Espinoza elected Mayor of LaHabra

Received this from OCDP Chair Frank Barbaro this afternoon 

Rose Espinoza was elected as the new mayor of the city of La Habra. She won the unanimous vote of La Habra city council members. Espinoza was sworn in as mayor on December 3. She also served as La Habra mayor in 2004 and has been on the La Habra city council since 2000.

“I’m grateful to my colleagues for their vote of confidence,” said Mayor Espinoza. “I especially look forward to my Mayor’s Community Hour where I hope to meet with La Habra residents that would usually not come to city hall. I want my leadership to set an example that ordinary folks can make a difference.”

Espinoza has continually made a difference by contributing time, energy and talent to La Habra, Orange County and broader communities embracing issues and causes most important to her. On November 15, 2007 Espinoza received the National Caring Award, a prestigious honor that has been given to world renowned people including Mother Teresa, the Rev. Billy Graham and baseball-hall-of-famer Cal Ripken Jr. She is recognized in the Frederick Douglass Museum and Hall of Fame for Caring Americans, Washington D.C.

Espinoza serves as a League of California Cities 4th District Representative, League of California Cities Program Advisory Committee member, Orange County Sanitation District and Hills Open Space Education Coalition alternate. She has served on the La Habra Community Development Block Grant Committee, Orange County Housing and Community Service Commission and the Orange County Library Advisement Board. Espinoza is also involved in many community organizations including the Board of Trustees of St. Jude Hospital, La Habra Neighborhood Housing Services Advisory Committee, vice chairman of St. Jude Healthy Communities, board of director of Advance!, and board of director of Neighborhood Housing Services of America.

As the recipient of many awards for volunteerism, Espinoza has received the Points of Light Presidential Service Award from former President Clinton in 1994, the 72nd Assembly District Woman of the Year Award from Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher in 2002, and North Orange County Magazine’s 25 Most Influential People in 2006. In its’ 2005 special edition magazine, the Orange County Register profiled Espinoza as one of “100 People Who Shaped Orange County.”

She is a member of League of Women Voters, MANA of Orange County, National Women’s Political Caucus, DNOC, Friends of La Habra Library, La Habra Woman’s Club, Delta Kappa Gamma Society International – Beta Chapter and the La Habra Chamber of Commerce.

In 1991, Espinoza founded the La Habra program, Rosie’s Garage, out of concern for the growing gang activity and low educational attainment of children in her neighborhood. She currently serves a volunteer director of the organization. Her work with children was the subject of the documentary “Rosie’s Garage” which aired on KCET in 2002.

Espinoza received her associate of arts degree from Fullerton College and is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business. A lifelong resident of La Habra, Espinoza, 56, and her husband, Alex, have one son.