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Bilingual Educator Corina Villaraigosa Named to First 5 LA Board of Commissioners

August 8, 2005
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Los Angeles, CA – Corina Villaraigosa, a bilingual educator for more than 20 years, has been appointed to the First 5 LA Board of Commissioners by L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina, chair of First 5 LA. Supervisor Molina appointed Villaraigosa to the 13-member Board of Commissioners, effective Sept. 8, 2005.

"I have known Corina for over 25 years and I trust that with her extensive teaching expertise, she will bring a unique perspective to the commission," said Supervisor Molina. "The residents of Los Angeles County rely on the First 5 LA Commissioners to make sound, well-informed decisions on policies that affect our children's health and education. I am confident that Corina's experience as a public school teacher will provide a child-centered focus to these decisions."

"We are honored to have Corina join the Commission, as she has tremendous compassion and insight into how we can better meet the needs of children and families of Los Angeles County," said First 5 LA Executive Director Evelyn V. Martinez. "As a teacher of English language learners for two decades, Corina has never forgotten her own humble beginnings and identifies strongly with those we serve."

Raised in Pico Rivera, Villaraigosa worked her way through California State University, Long Beach, and eventually earned a master's degree in education from Cal State Los Angeles. She has been employed by the Montebello Unified School District for more than 21 years, starting as a teacher’s assistant working with lower-income children, before becoming a bilingual teacher and now a bilingual coordinator. She resides in Mount Washington, with her husband, Antonio, and their two children, Natalia, 12, and Antonio Jr., 16.

"It is an honor to be appointed to the First 5 LA Board of Commissioners and I look forward to working together to achieve all that we can for the young children and families of Los Angeles County," said Villaraigosa.

Villaraigosa joins the First 5 LA Board of Commissioners at an exciting time for the organization. First 5 LA is now overseeing the implementation of its $600 million Universal Preschool Initiative, which will ultimately provide access to quality early learning to every four-year-old in Los Angeles County.

First 5 LA was established following a voter-passed initiative in November 1998, and uses tobacco tax revenue to fund education, health, child abuse prevention, child care and other programs intended to promote early childhood development for expectant parents and children through age 5.