As the daughter of an immigrant Father and Mother who grew up in East Los Angeles, my Mexican parents instilled in me the importance of family, the value of hard work, the necessity of completing my education, and then giving back to my community. They also encouraged me to believe in myself and ...
Read moreAs the daughter of an immigrant Father and Mother who grew up in East Los Angeles, my Mexican parents instilled in me the importance of family, the value of hard work, the necessity of completing my education, and then giving back to my community. They also encouraged me to believe in myself and my abilities. So, I completed my AA degree and then went on to receive my BA in Political Science at Sonoma State University in 1994. I achieved this while working full-time and putting myself through school. My career has gone from small business and corporate law firms to my present role as a non-profit administrator and volunteer coordinator for homeless women and children in our community.
The lack of outreach to communities of color and disenfranchised people moved me to get involved in politics, first with the Sonoma County Latino Democratic Club and then on various City boards, including the first Community Advisory Board and the Board of Community Services. I also have served on numerous non-profit boards including Social Advocates for Youth and M.O.V.E.S (Minimizing Occurrences of Violence in Everyday Society).
I have served on the Planning Commission since 2009 and still work with organizations that help keep kids out of gangs. One of the most fulfilling volunteer positions I hold is that of Co-Chair of the Cinco de Mayo in Roseland Committee. This committee and event were created to prevent gang violence on Cinco de Mayo and it is now entering its seventh successful year.