Latina Named Chair | South Coast Air Quality Management District

Vanessa Delgado, former California State Senator and South Pasadena Councilmember Michael A. Cacciotti held their first meeting as the newly elected Chair and Vice Chair of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (South Coast AQMD) Governing Board. San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman, Lynwood Councilmember José Luis Solache and Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson were also appointed as the newest Governing Board members.

Senator (Ret.) Delgado is the first Latina to Chair the Board in the agency’s 47-year history. Delgado was appointed to South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board in May 2019 as the Senate Rules Committee’s representative. She has served as Vice Chair of the Governing Board since May 2021.

“I want to thank my fellow Board members for nominating me to lead our team in our critical mission of cleaning the air,” said Vanessa Delgado, South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board Chair. “I am proud of our accomplishments during my three years with the Board and look forward to continuing our fight for clean air.”

Councilmember Cacciotti joined the Governing Board in 2008 as the appointee for the Cities of the Eastern Region for Los Angeles County. He serves on the South Pasadena City Council and was a Deputy Attorney General with the State of California Department of Justice for nearly 20 years.

“I am honored to be a part of the important work that we do to improve lives for our local residents through South Coast AQMD,” said Michael A. Cacciotti, South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board Vice Chair. “I am motivated to know I have your trust and confidence as we continue to work towards our goal to reduce air pollution over the course of the coming years.”

Supervisor Hagman was appointed as San Bernardino County’s representative to South Coast AQMD at the Board of Supervisors meeting on January 24th. As Supervisor, he represents San Bernardino County’s Fourth District, which includes the cities of Chino, Chino Hills, Montclair, Ontario and the southern portion of Upland. He succeeds Janice Rutherford, who has termed out of office.

Councilmember José Luis Solache was appointed to the Board on February 27th. Councilmember Solache was elected to the Lynwood City Council in 2013. Prior to serving on the City Council, Solache was elected to the Lynwood Board of Education in November 2003, making him the youngest Latino board member of Lynwood Unified School District. He succeeds Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.

Mayor Lock Dawson was appointed to the Board on February 28th. Dawson was elected Riverside’s 18th mayor in 2020 and is the first UC Riverside graduate and second woman to be elected to Riverside’s only citywide office in its 150-year history. She has an extensive record of service to Riverside, the Inland Southern California region and the state. She succeeds former City of Riverside County representative Ben J. Benoit.

South Coast AQMD’s Governing Board adopts policies and regulations that promote clean air within its four-county area and typically meets at South Coast AQMD’s Diamond Bar headquarters on the first Friday of each month.

For more information, and to view the Governing Board’s annual meeting schedule, visit: http://www.aqmd.gov/nav/about/governing-board