Candidate for
State Senator; District 29

Richard Melendez Biography

Richard Melendez is a licensed real estate agent, a certified real estate appraiser and was president of Summerwood Development and Investment, Inc. form 1975 to 1983.

Richard graduated for the Los Angeles Police Academy in 1983 and over the last 17 years has worked in South Central Los Angeles at Southwest Division Police Station, East Los Angeles at Hollenbeck Division Police Station and Northeast Division Police Station.

He has 13 years working the streets of Los Angeles in such details as gangs, narcotics, and special problems. Richard is currently assigned to the D.A.R.E. Program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education)

He is very involved in Youth sports. He has coached Little League Baseball for both Minor and Senior League of the San Jose Little League and is a past board member of both the San Jose Little League and West Covina Youth Soccer where he was also a coach.

Richard Melendez is the past president of the Woodside Village Homeowners Association, is a past board member of the Christ Lutheran School Board, is a past member of the West Covina Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and was the past Chairman of the West Covina Planning Commission.

Richard was elected to the West Covina City Council in 1997 and was immediately nominated as Mayor Pro Tem. He became Mayor in March of 1998. Currently he is Mayor Pro Tem and represents the City of West Covina on the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments, L.A. Works, Independent Cities Association and the San Gabriel Valley Basin Water Quality Authority.

Richard has also been recently appointed to the Governor's Children's Justice Task Force. He is also a member of The National Association of D.A.R.E. Officers. Richard is active in the community and maintains membership in numerous civic organizations including Elks Lodge, West Covina Beautiful, West Covina Historical Society, the League of Women Voters and the National Organization for Women.

Mayor Pro Tem Melendez is committed to family, he was married in 1982 to his lovely wife Ellen and has two daughters, Dillon (11) and Hailey (8).