MOTION -- For over thirty years, Cindy Montañez has been a fearless, committed and effective advocate for the residents of Los Angeles. As an organizer, an advocate and a public servant, she has influenced positive change and made a lasting impact.
As an undergraduate student at the University of California, Los Angeles, she joined a hunger strike to push for the introduction of a campus-wide Chicano Studies program. As a result, the school agreed to create what is now called the César E. Chávez Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies, which continues to educate students today on the life and history of Chicanas/Chicanos and Latinas/Latinos.
Cindy Montañez went on to serve on the San Fernando City Council before being elected to the California State Assembly. In the State Legislature, she authored bills to reorganize urban landfills, strengthen regulations for car dealers, and protect children with sexually abusive parents. She became known as a passionate voice for the environment, social justice, and sustainable urban planning.
She continued her environmental advocacy as Assistant General Manager at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. There, she pushed the public utility to use more sustainable energy and was an important partner in implementing the Council’s historic LA100 initiative.
Since 2016, she has served as the Chief Executive Officer of TreePeople, a local nonprofit focused on protecting the environment. There, she has been a leading voice championing protection and restoration of the urban forest, she has implemented important measures to protect and improve open spaces and parks, she has planted countless trees, and she has helped to educate a new generation of students and teachers about their role in protecting ecosystems.
As a tribute to Cindy Montañez’s many years of service to the City of Los Angeles, including her leadership on environmental, consumer protection, and education issues, the Pacoima Wash Natural Park should be renamed in her honor. The City of San Fernando has renamed its portion of the park after her, and the City of Los Angeles should do the same for the areas of the park under its jurisdiction.
I THEREFORE MOVE that the Board of Recreation and Parks Commissioners be requested to rename the Pacoima Wash Natural Park, located at 801 Eighth Street, to honor Cindy Montañez as a tribute to her contributions to the City of Los Angeles.