Herlinda Chico is a long-time resident and homeowner in Long Beach. Growing up in a middle-class family, she learned the value of hard work, determination, and standing up for what is right from an early age. These formative values led her to pursue a career in public service. Over the course of her 25+ years of service, she has been responsible for addressing and improving quality of life issues such as homelessness, crime, and public infrastructure in various cities, including Long Beach, throughout Los Angeles County.

 

Having lived in Long Beach for over twenty years, she has made significant contributions to her community by serving on several regional boards and commissions. Her involvement includes being a member of the City of Long Beach’s Parks and Recreation Commission, the City’s Mental Health Advisory Group, where she fostered better collaboration among agencies from multiple jurisdictions, Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Animal Care and Visioning Task Force that laid the foundation for the unprecedented FY24 Budget allocations to support strategic plan priorities, a member of the Lower LA River Master Plan Working Group which developed the framework to activate open spaces, housing, and small business opportunities along the Los Angeles River.

 

Herlinda currently serves as the elected Trustee for the Long Beach Community College Board of Trustees, named one of the Best Colleges in California in 2023. In her position, she has played a key role in securing over $30 million in resources, advocating for better representation of marginalized communities within LBCC staff and students, providing living wages for professors and staff, improving access to academic and social resources for students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and expanding course offerings to Catalina Island and the Carmelitos Housing Development.

 

She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications from California State University, San Bernardino, and lives in the Traffic Circle neighborhood of the newly redrawn 4th Council District.