Dr. Robert Garcia was elected to the Long Beach City Council on April 7, 2009, and re-elected to a full four-year term in April 2010 to serve the citizens of the First City Council District.
Robert is the youngest elected City Councilmember and the first Latino in Long Beach history.
Robert is a College Administrator at Long Beach City College and has taught Communication Studies at both Cal State Long Beach and Long Beach City College. Robert's passion for education led him to pursue a Doctorate in Higher Education, which he was awarded in 2010 after publishing his dissertation on California's Mater Plan for Education. Robert also holds a Masters Degree in Communication Management from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Long Beach.
In 2007, Robert co-founded and launched the Long Beach Post, a Long Beach based media website and newspaper. Today, the Long Beach Post has over 80,000 online subscribers, and a print edition of over 25,000 copies.
As Councilmember for the First District, Robert has championed the causes he promised to address when campaigning. He has led the charge to bring the City into the 21st century by bringing forth new technology and open government initiatives to make government more transparent and accountable. He has supported public safety services, increased park space, enhanced streets, sidewalks, and business corridors, and activated downtown with events and support for new businesses..
Robert serves as the Chair of the Public Safety Committee, the Elections Oversight Committee, and the Long Beach Housing Authority. He serves on both the Federal Legislative and State Legislative Council Committees.
Robert was born in Lima, Peru, and immigrated to the United States at age 5 with his family. He grew up in Covina, California and was raised by three strong women in his life - his mother, grandmother and aunt. Robert was the first person in his family to attend and graduate college. While at CSULB, Robert was elected student body president, and worked with campus administrators to create new scholarships and campus leadership programs for students.
Robert has been named one of Long Beach's "Most Innovative Minds" by Long Beach Magazine, to the Advocate Magazine's 40 Under 40 List in 2010, and to Instinct Magazine's Leading Men in 2009.
Robert is a graduate of Americorps and Leadership Long Beach, on the board of Children Today, and a member of the Sierra Club.
