Candidate for
City Attorney; City of Los Angeles

Deputy Mayor Rocky Delgadillo, 40, has devoted his life and career to his City of Angels, strengthening L.A.'s neighborhoods and creating opportunity for its people. As City Attorney, Rocky Delgadillo will put his proven legal abilities, administrative experience and boundless energy to work on behalf of people and families in every community across the city.

Appointed by Mayor Richard Riordan to serve as Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Rocky currently oversees all city efforts to retain and attract business and jobs. In an effort to deliver the promise that the City of L.A. would begin to encourage smart business development that is friendly to neighborhoods, Rocky created the L.A. Business Team that has worked with more than 2,000 companies representing 300,000 employees and more than $20 billion in private investment over the last three years. Rocky has succeeded in bringing together business and labor and ensuring that all L.A. communities share in the city's development efforts. For example, Rocky created and led the Minority Business Opportunity Committee's $1.4 billion earthquake recovery program and is the architect of the Mayor's innovative Genesis LA initiative.

Rocky also has been charged by Mayor Riordan with promoting the surging technology sector in L.A. He spearheaded creation of the Digital Coast Roundtable and upgraded the Southern California Biomed Council - to help our city and region compete for the business and jobs of tomorrow. For these and other efforts, the Business Journal named Rocky "Government Official of the Year" in 1996.

Prior to his work for the city, Rocky was a Senior Attorney at O'Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles. He left the firm to work for Rebuild L.A. in the aftermath of the 1992 civil unrest. As project manager for business development, his team attracted nearly $500 million in investments for neglected communities, spurred 15 new private-sector training programs and created a $6 million loan fund for inner-city entrepreneurs.

With his extensive executive experience as Deputy Mayor and in private practice, Rocky is well qualified to manage the City Attorney's Office in its wide-ranging responsibilities - from representing city departments, the airport and seaport to prosecuting misdemeanor cases, approving all city contracts and bonds and generally improving the quality of life for all Angelinos.

Born and raised in East L.A., Rocky attended Harvard University where he graduated with honors while receiving the University Nomination for a Rhodes Scholarship and earning recognition as an Honorable Mention All-American football player. After a short stint as a professional football player, he returned to L.A. as an inner-city public school teacher and coach. He then decided to pursue a law degree at the Columbia School of Law in New York City, receiving his J.D. in 1986. In 1998, Columbia University awarded him its Medal of Excellence for the most distinguished young alumnus.

Rocky Delgadillo remains extremely active in the Los Angeles community. His activities include chairing Latino Heritage Month for the last five years and serving on the boards of many organizations including Catholic Big Brothers, the First AME Church Renaissance Program, the Franklin High School Scholarship Foundation, Friends of Jordan High School in Watts, and Workforce L.A. He and his wife Michelle are expecting their first child in May and live in downtown L.A.