Join us as we welcome the Honorable Antonio Villaraigosa. Villaraigosa is a lifelong Democrat and proven public servant with a distinguished record of leadership rooted in working-class advocacy, civil rights, and effective government. His career spans labor and civil-rights organizations—including the American Federation of Government Employees, SEIU, United Teachers Los Angeles, and the ACLU—followed by service in the California State Assembly, where he rose to become Speaker, and later as the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles.

Today, Antonio Villaraigosa is a candidate for Governor of the State of California, with an expressed commitment to affordability and fighting to lower costs, expanding opportunity, strengthening public institutions, and delivering results that reflect Democratic values of equity, inclusion, and shared prosperity. His live presentation will be followed by a Q&A with PVP Democratic Club membership.

Next, we welcome Dr. Paul D’Anieri, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on Ukraine. Dr. D’Anieri, who is in Ukraine at the time of this writing, will join us via Zoom, followed by a question-and-answer session.

There are few, if any, scholars who combine Dr. D’Anieri’s depth of academic expertise on Ukraine with his extensive personal experience of the country and its people. He is an eyewitness to Ukraine’s courageous struggle for independence and freedom from the domination Vladimir Putin seeks to impose. At a moment when democratic norms face challenges both abroad and at home, Dr. D’Anieri is uniquely positioned to illuminate both the parallels and the distinctions between these struggles.

Prepare for eye-opening insights into what may come to be regarded as one of the most pivotal and far-reaching conflicts of the modern era.

Betty Yee, a candidate for governor of California, spoke at a meeting of the Palos Verdes Democrats. She highlighted her background as a daughter of immigrants and her experience as California State Controller, emphasizing her commitment to progressive governance and fiscal responsibility. Yee discussed her priorities as governor, including addressing affordability issues such as housing, healthcare, and electricity prices, as well as climate change. She also addressed questions on topics like economic growth, housing development, and immigration.

To watch a video of our conversation with Betty, click here.

Following Betty, the Palos Verdes Democrats are proud to welcome in-person a second extraordinary featured speaker—Terry Tamminen, ranked #1 by The Guardian on its global list of the “Top 50 People Who Can Save Planet Earth.”

Terry presented an overview of AltaSea, a non-profit organization based in the Port of Los Angeles, highlighting its mission to promote the blue economy through education, workforce training, and research. He discussed the organization's efforts in regenerative aquaculture, ocean carbon dioxide removal, and decarbonizing ports using hydrogen energy. Terry emphasized the importance of understanding the planet's ocean resources and the potential for the blue economy to become a trillion-dollar global industry, with Los Angeles having a significant role to play.

To watch a video of our Terry's talk, click here.