Throughout this year, we will be highlighting individuals or groups that have impacted our work over the last 50 years.

Celeste Rodriguez

Celeste was a member of a POV run Students Together Organizing Peace (STOP club) from 2003-2007 at James Monroe High School. She went on to San Diego State and then completed her MSW at USC. Celeste now leads Community Wealth Building initiatives for the City of Los Angeles. Prior to that, she worked for the Los Angeles Mayor's Offices of Economic Development, Veterans Affairs, and Economic Opportunity, where she secured and managed millions of dollars for neighborhood improvement and economic development projects, public services, and created policies and programs to uplift communities. In November 2020 Celeste was elected to the San Fernando City Council to serve a four year team. Her focuses include ensuring economic stability for residents and businesses and strengthening programs for families.

"Many experiences have led me to dedicate my life to public service, including being a member of Students Together Organizing Peace. The program highlighted the possibilities of collective action and the importance of violence prevention...I now work to prevent violence that comes in a different form- including poverty and inequality.”