City and civic leaders from around the State joined in mourning the passing of past State Assemblywoman, Los Angeles City Councilwoman and Los Angeles County Supervisor, Gloria Molina as she passed away last month after a three-year battle with terminal cancer.
A product of the Pico Rivera community and El Rancho High School graduate along with being a member of the El Rancho High School Hall of Fame, Gloria Molina was a trailblazer and pioneering political leader. She was the first Latina elected to the State Assembly when she won her seat in the 56th Assembly District in 1982. She then ran for the Los Angeles City Council in 1987 and won a seat representing nthe First District. She became the first woman to be elected to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors when she won a seat in 1991. During her career in Public Service, she was a staunch advocate for marginalized communities and a champion for issues that affected working-class families.
Locally, she understood the critical role that libraries serve as learning centers and hubs for civic engagement. She was instrumental in helping secure funding for a new, state-of-the-art Pico Rivera Library, as a joint effort between the City of Pico Rivera and Los Angeles County.
“Gloria was well-respected among our City Council, City leaders and our residents,” said City Manager Steve Carmona. “She left a lasting legacy with everyone here in the City, her hard work and dedication not just to this community but to all the communities that Gloria served. She will surely be missed.”
Throughout her public service career, she broke many glass ceilings and shaped Los Angeles County in many lasting ways – making Los Angeles County a more inclusive and equitable place for all of us, while paving the way for future generations of leaders.
