| community
Emerging Leader:
Alma Hernandez
A
of suisun city council
policy, governance like local school boards, and budget and finance. It gave me a foundation for what the city council role was.” Moreover, Hernandez credits her entrepreneurship spirit as a politics. building block to success. “When I “My journey as a council moved back to the area, I decided member is to learn, grow and to launch an event planning serve,” describes Alma Hernandez, business working with nonprofits a new member of Suisun City’s City in the area. I reached out to the Council. Alma Hernandez was the Solano Hispanic Chamber of highest-voted City Council Commerce to help support their candidate in Suisun’s Nov. 3, 2020, fundraising efforts and its work election. Before becoming a council with nonprofits,” a gateway to member, she was the President of Hernandez’s target demo. “I found the Solano Hispanic Chamber of it was such a great way to collaboCommerce, Founder of Latinas de Solano County, and Board Member rate with the business leaders in of the Solano County Library the community. Now, I’ve been a Foundation, as well as serving on board member for eight years!” various councils in Solano County. Alma Hernandez is a new member of the Suisun City Council. Hernandez has been able to find Community involvement grips her. mentorship and close friendships It began when she was younger. She grew up in Suisun. In in her time serving on the various committees. “For three high school, she joined the Key Club, Honor Society, the years, other local leaders asked me, ‘Have you ever thought International Student Club, and was the leader of the marchabout running [for city council]?’ At the time, I didn’t know if that was an opportunity.” ing band at Armijo High School. She went on to attain her This self-doubt among women is often named the ConfiBachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from CSU Sacramento. While attending the university, she was dence Gap or Ambition Gap. Among young adults, men are involved in multiple organizations and committees including twice as likely as women to have considered running for CSUS Women in Business and the Future Business Leaders of office someday, according to a study conducted by American America Phi Beta Lambda. Post-graduation, she began University’s School of Public Affairs and Loyola Marymount working with school districts across California. She University. The study also states that even if their politically expressed the importance of that early position. relevant skills were equal, women were more likely than men “It gave me a sense of working on something I was really to question their qualifications. Furthermore, for men, passionate about, which was education. Also, working with a 84 percent of those who were encouraged to run for office diverse group of people from all over the state, understanding considered doing so. For women, 66 percent who’ve received
SUMMER 2021
lma Hernandez encourages more women to get involved in the community and
Fairfield-Suisun Chamber of Commerce 7
