Supervisor Janice Hahn has tapped Whittier local, Abigail Marquez, for a key commission role in a move to bolster support for the youngest residents of Los Angeles County. Marquez will join the Los Angeles County Children and Family First Commission, which shapes the future of the First 5 LA program, tackling early childhood development and education funding.
Described by Hahn as an asset to the commission, Marquez's track record speaks of nearly two decades spent in the trenches fighting poverty in LA. She's been a torchbearer for several social initiatives, including homelessness prevention, and she's at the helm of the city's Guaranteed Basic Income pilot program. Hahn praised her appointment: "Abigail has dedicated her career to disrupting the cycle of poverty that so many of our residents are caught in and she will be an asset for this important commission," according to a government release.
Marquez currently leads as General Manager of the Community Investment for Families Department in Los Angeles, a role she has inhabited with a laudable mix of empathy and efficacy. Her notable contributions include spearheading Opportunity LA, a program set up to seed children’s savings accounts, squarely aimed at dismantling generational financial barriers for LA's youth.
Upon her appointment, Marquez accepted with a tone of earnest devotion to the mission of First 5 LA, "I want to thank Supervisor Hahn for this appointment and for the opportunity to align both my professional and personal commitment to the vision, mission, and values of First 5 LA," she explained. Her goal is to forge a collaborative path with the County Board of Supervisors and key stakeholders to invest in disrupting the cycle of poverty through strategic early childhood initiatives.
