City of Long BeachCandidate for City Council, District 1

In 2020, during the early stages of the pandemic, Mariela Salgado organized volunteers to deliver more than 23,000 individually packaged, fresh meals to seniors and neighbors. She has led efforts to ensure our most vulnerable, including our children, are our highest priority. Over the past few years, Mariela has worked to change the administration and add enrichment programs for students at one of the worst performing schools in our district. She has a proven record of leadership and public service. 

Mariela Salgado started her career by working for a community-based non-profit organization. She developed and managed business assistance programs to help small businesses. In this capacity, she implemented new initiatives and increased consultative services for local businesses and entrepreneurs by 150%.  In 2012, she earned her Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance at Pepperdine’s Graziadio School of Business. She went on to lead nationwide projects and programs for a Fortune 500 company. 

Today, Salgado runs her family-operated floor care company serving Long Beach. As a small business owner, she understands the importance of serving the community. She currently serves as Vice Chair of Parks & Recreation Commission. She is a Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce Member, Long Beach Unified School District School Site Representative, Long Beach Education Connection coalition stakeholder, Long Beach Early Childhood Education committee member, Scouts of America leader and school site volunteer. 

In 2011, Salgado was also awarded a Certificate of Recognition for her non-profit work by Los Angeles Councilmember Tony Cardenas. Her business has been awarded Best of Long Beach and Best Small Business 2018. Her floor care company has been nationally recognized and awarded in 2020 for its Community Impact and recently awarded 2021 Nextdoor Neighborhood Favorite. U.S. Congressman Alan Lowenthal, State Senator Ricardo Lara, Mayor Robert Garcia, and Councilwoman Lena Gonzalez have recognized her business for its service and commitment to Long Beach. Her broad network and experience provide a unique perspective to move Long Beach forward.  Mariela Salgado is an independent leader who is focused on stabilization and recovery in a post-pandemic economy.

Mariela Salgado was born in Mexico and raised in a Mexican immigrant enclave in Los Angeles. She grew up in a working-class family – her father was a machinist and her mother worked as a hotel housekeeper. Her parents understood that a quality education would help secure a better future for their children. 

After spending three years applying to magnet programs in the Los Angeles Unified School District, Salgado was accepted to one of the district’s best and most affluent schools. Her life changed forever. She saw the stark inequities between zip codes and learned first-hand the differences in health outcomes and economic opportunities. Today, we see the same problems in our council district.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Management, Salgado earned her Master of Business Administration degree. She runs her family business with her husband Isaac.  They live in Willmore’s historic neighborhood where they are raising their two daughters. 

Her parents now reside in Long Beach.  After twenty years of service, her father lost her job after the company relocated out of state and found it difficult to compete in new job market.  After a lengthy search he was able to join California State Long Beach – one of Long Beach biggest employers – and is now a proud CSUEU member. 

However, her mother and dad – like many seniors – struggle to maintain a household with a fixed income and rising costs. Due to Salgado’s personal experiences and those of her family, she has developed a deep understanding of the challenges facing working families in District 1. She is firmly committed to the basics – examine where our dollars are being spent and how they are benefitting residents in their everyday challenges.