Santa
Ana Mayor Miguel
Pulido joined AQMD’s Governing Board in January 2005 representing the
cities of Orange County.
Since he was first elected to the Santa Ana City Council in
1986, Mayor Miguel Pulido has been a major force in the renaissance and
redevelopment of the City. He is currently serving his fourth term as Mayor
and has proven to be a leader, not only within the community, but regionally
and nationally. Mayor Pulido has focused his efforts on improving the
quality of life for all Santa Ana residents. During his years in office the
City has experienced a 60 percent reduction in crime, an increase in home
values, a rise in the number of business licenses, an enhancement of the
economic opportunities for the private sector, an overall revitalization of
the City's infrastructure and an expansion in social and culture venues.
Under Mayor Pulido's leadership, the City of Santa Ana has benefited from
a tremendous growth in economic opportunities. As a result of his advocacy
efforts, the City of Santa Ana was designated an Enterprise Zone by the
State of California in 1993 to promote business growth and job generation by
offering state tax credits and highly valuable incentives to businesses. To
date, nearly 10,000 hiring tax credits have been awarded to Santa Ana firms.
Mayor Pulido has also taken a lead role in facilitating business
opportunities in the global economy. In 1999, he spearheaded the Orange
County International Trade Center Advisory Council's efforts to bring
together various partners to develop a strategy for assisting local
businesses with international trade. In 2001, Mayor Pulido established the
International Business Center and negotiated with President Fox to open
Mexico's first trade center in the United States. He was also appointed by
the President to serve on the Federal Inter-Governmental Policy Advisory
Committee on Trade, where he provides advice to the United States Trade
Ambassador.
Mayor Pulido has been a major champion of the arts and culture movement.
He formed the Mayor's Task Force on Arts and Culture which has been
instrumental in the development of the Artists Village, a section of the
Downtown area which includes theatres, galleries, and performance venues.
Placing an emphasis on education, Mayor Pulido brought in California State
University Fullerton's graduate arts program and facilitated the relocation
of the Orange County High School of the Arts into Santa Ana. Furthermore,
Mayor Pulido led the City's effort to locate the Discovery Science Center in
the Museum District and aggressively pursued the construction of the $128
million Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse in the Civic Center.
He also serves on the Bowers Museum Board of Directors and is currently
working on a $10 million expansion of the Museum to accommodate the first
ever permanent exhibit of the British Museum, which he helped negotiate with
the British Museum in London.
During the Mayor's tenure, the City has also seen the rebirth of our
community spirit while maintaining a strong commitment to our historical
heritage. Despite two decades of phenomenal population growth (more than 70
%), 57 neighborhood associations have been formed to reflect a strong
community presence. The partnerships that Mayor Pulido and the Council have
fostered between these groups and City Hall have resulted in greater
participation by Santa Ana residents in government issues and an increased
quality of life in their neighborhoods.
More importantly, Mayor Pulido secured Federal Empowerment Zone status
for some of the City's most disadvantaged neighborhoods, delivering federal
funds to build capital, increase employment and to provide needed services
to these residents. Governor Gray Davis also appointed Mayor Pulido to serve
on the State of California Workforce Investment Board to further employment
opportunities, and job training and retention issues.
One of the greatest accomplishments during Mayor Pulido's term has been
the significant decrease in crime. The City has experienced a 64 percent
decrease in crime over the last decade and is at its lowest rate since 1963.
Santa Ana is the safest city among the 100 most populated cities in the
United States, and the Santa Ana Police Department has gained national
recognition for its leadership on community-oriented policing. Mayor Pulido
has focused on recruiting and retaining a highly skilled police force and
led the City's efforts that resulted in the construction of a new
state-of-the-art police facility in 1997. As part of his public safety
commitment, the Mayor is a strong advocate of after-school programs such as
Project Pride, and has sought to improve our City parks and recreation
programs by leveraging State and Federal grant opportunities.
Mayor Pulido also represents Santa Ana on regional issues such as
transportation and has served on the Orange County Transportation Authority
since 1997 where he is a leader on projects such as Centerline, and local
street and road improvements. Other leadership positions include service as
a board member of the Community Commerce Bank, the Caltrans Management
Information System Advisory Committee, Pacific Symphony, Discover Science
Center, and the UCI Foundation.
Mayor Miguel Pulido was born in Mexico City in 1956. He holds a
Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State
University, Fullerton. He and his wife, Laura, are the proud parents of two
sons, Miguel Robert and David Andrew; and a daughter Isabel.
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