Vanessa Aramayo, (appointed for term ending June 30, 2028)

Commissioner Aramayo has worked to deliver lasting and positive systemic change at the local, state, and federal levels. She brings a rich background of working in the private, public, and now non-profit sectors. Her experience working in the California State Assembly and the U.S. Congress helped shape her vision of changing public policy to address inequities by engaging those directly impacted by systems. For over ten years, she has served in top leadership positions for local and statewide non-profit organizations working to improve conditions for immigrants, low-income and communities of color. Her experience working on public policy spans over 20 years and her issue areas of responsibility have included public education, college access, health care, economic development, immigration, security and public safety, and environmental.
Commissioner Aramayo is a passionate advocate for coalition building and engaging key stakeholders to work together towards expanding opportunities for all. Throughout her career, she has successfully collaborated with hundreds of community based organizations across California, effectively mobilizing residents and families in urban and rural areas. In addition, she has fostered partnerships with business leaders and elected officials at the local, state and national levels, including city halls, Sacramento and Washington DC.
One of Commissioner Aramayo’s notable achievements is the development of training programs that have empowered and cultivated thousands of community leaders, developed effective public policy agendas, and led campaigns to cultivate electoral power in key, under-represented communities. Her dedication extends to diverse policy advocacy efforts, from initiatives focused on increasing parent engagement within local school districts to championing a more equitable state budget in California. Additionally, she played a key role in health care reform with the delivery of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and in the fight for comprehensive immigration reform at the national level. Through this work, she has also helped to lead efforts to deliver victories on key state ballot measures that create billions in new revenues to fund education and critical local health services. Her experience creating campaigns aims to increase new voters and turnout in low income, underserved communities.
Commissioner Aramayo currently serves as the Executive Director of a Los Angeles based non-profit organization, Alliance for a Better Community (ABC) which works to advance social, economic, racial equity and justice for the Latino/a community and the Los Angeles region.
She is the daughter of immigrant parents, a first generation college graduate, and her personal experience lends to a stronger understanding of the importance of access to opportunities and basic resources that help people thrive. Professionally, she has learned the critical importance of delivering strategic initiatives through strong, robust collaborations and building bridges through authentic relationships. She is a proud UCLA graduate and lives in Northeast Los Angeles with her husband and twin daughters.