Padilla is already well-known and respected in political and community circles. She has been deeply involved in Sun Valley and the northeast San Fernando Valley since joining the L.A. City Youth Council in the ninth grade (she’s 35 now). She has worked in a variety of community engagement and outreach roles for Pacoima Beautiful, the Los Angeles County Women and Girls Initiative and the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy. She has served on the Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council, an unpaid and often-thankless elected position, and worked as a field deputy in the district office under Martinez before heading to grad school at Cal State Northridge.
https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2023-05-30/endorsement-imelda-padilla-for-l-a-city-council
Los Angeles Times