Meet Jeannette

She has a compelling and inspiring story of facing adversity and overcoming the odds.

Jeannette was raised by two immigrant working-class parents who instilled hope, perseverance, and a hard-work ethic that allowed her to successfully overcome adversity. Her father was a mechanic and her mother cleaned homes. They raised their children with the values of service and giving back to a community that allowed them to better themselves. Her sister would pursue her own career in education through community college administration and her brother would go on to serve in the US Marine Corps.

Jeannette attended K-12 public schools and is a product of a Community College education. She attended Santa Monica City College as an atypical student who balanced her full-time studies along with maintaining her own family with her husband and 3-year-old daughter.

At 19 years old she was stricken with Guillan-Barre, an autoimmune disease that completely paralyzed her. Confined to a wheelchair, she had to learn how to walk, eat, and talk again. Jeannette refused to give up and fought hard to recover and finish what she started.

Community College allowed her to transfer to UCLA and earn degrees in Women’s Studies and Political Science. This experience gave Jeannette a deep understanding of the importance of Community College which allowed her access to higher education she would otherwise not be able to afford. Jeannette continued her studies to earn a Master’s degree in Public Administration from California State University, Northridge.

She began her career in print and broadcast journalism working at Telemundo/NBC News as Assignment Desk editor. Journalism was her first exposure to "real" politics. She would interview politicians and cover elections as a field producer.

This exposure to public service led Jeannette to pursue work in the areas that impacted her own family growing up: education, economic opportunity, and veteran’s issues.

Jeannette brings more than 15 years of public service experience spanning federal, state, county, and local government. Her career has included leadership roles as Special Assistant to the Ventura County CEO, District Director in the California State Assembly, and Mayor of Ventura. This unique combination of executive, legislative, and local government experience has given her a comprehensive understanding of how government works—and, more importantly, how to make it work for the people it serves.

Having served in executive leadership, the Legislature, county government, and as a local elected official, Jeannette understands not only how to govern effectively but also how to navigate complex public systems to bring state and federal resources back to Ventura. She has built strong relationships with leaders across every level of government and throughout the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Those partnerships allow her to connect Ventura with funding opportunities, strategic investments, and collaborative solutions that strengthen neighborhoods, improve infrastructure, support public safety, expand housing opportunities, and grow the local economy.

Throughout her career, Jeannette has worked to turn policy into results. She has helped advance economic development initiatives, infrastructure investments, workforce and entrepreneurship programs, transportation improvements, and educational opportunities that benefit Ventura. She is known for bringing people together, building consensus, and finding practical solutions to complex challenges. Whether working in the County CEO’s Office, the State Assembly, or leading as Mayor of Ventura, Jeannette has remained focused on one goal: delivering results that improve the quality of life for the community she proudly calls home.

In addition to her public service, Jeannette volunteers and serves on the board of various non-profits throughout Ventura. Jeannette serves on the Executive Board of El Concilio Family Services, an immigration advocacy group. In addition is the former President of the Ventura County Women’s Political Council where their goal is to educate, train, and prepare women to run for office, she is the appointed representative for Sup. Matt LaVere on the Area Agency on Aging, and is a Co-Chair of the Isabella Project, bringing together early childhood education partners to promote a strong foundation children in Ventura County for lifelong success.