Isaac Galvan

Compton City Council member Isaac Galvan is young, energetic, and dedicated to making government work for working families. The lack of resources and effective leadership in his community was apparent to Councilman Galvan at an early age. Raised by a single mother, Isaac saw how easily young people could be caught up in a life on the streets and how few options they had.

Councilman Galvan also saw how enriching activities such as youth sports and after-school academic programs were powerful and positive resources for young people. “My mother taught me to always look at the bright side and to value hard work and discipline,” reflects Galvan. “There was such a big difference between those kids who had options. That meant they could make their hard work and discipline work pay off. They had so much more hope than those kids who didn’t have many options.”

After graduating from local schools and studying at Santa Monica College, Councilman Galvan opened his own small graphics and printing business. But, his heart was always in public service. In 2013, he became the youngest and the first Latino councilman in Compton’s 125 year history. In 2016, he also became Compton’s first Latino Mayor Pro Tem. Forming a broad and multi-ethnic coalition, councilman Galvan soon began implementing reforms and changing the way the City of Compton did business.

He helped launch redevelopment efforts that are creating thousands of new jobs by developing new housing and commercial projects, as well as refurbishing streets, parks and public facilities. As a result of those efforts, the Los Angeles times has recognized Compton as one of Los Angeles County’s hottest housing markets.