Episode 29: Sal Ramirez, Honorary Mayor

<p>Sal Ramirez grew up as the fourth of seven children in a big Mexican family in East Los Angeles. &nbsp;After completing undergrad at UC Santa Barbara, he decided to enroll in the Peace Corps and served as a Secondary School Health Educator in Khazakistan. &nbsp;He was supposed to stay for two years, but the program was shut down after his first year due to widespread political instability in that country. &nbsp;</p> <p>He returned to the U.S., completed a Masters in Public Policy at Brandeis, and launched a career in the non-profit sector back in California. In 2022, he found a unique way to serve again through politics: &nbsp;He campaigned to serve as the honorary mayor of his hometown of Carmichael, California by raising funds for local non-profits. &nbsp;He ended up raising the most money of all the candidates and stepped into the role of Honorary Mayor, a year-long post in which he has found a way to contribute in substantive ways to policy debates impacting his community.</p> <p>In this episode, Sal talks about his service journey, his experience as a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ plus community, and his experiences serving as an honorary mayor. &nbsp;</p>