Los Angeles — Equality California announced today that it has endorsed Katherine Perez-Estolano to represent District 25 (Glendale, Pasadena, Sierra Madre) in the California Senate.
“Katherine’s public and civic service demonstrate a deep commitment to improving the lives of everyone in all of California’s diverse communities,” said Rick Zbur, executive director of Equality California. “Her extensive experience in government, through appointed positions at state and local levels, has more than prepared her for leadership in Sacramento. She is one of the rising stars of the LGBT community and we believe she will be a strong advocate for LGBT people and for all the communities of which we are a part. It is a key priority for Equality California to maintain a strong LGBT caucus in the state legislature, and we are enthusiastic in our support of Katherine as an extraordinary LGBT candidate.”
Perez-Estolano is an expert in urban planning, transportation, and community engagement. She is co-founder and partner at Estolano LeSar Perez (ELP) Advisors, a policy consulting firm dedicated to growing thriving, vibrant and healthy communities. She has dedicated her career and civic focus to protecting the environment, devising sustainable housing and transportation strategies to combat climate change, and creating liveable communities. Prior to joining ELP Advisors, she served as executive director of the Urban Land Institute, Los Angeles District Council, an organization which provides leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Perez-Estolano is an adjunct professor at the USC School of Planning and Development, and also was an adjunct professor at the UCLA School of Policy.
She has a distinguished history of public service in appointed positions in both local and state government. In 2013, Governor Jerry Brown appointed her to the California High Speed Rail Authority. She was previously an appointee on the state Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Commission. She has also served as deputy mayor of the city of Pasadena, as well as on Pasadena’s Commission on the Status of Women and Transportation Commission. In addition, she formerly served on the Latino Advisory Council of Pasadena City College. Perez-Estolano lives in Pasadena with her wife and their blended family of six children.
The Equality California Political Action Committee endorses viable candidates who have a proven track record of supporting equal rights and legal protections for LGBT Californians and who are committed to advancing these goals in their capacity as elected officials.
Perez-Estolano will appear on the June, 2016 Democratic primary ballot.
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Equality California is the nation’s largest statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender civil rights organization dedicated to creating a fair and just society. Our mission is to achieve and maintain full and lasting equality, acceptance, and social justice for all people in our diverse LGBT communities, inside and outside of California. Our mission includes advancing the health and well-being of LGBT Californians through direct healthcare service advocacy and education. Through electoral, advocacy, education and mobilization programs, we strive to create a broad and diverse alliance of LGBT people, educators, government officials, communities of color and faith, labor, business, and social justice communities to achieve our goals. www.eqca.org
