27 Sep Downey Mayor Blanca Pacheco at Chamber Breakfast
The La Mirada Chamber continued its speaker series on October 4th at 8:00 AM at 12 Sixty Modern Pub & Kitchen in La Mirada located at 14299 Firestone Blvd, La Mirada, CA 90638.
The Chamber is honored to have as our speaker Downey Mayor Blanca Pacheco.
The daughter of a nurse and public school bus driver, Blanca Pacheco grew up in a working-class community. She understands the California Dream because she and her family have lived it.
The values of strong work ethic, determination, and building a better life for both family and community have been the driving forces behind Blanca’s life’s work of giving back. The first-ever Latina to serve in the position, Blanca Pacheco is the Mayor of the City of Downey, the largest city in California’s 64th State Assembly District. She was first elected to the Downey City Council in 2016 and became Mayor in 2020.
Pacheco believes in putting people and local neighborhoods first. Amid COVID-19 she spearheaded a moratorium on rent for both commercial as well as residential tenants to help working people stay in their homes and to assist local small businesses, preventing countless stores from closing
Elected in 2016, she became the first Latina elected to the Downey City Council. In 2020, she became the first Latina to serve as the Mayor for the City of Downey. She is a longtime resident of Downey and the Downey Unified School District. She graduated from the University of California Los Angeles (U.C.L.A.), where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a Chicano Studies specialization. She graduated from Loyola Law School, where she received a Juris Doctorate, and subsequently passed the California State Bar Exam in 2003.
As a further testament to Pacheco’s commitment to her community, she offers pro bono services to communities with limited means. She is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Downey; received the Distinguished President’s Award; a member of Gangs Out of Downey (G.O.O.D) and the Downey Elks Lodge. Her passion for serving the community was recognized in 2016 when she received the “Woman of the Year” Award from Assembly Member Cristina Garcia.
Pacheco’s eagerness to serve her community has led to her involvement in advocating for various state legislative bills. She is currently the Chair of the League of California Cities’ Housing, Community, and Economic Development Policy Committee. She is also the Vice President of the League of California Cities’ Los Angeles Division. She is on the executive board for California Contract Cities Associations. She understands the importance of expanding her knowledge in these organizations to help meet our city's needs.
When Blanca is not working or volunteering, she enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Mr. Belvedere and Jackson. She enjoys taking them for long walks in her neighborhood and spending quality time with them.
For those of us who love to eat, 12Sixty and The Holiday Inn is offering an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet at a heavily discounted rate of $18/per person + tax and tip. Please join us early to get a seat in the Chamber’s reserved section.
If you have not yet joined or renewed your membership for 2022, please visit https://www.lamiradachamber.com/join/ to renew.