At the 88th Annual General Conference of the California County Planning Commissioners' Association
Turtle Bay Museum, Redding CA
Leticia Perez is a third generation Bakersfield resident. She attended local public schools and graduated from Highland High School. Leticia went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree from U.C. Santa Barbara in “Law and Society” before journeying to Indiana to fulfill her dream of obtaining a Juris Doctorate.
Leticia was raised alongside a dozen foster children and comes from a family that has been dedicated to community service for more than forty years in Kern County. Following in her parents’ footsteps, Leticia has been active in political and social issues, as well as philanthropic efforts from the time she could walk. She literally accompanied her parents to Bible College in a carriage—sleeping quietly under a seminary desk while her parents prepared for the ministry.
Leticia returned from Law School in 2006 and represented indigent clients while volunteering her free time on the Boards of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters, Community Service Organization, and New Life Recovery Training Center. Her dedication to the practice of law and her service to the community earned her the respect of her peers and their selection of her as the first woman to preside as president of Kern County Bar’s Criminal Defense Section.
After serving as Chair of the Kern County Planning Commission, Leticia later became the consultant for California State Senate Committee on Economic Development and the State Permitting Process. Leticia has received numerous awards for her partnership with local businesses, job developers, and community leaders while spearheading some of the county's most innovative economic development and renewable energy development projects.
Leticia is Governor Brown’s appointed member of the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC), and will make history in 2017 by serving as the First Latina President of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC).
Leticia is a sought after speaker on issues ranging from the nuances of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), alternative energy development, and recipes to the best hard-shell-tacos South of the Kern River. She is a frequent guest on local and valley wide radio and television. Her political career has been reported on by the Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and she has been featured on the Daily Show with John Stewart.
Leticia’s mother was a Vietnam era Army Nurse and she comes from a family of veterans. In fact, she married one, and it is because of her marriage to her husband Fernando that Leticia has become an avid proponent of mental health support for combat veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Above all else, Leticia and Fernando are most proud of being the parents of seven year old Jude and baby Noah.