstanding Faculty Award" (Outstanding Full-Time Faculty Award), a OTF Grant (to build a podcast studio), and the ASCCC OERI Grant to develop a course for the state in American History, just to name a few.

At Santa Ana College, Vincent was nominated for the following awards: "The Don" (Award for the instructor who gives their all to students), "The Maestro" (The instructor who is knowledgeable and takes content that is seemingly impossible to understand and makes sense of it), and the J.E.D.I. (This award is for the instructor who demonstrates respect and understanding by creating a welcoming and inclusive environment).

A Scholar and Storyteller

Vincent’s scholarship reflects his passion for uncovering the untold stories of our region’s history. His research and presentations have earned recognition at prestigious venues, including the American Historical Association, the San Diego Museum of Art, The Met, and the Museum of Tolerance. Notable works include:

• AHA Poster Presentation (2021): “Andrés Pico’s Hunt for Juan Flores: Hunting the Mexican out of Mexican American,” a graphic novel exploring Mexican-American identity.

• Southwest Popular Culture Association (2020): “Imperial Graffiti: Stealing Remington’s Cowboy,” analyzing cultural narratives in the American West.

• MiraCosta College Native Americans 101 (2019): Conference chair and presenter of “World War Fur: Alta California, 1798-1821,” uniting Indigenous scholars and historians.

• America Historical Association-Pacific Coast Branch (2019): “The Battles of Andrés Pico,” Panel 17, Politics across Borders: 19th Century Mexico, United States, and Canada. University of Nevada Las Vegas.

• San Diego Museum of Art (2015): Research contributor for “100 Years, 100 Artists” at the Oceanside Museum of Art.

• The Met (2013-2015): Research for “The American West in Bronze, 1850-1925,” exhibited in New York, Denver, and Nanjing, China.

• Museum of Tolerance (2011-2013): "The Hitler Letter," "Anne Frank Exhibit," and the "Simon Wiesenthal Office Exhibit"

• William S. Hart Museum (2011-2013): "Bill Hart Monument" by artist Charles Cristadoro (one of Walt Disney's private artists)

• AMG Company : Historian for Greg Licht, former Board President of the Southern California Indian Center. Vincent is currently working on a family history book that will cover Spanish California and local American Indian Tribes like the Soboba, with a working title, Dawn to Dusk of the Californio Sun.

Los Angeles County recognized Vincent in 2013 for "Contributions to the Community," as did the City of Newhall for his work on artist Charles Cristadoro. Vincent’s work amplifies the voices of all our communities, ensuring their stories are woven into our shared history.

A Champion for Youth and Community

Vincent’s commitment to service extends beyond the classroom. As a coach for Corona Pony Baseball, Friday Night Lights Football, NFL Flag Football, and numerous High School football teams, he instills discipline, teamwork, and resilience in young athletes. When his son and other local youth lacked a wrestling program, Vincent took action with his friend Arturo, purchasing mats and transforming his garage into a training space. This initiative kept kids off the streets, offering them a path to purpose and opportunity.

Vincent is an amateur botanist as well. He cultivates a vibrant Temescal Valley garden, nurturing citrus, avocado trees, and grapevines like the Viña Madre (grown originally at the California Missions), the California Native grape (Vitis californica), alongside the iconic California golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica)—our State flower (the reason Vincent chose orange in his campaign’s design).

Vincent and his wife, Nancy, have been married for seventeen years. They were married at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. They have two children, Jackson and Quinn. Guided by his Catholic faith and devotion to family, Vincent’s life revolves around service. As a husband and father, he understands the challenges families face in Assembly District 63—from rising costs to ensuring safe, thriving communities. His hands-on approach and deep community ties make him uniquely qualified to represent our district.