We are Still In This Together!

Assemblywoman Suzette Valladares is the granddaughter of farmworkers from the Central Valley. She was blessed to be raised in the San Fernando Valley by loving parents who valued education, family, hard work, and community responsibility.
While working toward her degree, first at College of the Canyons, and then at Cal State Northridge, Suzette worked at Six Flags Magic Mountain. After college, she remained close to home and the Santa Clarita Valley serving as a district representative for former local Congressman Buck McKeon.
In 2012, Suzette left the public sector and became Executive Director of Southern California Autism Speaks. She’s a lifelong Republican but most of her career has been working with non-profits and early childhood education because of her passion for serving others and special needs advocacy. After her mother’s passing in 2018, Suzette was asked to assume her mother’s role as CEO of Little Steps of Faith, a faith-based non-profit preschool that provides quality childcare to underserved families in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys.
“As a small business owner, I understand the frustrations and difficulties of dealing with the anti-business climate policies coming out of Sacramento. There is a lack of respect for the business community and this is why I joined the Problem Solvers Caucus—a bipartisan group of Legislators who approach solutions in a nonpartisan way, in order to address issues like our business climate.”
Suzette’s experiences, along with her family’s influence, have taught her the value of hard work, empathy for others, and to be accessible to those for whom she can be an advocate and a strong voice.
“My first focus has been what is important to the people living in our community. Hearing these needs, I’ve introduced nine pieces of legislation so far. I am very proud of my first two pieces of legislation—AB 90, which protects vulnerable foster youth against credit fraud, and AB 91, which helps provide tax relief for California’s small businesses that have been decimated by the mandated COVID shutdowns. These small businesses employ our family members, our neighbors, and keep the economic engine of California running strong. We can’t afford to lose them. That’s why I signed on to The Keep California Working Act which will invest $2.6 billion, just 10% of our state’s projected surplus, in grants to help keep small businesses alive and running.”
Suzette was honored as an “SCV 40 under Forty” by SCV Jaycees, and in 2020 received more than 75% of the voter’s support and was elected to the California State Assembly. She was selected to serve on the Assembly Committees on Higher Education; Arts, Entertainment, Sports, Tourism, and Internet Media; Budget; Rules; and is part of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Women’s Caucus, Armenian Legislative Caucus, and Select Committee on Latina Inequities.
Since winning the election, the Assemblywoman has joint-authored the Safe Parks Reopening Bill, with bipartisan support, in order to give our theme parks, like Six Flags Magic Mountain, a clear pathway for a safe reopening.
“We can balance public health and the need to get people safely back to work. By opening our theme parks, we will trigger a ripple effect to our local economy, and in turn, create more jobs.
I am also continuing to work with the California Office of Emergency Services to help mitigate the frequency, duration, and impact of the Public Safety Power Shutoffs, and work towards a future where we don’t need to shut off anyone’s power. I’m committed to working with all stakeholders to make that reality.”
Suzette and her husband Shane live in the Santa Clarita Valley and are blessed with a daughter.
“As a wife and mother, I have heard from hundreds of parents whose children have been deeply affected by their local school’s closure. This cannot continue. I’ve met with our local Superintendents, school boards, PTA groups and parents who all desire a safe reopening. We must open up our schools and sports and get children safely back to in-person learning.”