On Thursday, September 29, the Long Beach Post hosted an event to honor young people from around the city who are doing great things to better their community and beyond. Out of hundreds of nominations from our readers, judges chose 40 winners, representing a range of professions and activism. The Post will be profiling each honoree in the coming days.
Councilwoman Stacy Mungo, 35, was elected to office in 2014, serving the Long Beach community she was born and raised in. She also chairs the Budget Oversight Committee and the Economic Development and Finance Committee, is a member of the State Legislation Committee and past vice chair of the Federal Legislation Committee and currently works for the Los Angeles County Assessor, according to her nominators.
“As a young adult, I was focused on helping others grow skills to improve their quality of life. Whether working with gang members, foster youth or a family who lost everything in the financial crisis, it was moving to see people who wanted to better their life do so and achieve their goals of meaning and purpose with even just a little community support,” said Mungo. “Today, my priority is community safety.”
“Driven” was the word used to describe her, where her drive and passion to serve the City of Long Beach and those who live here is apparent, as a past president of her neighborhood association and her continuous involvement with local nonprofits and volunteer associations, such as the American Society for Public Administration, Assistance League, Chamber of Commerce, Junior Chamber, Junior League, Rotary Club and YMCA.
“My motivation to give back to our Long Beach community and serve neighbors comes from the values my mom instilled in me from a young age,” said Mungo. “It gives me tremendous satisfaction to help lift others up and support important community causes that benefit our great city.”
Once a student of the Long Beach Unified School District, Mungo then obtained a bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal State Fullerton and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Southern California. Prior to her position with the Los Angeles County Assessor, Mungo was a budget director with oversight of $180 million annually focused on seniors and workforce development.
She has also held leadership roles in the city’s Chief Executive Office, the Department of Human Resources and the Department of Animal Care and Control, and is a professionally trained and duly sworn reserve deputy sheriff and an instructor for procedural justice seminars among law enforcement agencies, according to her nominators.
“I’m humbled by this honor and recognition,” said Mungo. “The work I do in and for the community really helps me grow as a person and keeps me grounded – that is its own recognition in and of itself. I appreciate this honor and am proud to stand with so many others I admire and respect who are recipients as well.”