JOHN A. PÉREZ
Vice President
California State Assembly Speaker Emeritus John A. Pérez was appointed to the Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners by Mayor Karen Bass and confirmed by the Los Angeles City Council on Sept. 20, 2024. He was elected vice president of the Harbor Commssion on Oct. 3, 2024.
Pérez is currently a Regent for the University of California. Pérez first served on the Board of Regents as an ex officio member during his tenure as Speaker of the Assembly. Then in 2014, he was appointed to the Board of Regents by former California Governor Jerry Brown. In 2024, he was re-appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom. From 2019-2021, he served as board chair, and currently heads the Regents’ Health Services Committee.
Pérez was elected to the California Assembly in November 2008, representing Downtown Los Angeles and surrounding communities, and subsequently served as Assembly Speaker from 2010-2014. In that leadership position, he was responsible for 1,300 employees and a $156 million budget. During his service in the Assembly, he has been widely recognized for his efforts authoring and championing legislation focused on job growth and economic development. Notably, he authored the legislation that created the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz).
Prior to his election to the Assembly, Pérez was a labor leader and served on the Board of the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency, California League of Conservation Voters, and the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation. He is a longtime advocate of the LGBTQ community and previously served on the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations.