The best way I know how to start this is sharing a few of my favorite things: I love to run outside. give dogs hugs and kisses (well really all animals). I love to laugh and make people smile. I love to read a good book under my tree in my back yard by my pool. I love being a wife and mother. I love my family. I love music of all kinds. I love great meals with my friends. I love the people that I work with. I love a bright sunny day! I love this community. I love that you can walk down Myrtle and have a great night and see friends.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your origin story. Where were you born and did you grow up here? Share a little about your childhood and your family.
I was born in Downey, CA. I grew up in the City of Commerce and lived there from birth until I was 18. I am the youngest of five kids. I have one brother and three sisters. I went to elementary and middle school in East LA, graduated from Montebello High School, and then graduated from BIOLA University. I am an L,A. kid. Growing up, I loved going to Dodger games with my dad and going out to dinner with the family on Sundays. I am half Mexican and half Caucasian, so that means that I got to experience both cultures, and that made birthdays and family reunions really fun. My maiden name is Gutierrez. I was the first one in my family to move to Monrovia and now my parents and two sisters also live in this great city.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I am the CEO of the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce. What I love most about what I do is helping business owners in the community grow their business. When I can see that I have helped them in some way, it brings me joy. When I can look around a room of business owners/managers networking, it makes me smile. I have worked in the non-profit industry for 26 years now, and helping people in different communities is what I love. I came to the city of Monrovia 18 years ago to work at the Santa Anita Family YMCA.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
The Derby, Bella Sera, and Max’s Mexican Cuisine
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community? Tell us about your favorite memory or experience living in Monrovia.
I came to work in Monrovia over 18 years ago, and I have lived here for ten years. When I worked for the Santa Anita Family YMCA, we partnered with the city to plan the annual Healthy Kids Day Easter egg hunt. I have wonderful memories of this event because it was a day of all the hard work coming together. It was community coming together, and the kids were also so happy. I love that part of Monrovia. It is a community that has fun together.
Q: None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person you’ve met here in our community who helped you get to where you are or inspired you?
No one is able to achieve success without help, and there has not been just one person. As I have grown in my community, there have been a lot of people who have helped me see that we all have a place here in Monrovia.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
I would buy an Airstream and travel across the United States and visit all the Baseball parks. I am looking forward to retiring and starting this adventure. There are lots of Hot Dogs, Peanuts and Cracker Jacks to taste.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies of all time? Do you have a favorite TV show or shows?
Favorite movie of all time is High Society. It stars Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, and Bing Crosby. I love the music in this movie. Favorite TV shows are I Love Lucy, Friends, and The Big Bang Theory. All three shows make me laugh.
Q: What advice would you give to people? Do you have a Life Lesson quote?
Advice that I would give people is to write down five things a day that you are grateful for. It really helps change how you look at the world around you. The life lesson quote my husband taught me is: “The number one rule is don’t panic.”
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
Something on my bucket list, which is similar to where I would travel is I would love to buy an Airstream and drive to different spots to run half marathon races.
Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what music to listen to?
It’s not really a band, it is a person – Dolly Parton.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
Former business that makes me most nostalgic about our community is The Dollmakers/Kattywompus. Pam Fitzpatrick taught me a lot about running a small business and working with the community during good times and bad. It was also fun to go in there and shop. I still have Old Town Monrovia socks I bought there. She taught me to love Old Town Monrovia.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative, with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
It would be Fernando Valenzuela and we would meet at Max’s Mexican Cuisine for lunch. I love that era for the Dodgers, and I would love to sit and just listen to his stories about the team, the players and LA at the time.
Q: What is your favorite thing about Monrovia or something unique about our community that you like?
I love to run outside, and my favorite thing about Monrovia is that you can run and see beautiful wildlife, stop and talk to friends, say hello to neighbors and get home safe. Thanks Monrovians for all the smiles and waves.
Q: Sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you’ve ever made?
I wish I only had one story. In my job at the Arcadia Chamber, I am in videos all the time about community businesses and restaurants. I am always making mistakes and they are caught on tape. So I have learned to laugh at myself and just post blooper videos. It makes others laugh, and now when I make mistakes I just think “well its a good one to go on the blooper real”
Q: Even for friends or family, what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I have run eight half marathons and thirteen 5k races.
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
Paso Robles sitting in the vineyards on a beautiful sunny day.
Q: What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Raising my wonderful daughter.
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Anything that my husband makes on his smoker for a dinner at home with friends.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My family. When there is something new or hard, I know I can grow and change because we share about what we have learned and support each other.
Q: If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be?
It would be a “Be Positive” movement. It is so easy to be negative about the community or world around us. Let’s work on being grateful and positive. The goal would be that every time you said a negative thing you would need to say a positive thing. We can change the community with our positive and encouraging words, even if we don’t like some things.
Q: Finally, what three character traits come to mind when you think of your success in life?
Love, Joy, gratefulness
