Jose Luis Barrera Novoa is the LULAC National Vice President for the Farwest. He represents LULAC’s activities for California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii. With 15 years of service to LULAC, Jose began his advocacy with LULAC in Oxnard CA, when he was attending High School. As a youth community advocate, Jose’s interest in advocacy led him to pursue a career in politics. Having graduated from UC Davis with a Bachelors in Political Science and in Spanish, Jose soon began working in public relations, managing campaigns and is currently a Political Organizer in the labor movement. Jose is most proud of his advocacy that has helped pass legislation in California increasing the minimum wage for healthcare workers, working to ban AvGas in California and is constantly fighting for immigration reform, healthcare, economic justice and more not just in California but across the country. Jose also serves on the National Board of Directors for SER-National, LULAC Adelante PAC, and LULAC National Education Service Centers. Not only is Jose the youngest to serve as a Regional National Vice President at LULAC he’s also the first DACA Recipient to do so. With a proven track record of legislative wins, and being one of the top fundraiser in the organization, Jose’s passion for service carries into every aspect of his life.

Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez represents the 43rd Assembly District that consists of portions of Los Angeles County in the San Fernando Valley. The communities she represents include the City of San Fernando, Pacoima, Sylmar, Arleta, Sun Valley, Panorama City, Mission Hills, North Hills East, Valley Glen and portions of North Hollywood. Assemblywoman Rodriguez was raised in the Northeast San Fernando Valley by immigrant parents who instilled in her the importance of service and a deep commitment to social justice. Professionally, Rodriguez has focused on lifting families out of poverty, including her work on homelessness prevention as part of the LA Mayor’s Homelessness Services Team. As Deputy Director of Community Development Strategies, she oversaw LA’s Guaranteed Basic Income pilot, Child Savings Accounts, and initiatives to empower vulnerable families. Elected to the San Fernando City Council in 2020, Rodriguez became Mayor, spearheading policies for public engagement, economic development, and homelessness prevention. In the Assembly, she has focused her efforts on supporting policies that serve our immigrant communities, drive economic stability and growth, invest in education and career training, combat climate change, and address California’s housing crisis. Assemblywoman Rodriguez has an Associate's Degree from LA Mission College, a Bachelor’s in Economics from San Diego State University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. She lives in San Fernando with her husband and two children.

Mirtha Villarreal-Younger, CEO and President of Agile Construction based in Sacramento, has spent her life breaking barriers and creating opportunities. Born in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, to parents from Durango, Mexico, Villarreal-Younger joined the military immediately after graduating from Roseville High School. She served 20 years in both the U.S. Army and the National Guard, including multiple tours in Afghanistan, where she found a sense of belonging and purpose. “In the military, your background didn’t matter—your leadership, drive, and perseverance did,” she reflects. Today, Villarreal-Younger leads Agile Construction, a general contracting firm specializing in government projects. Alongside her husband and co-owner, Martin Younger, she focuses on creating an empowering work environment, especially for underrepresented groups. Her leadership philosophy, rooted in service, stems from a decades-long commitment to platforming minority voices. Her passion for this work was cemented during her time as deputy secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs, where she focused on outreach to minority veterans, and later as executive director of the Center for Post-Traumatic Growth, a nonprofit supporting veterans and first responders with PTSD. A pivotal conversation with a friend led Villarreal-Younger to take on her current role as CEO of Agile Construction. Under her guidance, the company prioritizes subcontracting to women- and veteran-owned businesses, helping small firms across the region access federal and state contracts. “I never thought construction would be my landing place, but it’s become a platform where I can truly make an impact,” she shares. As a mother to a 15-year-old daughter, she is particularly committed to inspiring young women to pursue careers in construction. “We need to plant the seeds now so that in the future, female representation in leadership becomes the norm,” Villarreal-Younger says, hoping to pave the way for the next generation of women leaders in the industry.

Mayumi M. Kimura, LCSW, was appointed Deputy Secretary of Women Veterans Affairs at CalVet by Governor Gavin Newsom on February 20, 2025. Kimura enlisted in the U.S. Navy on September 27, 2001, as an Operations Specialist aboard the USS Fife (DD-991), USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), and USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6). She deployed to the 3rd (Pacific Ocean), 5th (Persian Gulf), and 7th (Western Pacific and Indian Ocean) Fleet Areas of Responsibility. Following her transition from active duty, Kimura explored several career paths and was particularly inspired during her time as an office manager at a home hospice agency. There, she launched the We Honor Veterans program to deliver specialized end-of-life care and ceremonies for veterans—a transformative experience that led her to pursue a Master of Social Work degree, inspired by the impactful work of hospice social workers. Kimura’s diverse experience as a clinical social worker includes roles in inpatient psychiatric care, emergency mental health crisis response, and correctional mental health. As Director of the Housing Unit for Military Veterans (HUMV) at the Middlesex County Jail and House of Correction in Massachusetts, she led trauma-informed programming tailored to incarcerated veterans. She later served as a Readjustment Counselor at a Vet Center, providing therapy to combat veterans, survivors of military sexual trauma, and Gold Star families. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker in both California and Massachusetts, Kimura holds a Master of Social Work from the University of New Hampshire and a B.S. in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. Kimura is a subject matter expert in PTSD and trauma, with specialized knowledge in military sexual trauma, readjustment challenges, and suicide prevention for service members, veterans, and first responders.