“The Bay Area at-large has benefited from Alicia’s tireless involvement in all dimensions of Redwood City,” said Assemblyman Rich Gordon. “Her wit, intelligence, and sincere nature make her a stand-out public servant and community member.”

Aguirre has severed on the Redwood City Council since November 2005 and was previously on the Redwood City Elementary School Board. She is involved in the Redwood City Libraries Foundation, Shelter Network Board, Hispanos Unidos, Youth Latino Leaders, among other organizations. Additionally, Aguirre is Redwood City’s first Latina Mayor.

“There is no denying that Alicia has helped pave the way for Latina women seeking public office,” said Gordon.

In response to the announcement, Aguirre stated, “This award is one of the most important awards I have ever received. I am very honored to have been selected especially from Assemblyman Rich Gordon, someone who I highly respect for his integrity and hard work.”

WHAT: State Assembly Woman of the Year Celebration

WHO: Assemblyman Rich Gordon honors Redwood City Mayor Alicia Aguirre

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Monday, March 26, 2012

WHERE: State Capitol, Assembly Floor

Woman of the Year Press Release (Word doc)

Sue Lempert – Jan 1, 2012

Even though the population of Redwood City is 40 percent Latino, it wasn’t until December 2011 that a Latina became mayor. This first-time honor went to Alicia Aguirre, former school board member and long-time professor at Cañada College. And wow, is she proud of this historic moment! She is the fourth Latino to serve the city. The first was elected to the council in 1928. Fernando Vega served in the 1970s and Priscilla Marquez in the 1980s.

Aguirre is an American success story. Her family immigrated to the United States from Mexico. Her father arrived after World War II under the bracero work program. He did farm jobs in Florida and Mississippi and then moved with his wife to Detroit to begin a job on the assembly line of the booming automobile industry. Aguirre and her four siblings were born in Detroit.

Her father insisted that the children speak only Spanish at home even while she and her brothers and sisters were learning English at school. Today, she and her siblings are bilingual as are Aguirre’s two sons. Aguirre is thankful her dad insisted on strong ties to the culture, music, language and folklore of their heritage. It has played a major role in Aguirre’s career.

Life was a struggle in those early years. Her dad was frequently laid off and had to find odd jobs in a tortilla factory to support his growing family. Aguirre was the oldest and played the role of “mama chiquita,” little mother. Her own mom, who had been a school teacher in Mexico, was her model and inspiration. She instilled a hard work ethic and set high standards for her children. Aguirre’s mom died at 59, but her dad is still alive in Detroit. One sister is the community affairs reporter for NBC TV in Detroit. She came out to film Aguirre’s swearing in as mayor. All of the siblings have had successful careers. The youngest is now working for Ford .

Aguirre pursued her college education in Michigan. She was part of the mini-mayor program set up by then Detroit mayor, Coleman Young, to provide community outreach. She worked in primarily Latino neighborhoods. To advance her education and obtain a Ph.D. in archeology, she obtained a scholarship from the U.S. and Mexican governments. She studied in Mexico City but never completed her degree. Instead, she met and married a young doctor. The couple moved to Seattle. Then her husband was offered a position at Stanford Hospital and they moved to Redwood City where they met Rich Gordon.

Aguirre’s husband worked for Gordon’s partner, also a Stanford physician. Aguirre was new to the community and wanted to get involved. Gordon put her on the board of the nonprofit Youth and Family Assistance Program. Gordon was the executive director at the time. Nonprofits were always looking for good Latino board members and Aguirre more than fit the bill. But she told Gordon she didn’t want to be “the token Latina.” And she wasn’t. Soon she found herself on a number of community boards. Then on to the Redwood City Elementary School District Board of Trustees in 1990, where she served until she was appointed to a seat on the Redwood City Council to fill the vacancy created when Ira Ruskin went to the state Assembly.

Aguirre taught at several community colleges before obtaining a full-time job at Cañada College where she has taught for the last 24 years — ESL, Spanish and Latino heritage. For the past 14 years, she has been married to Pete Liebengood, a former sportscaster for KRON.

In Sacramento, the Latino caucus holds significant political power. In San Mateo County, it’s beginning. Aguirre is the third Latina to be elected mayor of a county city this year. She is joined by 27-year old Laura Martinez of East Palo Alto and Raquel Gonzales of Colma. The other Latino councilmembers are Pedro Gonzalez, South San Francisco; Sal Torres, Daly City; Ruben Abrica and Carlos Romero, East Palo Alto; and Helen Fisicaro of Colma.

What’s most significant is that there is now a San Mateo County Latino PAC (Aguirre was a founding member) which endorses and contributes to candidates. “It’s not an automatic endorsement if you are Latino”, Aguirre pointed out. “ We are looking for the best candidate.” She also serves as a member of the Latino caucus of the League of California Cities.

With the demographics changing and reflecting more Latino political muscle, Aguirre may be the first but not the last Latina mayor of Redwood City.

Katie Worth – Jan 22, 2012

Two out of five people living in Redwood City are Latino. But until Alicia Aguirre, only two or three had ever served on its city council, according to her research.

It’s no surprise that Aguirre’s rise in local politics has Latin leaders thrilled. After six years on the city council, she was recently selected to be mayor. The term will last two years, until the next election cycle in 2014.

“This is a big step for Latinas and Latinos on the Peninsula,” said Jorge Jaramillo, president of the Redwood City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “When you have these role models, more people will get the power to say, I want to run for city council or serve on a city commission.”

Aguirre has been a professor of Spanish and English at Cañada College for more than 20 years. She grew up in Detroit, where her father immigrated from Mexico to work for the auto industry.

She credits him and her mother with her penchant for civic engagement. Even when her parents struggled to pay their bills, the family remained active with church, immigrant organizations and nonprofits.

When work brought her to the Peninsula, she decided it would be a good place to raise children, and took the position at Cañada. She became interested in the school board at her sons’ district, and over many years became a leader in the local education community. In 2005, when Ira Ruskin left the City Council to join the state Assembly, Aguirre was chosen out of several candidates to replace him.

Assemblyman Rich Gordon has known Aguirre since the mid-1980s, long before she became involved in politics. Gordon gushed about the new mayor’s chops for the job, including her “great intellect and great compassion.”

“And candidly, we need more women, and particularly Latinas, to be engaged in our political process.”

Why there are so few people of Aguirre’s demographic in politics is something she has given thought. But she hopes her own story will provide inspiration for people to become more engaged politically.

“It takes people seeing other people like themselves in a position of leadership to feel empowered to do the same,” she said.

As to whether her career may have a higher trajectory than Redwood City’s City Council, Aguirre was circumspect.

“Right now I’m just really excited to have been chosen for mayor and looking forward to doing the best job possible,” she said.

Alicia Aguirre’s career

• Professor with the English Institute and Spanish departments of Cañada College since the late 1980s
• Served on the boards of Mount Carmel School and Garfield Charter School
• Served as trustee and president of Redwood City Elementary School District
• Appointed to the city council in January 2005, re-elected in November 2005, 2007 and 2011
• Chosen to be Redwood City Mayor from Dec. 2011 through Nov. 2013

Photos: Aguirre Elected Mayor, Gee Vice Mayor

GMRC State of the City – Registration Form (PDF)