| Vice Mayor Sasha Renee Perez is a lifelong Democrat, educator, and civil rights advocate who champions equitable access to higher education and lifting up California working families. She is deeply committed to advocating for policies that create social, racial, and economic justice.
Sasha was raised in the San Gabriel Valley communities of Glendora and Alhambra. She's the daughter of a union electrician, a Los Angeles County social worker, and the granddaughter of a Sheetmetal worker and AFL-CIO organizer. Sasha excelled at Monterey Highlands Elementary and Mark Keppel High School and became the first in her family to graduate college, earning degrees in Political Science and Economics from California State University, Los Angeles.
Sasha led a statewide campaign that secured $97 million to increase college access and affordability for all California students. She has helped pass historic legislation that expanded health care access, improved government transparency, and provided protections for victims of violent crimes.
Sasha began her professional career with the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State LA, where she educated high school students about civic engagement and policy. She then joined the Campaign for College Opportunity, advocating for equitable policies in higher education and leading coalitions that worked to improve college access, success, and affordability. Sasha worked on the Cal Grant Equity Framework with Senator Connie Leyva and Assemblymember Jose Medina, to simplify and expand Cal Grant access to nearly half a million college students. Most recently, she served as the Political Director for the Yes on Prop 1 campaign, which enshrined the right to abortion and contraception in the California State Constitution.
Sasha was honored as Congressional Woman of the Year by Congresswoman Judy Chu in 2022 for spearheading the creation of Alhambra's sustainability plan and securing $670,000 in congressional funds. She was named Active SGV's Outstanding Elected Official in 2021 for her efforts to increase pedestrian safety and walkability throughout the city.
In 2020, Sasha was elected to Alhambra City Council and immediately sworn in as Mayor, making her the youngest female Mayor in San Gabriel Valley history, the youngest Latina Mayor in California history to lead a mid-sized city and the first openly-Bisexual Mayor in the country.
Sasha immediately made an impact by helping Alhambra residents and businesses navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. She worked with small business leaders and restaurant owners to pass an ordinance to cap the fees that third-party food delivery charge. Sasha ensured local grocery, pharmacy store, and city workers were paid for their essential work. Alhambra's HERO Pay ordinance was one of the strongest in the area, assuring essential workers could afford to support their families during these challenging times.
Throughout her service on the Alhambra City Council, Sasha has quickly earned a stellar reputation as a collaborative leader who champions policies that improve the city's quality of life and economic vitality. She brought together key stakeholders to pass Alhambra's first Project Labor Agreement and hire social workers and mental health professionals to join the city's public safety team. In 2022, Sasha worked with state legislators to secure $25 million dollars to build Alhambra's first-ever community center.
Sasha serves as a Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) commissioner appointed by Supervisor Hilda Solis. She approaches the region's homelessness and housing crisis with compassion, informed by the tragic loss of two family members who lived unhoused. She was selected for the California 100 Commission, a statewide initiative incubated at the University of California and Stanford to set forth a sustainable and equitable vision for the state's next century. She is also a board member for the Asian Youth Center, a non-profit dedicated to empowering low-income, immigrant, and at-risk youth.
Sasha is a Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) Leadership Institute and Emerge California graduate. In her free time, Sasha volunteers at food banks, enjoys hiking, and supporting local restaurants. |