Candidate for
Member, Board of Trustees; Long Beach Community College District; District 3

Sunny Zia is a first generation immigrant who grew up in a hard working family that raised her with the guiding principles of the American dream. From a young age they instilled in her the importance of education as the pathway to success. She moved to the U.S. during the Iran-Iraq war with her family in pursuit of a better life. She is a Professional Engineer and holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering with nearly two decades of experience in Construction, Environmental, Water and Infrastructure projects. Sunny is a former small business owner and consultant to the private and public sector. She has managed a wide range of programs, balanced budgets, and recovered funding for many agencies she has represented.

Currently, she is the Contract Compliance Manager at the Port of Long Beach and responsible for oversight of all contracting polices estimated to be at $4 billion over the next decade including infrastructure and facility modernization programs. She is responsible for ensuring that all contracting at the Port is fair, equitable and transparent and businesses have a competitive and fair opportunity to compete for contracts.

She was recently appointed by Congressman Alan Lowenthal as the Chair of the Citizens Advisory Committee on Human Rights and Foreign Affairs. She has been a leader in the non-profit and philanthropic communities and has led numerous humanitarian projects locally and globally. Her community work spans from working with at-risk youth, addressing hate crimes and bullying, overcoming poverty through micro-lending, refugee/immigrant resettlement, support for job placement of veterans and other displaced Americans, conflict resolution and interfaith work.

As someone who has received scholarships and financial aid, she is living proof of the success of having access to affordable education. She is running for the Area 3 seat on the Long Beach City College Board of Trustees to ensure investment in the City's future by providing equal and affordable access to all Long Beach City College students. For two decades, Sunny has worked with City government, business, labor, and the community, giving her the background to be a strong and effective Trustee. As a Trustee, her priority will include ensuring our students' success, eliminating the anti-student two-tiered tuition program, balancing the budget, restoring jobs, and support for the local Long Beach economy.