Introducing Laura

My husband Esteban and my two stepdaughters, Esmerick and Enashley, live in Higüey, La Altagracia, Dominican Republic. I go to the DR as much as I can while we await for his Visa to be approved. (Keep praying for us!)

Here in LA, I am lucky to be the youngest of two daughters to my parents, Jesus and Vicky. And I have two dogs, Lola May (16 years old) and her daughter Pinky (8 years old).

Would you consider karaoke a hobby?!?? I think if you karaoke as much as I do, it crosses hobby territory. Shout out to Max Karaoke in Little Tokyo — the staff all know me and I have a favorite room and microphone! I prefer private room karaoke because you can sing all night long, but I have no problem singing in public. Shocking, right? :)

I would say getting married within 8 weeks of meeting my husband is pretty adventurous! HAHA — I met him while I was vacationing in the Dominican Republic on June 1, 2023. By the time I was back in LA on June 4, we already knew. I went back to the Dominican Republic in July and we got married on July 19. It's been the adventure of a lifetime since we met. <3

I would love to be able to speak every language in the world, so I could talk to anyone without a language barrier. It's a beautiful thing to be bilingual in both English and Spanish, which already opens so much of the world, but I would love to know more languages beyond some phrases in French and Korean I've picked up from my family and K-Dramas. Haha!

There is nothing that makes me happier than the 5-hour BBC miniseries of "Pride and Prejudice" made in 1995. Not only is it my favorite book, but I am a true fan of Jane Austen. I first saw this version when I was in high school, and it changed my soul. I immediately brought the 2-disc DVD set, and watched it so much that I wore out disc two! A poster of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy may or may not have hung in my childhood room since 2004.

Halloween is my favorite holiday! It's always been a big day in my family because it's my sister's birthday. We used to have epic trick or treats at my house complete with a real coffin. We wouldn't just giveaway candy treats, we would give out music records and houseware like salt and pepper shakers and plates! I love dressing in costume and starting the planning process in September. My favorite costumes include Sister Act (Sister Mary Clarence on the outside and Delores Van Cartier on the inside), Miss Frizzle, Walter Mercado, Carmen San Diego and Bruno Mars.

As someone who has managed two Bicycle Master Plan projects, it's wild to believe that I don't know how to ride a bicycle! I did learn how to ride around in a motorized scooter when I was a freshman in college, which I heard was way harder to balance. So maybe one day, I'll give it a try! In the meantime, I'm just praying the prime of a BMP doesn't ask us to host a bike-a-thon! HAHA! I asked ChatGPT to create a picture of me happily riding ride a bike — and I think that's pretty cute!

In the summer of 2008, I was really lucky to study abroad at Oxford University. I attended classes at one of their 36 colleges, Queen's College, with a cohort of students from Loyola Marymount University. I loved the juxtaposition of the old world feel mixed with the modern touches of everyday life. My dorm room was built in 1273 and we studied in classrooms from the 15th century. A group of us went to Paris on holiday for 5 days. I loved seeing the city from the top of the Eifel Tower and cried while hearing a choir of nuns sing harmony at the Sacre Coeur.

Papa Cristo's Greek Grill was an LA institution since opening in 1948 and they recently closed in May 2025. My mom and I attended cooking classes there. We learned to make spanakopita and moussaka while sipping on Greek wine. They also had a deli and a Greek marketplace where I always bought Greek seasonings, olive oil, honey and, of course, baklava. I made friends with their wonderful staff — especially the owner Chrys Chrys, head chef Mark, and my amigo behind the counter Juan Jose. It was truly a special place I'll miss!

Running for Huntington Park City Council in 2017 was my dream since I was 17 years old when I joined the Huntington Park Youth Commission. I was the youngest Planning Commissioner and Chair for 5 years in the 2010s and started my career path in government/LA politics. I ran on a platform to protect and eradicate the city from years of corruption. And, I would say, the best thing to happen to me was that I didn't win that election. I found other ways that I could have direct positive impacts on my community that have brought me joy like implementing a new voting system in LA County and working on the 710 Project. (Shout out to Adrian who was a part of both journeys!)

I love celebrating my birthday. I blame it on watching "Sixteen Candles" early in childhood and vowing that would never happen to me! Hahaha! While I've commemorated in my birthday in many fun ways, I wanted to do something just for me when I turned 35. I rented a house in Palm Springs for the weekend with some friends. While everyone else eventually went to sleep, I decided to stay up all night and drive out to Joshua Tree National Park in time to be in the middle of park for sunrise. I stood among the majestic trees and rock formations between the setting moon and the rising sun at 6:34am, the exact time of my birth 35 years prior. It was a beautiful moment that I will always remember.

Working on the 710 — the Long Beach to East Los Angeles Corridor Mobility Investment Plan (LB-ELA CMIP) — will always be an important chapter in my life. Finally getting the Metro Board approval in April 2024 was a momentous moment, culminating two and half years of hard work, trust building, and progress by trial and error. And what an incredible AA team — we all had to bring our “A game” every single day. My favorite moments included working with the Community Leadership Committee (CLC) comprised of residents across the corridor who were committed to ensuring positive change in their own neighborhoods. Working with them was a great reminder of the power of the work we do and why we do it.