Sunny Zia Wins Election
Set to become first Iranian American elected to public office in Long Beach, California
April 9, 2014, Los Angeles, CA – Sunny Zia claimed victory in last Tuesday’s election to represent District 3 on the Long Beach Community College (LBCC) Board of Trustees.
Results show Zia with 59.8% of the votes, while her opponent, Stella Ursua, earned 40.2% percent of the votes. Both were seeking to succeed current trustee Mark Bowen who was not running for re-election.
A first-generation immigrant, Zia holds a master of science in civil engineering and has nearly two decades of experience in construction, environmental, water, and infrastructure projects. As the Contract Compliance Manager at the Port of Long Beach, she is responsible for overseeing and ensuring proper contracting practices, estimated to be at $4 billion over the next decade.
A proponent of community service, Zia has worked on addressing hate crimes and bullying, overcoming poverty through micro-lending, refugee and immigrant resettlement, and job placement of veterans and other displaced Americans. She also currently serves as the Chair of Congressman Alan Lowenthal’s Citizen Advisory Committee on Human Rights and Foreign Affairs.
Zia ’s campaign gained significant endorsements from public officials, community leaders, and organizations, including U.S. Representatives Janice Hahn (D-47th/CA) and Linda Sanchez (D-48th/CA), as well as the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.
LBCC is part of the Los Angeles County district of the California Community Colleges system. It serves 520,302 citizens in the cities of Long Beach, Lakewood, Signal Hill, and Avalon. The LBCC Board of Trustees is composed of five trustees elected by the registered voters of their respective areas, and the Superintendent-President of Long Beach Community College District.
Sunny Zia was endorsed and supported by the Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC), the connected PAC of PAAIA. IAPAC supports and promotes the election of candidates for federal, state, and local office, regardless of party affiliation, who are attuned to the domestic needs of the of the Iranian American community. IAPAC also encourages and Iranian Americans to actively participate in the American electoral process and supports Iranian American candidates for public office.
