Paula is a public servant and a mother who has dedicated her work to closing health care and academic achievement gaps.

Paula currently serves as Deputy Legislative Affairs Secretary in the Office of the Governor, advising on all policy matters related to health and human services, childcare, and immigration. This work includes fighting back against the daily attacks from the Trump Administration on vulnerable neighbors and communities.

Paula also served three years as Assistant Secretary for the California Health and Human Services Agency,
where she led statewide COVID-19 efforts and expanded access to health and human services programs. In this
work she was on the front lines of supporting public health departments, schools, and communities to address challenges due to the pandemic.

She was elected to the San Juan Unified School District Board of Education in 2016, where she served for 8
years including two consecutive terms as president of the board during COVID. During her first term on the
SJUSD Board, she led the passage of Measure P, a $750 million bond to fund our local schools. She increased
access to rigorous academic programs for all students, and increased the number of counselors, social workers,
and other direct student supports to improve outcomes for students.

Growing up housing insecure, Paula was the first in her family to graduate high school and college. She knows the impact that good schools, great teachers, and committed counselors can have on changing the trajectory of a child’s life. She survived a rare metastatic cancer when she was a young adult, an illness that cemented her belief in the importance of health care for all. Paula believes that all students, community members, and workers deserve the opportunity to build real-life skills necessary to pursue meaningful careers and to achieve economic freedom for their families.

As a mom and committed public servant, Paula is running for Los Rios Community College District Trustee to ensure our community colleges are safe and accessible for all students, and to strengthen partnerships, ensuring that LRCCD is a force for economic mobility and community resilience.