Candidate for
Council Member; City of Los Angeles; District 13

Biography

Born and raised in Los Angeles, José Sigala, 43, has been a longtime advocate and fighter for children's and youth issues, education, the environment, neighborhood empowerment and working class families. José is proud to be a product of the public school system from Head Start to College. He is a graduate of Santa Monica College and the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree.

José served for five years as a legislative deputy and senior community organizer in the Office of City Council Member Richard Alarcon where he was responsible for assisting the Council Member shepherd his legislative priorities and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of constituent services in the council district. Jose worked with Council Member Alarcon to spearhead many of the reforms recommended by a commission to increase the competency and value of the city's neighborhood council system and the passage of the City of Los Angeles landmark Spay/Neuter Ordinance.

José also served as the District Director for Assembly Member Rudy Bermudez and Committee Consultant for the California State Assembly's Select Committee on Prison Construction and Operations under the chairmanship of Bermudez. As District Director, he was responsible for the day-to-day management of staff and constituent services for the communities of the 56th Assembly District. As Committee Consultant, José worked closely with Bermudez to conduct committee oversight hearings on the operations of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Jose also coordinated numerous hearings up and down the state on the issue of Sexual Violent Predators and Sex Offenders. Jose assisted Bermudez in uncovering the housing of sex offenders in motels near Disneyland and staffed Bermudez on the State of California Sexual Violent Predators Task Force created by Governor Schwarzenegger.

José served as the District Director for Assembly Majority Floor Leader Marco Antonio Firebaugh where he was responsible for the day-to-day management of the 50th Assembly District Office and acted as the principal liaison for the Assembly Member in the community. José's focus in the district was the construction of new schools in the Southeast communities; promoting the acquisition and development of new parks and open space in urban communities and increasing the awareness of environmental justice, air and water quality issues in the region.

As a member of various community-based organizations, José has dedicated his career to improving the quality of life in our communities. Jose has served for the last six years as the President of the Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council where he has worked with fellow Board Members to improve the quality of life for the 58,000 residents he represents, increase the influence of neighborhood councils in the city and fight to augment the core city services the city provides its residents. As the Vice-Chair of the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates, Jose has provided an important voice in the development of the Mayor's Annual City Budget.