Last month, I was sworn in as the 2025-26 League of California Cities President before 2,300 city officials at the Annual Conference and Expo in Long Beach. In my first President’s Message, I’d like to share some of my history and my thoughts about our work in the coming year to keep our cities strong and thriving.

The most rewarding part of public service is bringing people together and being of service to others. That is the foundation of my service to the El Cerrito community, and the mindset that I bring to my role as Cal Cities President.

Almost 25 years ago, I returned to my hometown of El Cerrito to help my father, who had dementia, navigate the final stages of his life. It wasn’t easy, and I had no training. I see now that this was one of the reasons I got into public service: I saw how other people were going through the same thing I was, and we needed help, support, and resources. I wanted to connect with and give back to my community.

I was elected to the El Cerrito City Council in 2014 and immediately became active with Cal Cities. I am most proud that as a city official, I have worked to build bridges with officials at the regional, state, and federal levels. I have also created a bench for the many communities to which I belong, mentoring our next generation of leaders. This is what I bring to Cal Cities: an eagerness to collaborate and to work together to bring success for ALL Californians.

We live in interesting times, and we have weathered a lot in the last few years. California’s booming economic growth and the growth of Silicon Valley. The pandemic. The explosion of artificial intelligence and self-driving cars. More and more crises caused by climate change — like floods, wildfires, and sea level rise. Polarization and violence in our communities. Heightened economic uncertainty.

Through it all, Cal Cities is the voice for California cities. Cal Cities is our fighter in Sacramento, ensuring we have the resources we need to deliver essential services and protect local decision-making.

Cal Cities also unites us as city officials. This is especially important today as outside forces try to divide us. Yes, we have our differences, but we know that we are stronger together. 

Each of our cities is unique. But under the umbrella of Cal Cities, we focus on what we have in common: We want our cities to be strong and to thrive.

How do we do this? We build bridges, even with those who may disagree with us. We stay committed to good governance to ensure city councils can help their cities and residents succeed. Good governance is how we stay focused on policy, not politics. Now, more than ever, we must stand together, lean on each other, and work together to protect our communities.

I believe that working together is how we will help our residents navigate yet more change. It’s how we will power progress for our residents. Whether we are from a big city or a rural city — we learn from each other, we share, and we are better together. We are ONE California.

Let’s work together to build bridges, create good public policy, and remember that at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team.