Candidate for
Member, City Council; City of Long Beach; District 3

My mother came to the United States to provide her family with better opportunities; a higher quality of life wasn't present in her home country of El Salvador. My mother, like many, wanted a piece of the American dream. She made the most of the freedoms guaranteed by our constitution and provided for her family. Like my mother, I've been able to pursue my own dreams to become the person that I am today. The pursuit of freedom guaranteed by our constitution has increasingly come under jeopardy. I'm running because: Experience of the District's needs from long time residency and working knowledge from participation in community meetings and creating solutions.

The capacity to reach out and work with our City's diversity.

Professional Experience in Business Ownership? Understanding the mechanism from an ownership standpoint to the customers viewpoint from services provided.

Working experience in various levels of government: . County Health Services / Children Services . State Level - LBUSD Multi-Level & Seamless Education Programs

- With an in-depth understanding of the Local & Citywide Education system from childhood through adulthood, thus and achieving credentials that applied to Multi-Level Education Training? That knowledge that can be used to create after school programs that aid in building our youths future and citywide stature of accolades.

Martha Flores-Gibson left El Salvador with her mother, grandmother, and uncle to live in Wichita, Kansas. Martha was only six years of age. In Kansas, Martha learned to speak English in just six months. Two years later, she moved to Southern California with her family. Martha's step-father was a member of the U.S. Navy, so a Long Beach base became her new home. Martha attended Muir Elementary, Hamilton Middle School, and Wilson High School. Growing up, she found a hobby in sowing and eventually began to make all her own clothing. Martha also fell in love with performing arts and dancing. These activities kept Martha very busy.

After graduating from high school, Martha attended Cerritos College, then transferred to Long Beach City College. After completing junior college, Martha transferred to California State University Long Beach, where she obtained her Master's Degree in Social Work. A few years later, Martha received her Doctorate Degree in Education Leadership from Fielding University in Santa Barbara. To support her three children as a single mother and help pay for her education, Martha worked as a Dental Assistant. Eventually, Martha was hired by Los Angeles County Children Services as a Social Worker then transferred to Long Beach Unified School District to work as a Counselor and Social Worker. Now she and her husband Steve Gibson, who is a retired teacher with Los Angeles Unified School District, are truly enjoying life together living on the Peninsula. They also have a home based business together called Legal Shield that provides legal services and identity theft protection for families. They love beach life and love to dance. Martha and her Husband have traveled extensively; Europe, China, Australia and Central America are a few destinations. They attend Cornerstone Christian Church and are very involved in their church community + particularly with the youth.