This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Dear Longmont,
My name is Laura Zavala. I am a Mexican-American, Colorado native raised in
beautiful Longmont. I am the product of our incredible school district and
a dedicated professional serving the community for almost 17 years in the
banking industry. Those that personally know me; know how much I love my
community and how important it is for me to be involved and engaged.
Primarily because as a parent it is my responsibility to participate in the
formation of a safe, caring, and developing community in which I want my
son Gabriel to grow up in. That is my number one priority in life as a
parent and I know that is what Josh Goldberg wants for his little girls as
well.
I’ve had the fortune of working with Josh Goldberg for many years. I
consider him to be a great friend because I know he shares the same values
and principles that I do. Those values include working as hard as you can
even when no one is watching you, caring and loving for others as much as
you want yours to be loved and cared for, and giving back to the community
we all call home through volunteer work, advocacy, and donations.
While experience is very important in any aspect of life such as careers,
professions, and politics. It is also just as important to believe in
emerging leaders that bring new perspectives and ideas to the table. I am
an advocate of young professional growth and support and I don't think that
experience is everything. One must also possess the trait of passion. We
must have the heart and dedication to be a servant leader. And the right
leader for Ward 1 is Josh Goldberg. Josh possess these traits and is the
type of leader that will never ask anyone to do something that he would not
do himself.
As humble as Josh is, you would have never guessed that he has volunteered
thousands of hours while serving on various non-profit boards. He has
helped raised over $600,000 for local non-profit organizations. And he has
been a relationship and partnership builder in our community over the last
decade. His work has not gone unnoticed and those of us that have worked
closely with him have seen the impact. His work has been an incredible
contribution to Longmont; fostering a more unified and inclusive community.
I cannot express in words how much I enjoyed seeing the November elections
across the country. Political engagement was hot, and Americans voted! We
voted for diversity and inclusion by electing the first of many. Americans
elected the first transgender State Lawmaker in Virginia and Public Office
in Pennsylvania, the first Sikh Mayor in New Jersey, the first Latinas and
Asian-American elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, the first
Lesbian Mayor in Seattle, the first African-American Mayor in Montana, and
the list goes on*. I urge my Millennial generation and the iGen generation
to go out and exercise your right to vote.* We decide who will represent us
and represent us well. We elect like-minded individuals that will fight and
support our same values and principals. We elect who will serve and lead
our cities, counties, states, and the country in which our children will
grow up in. I am Laura Zavala and I support Josh Goldberg for Ward 1!
Laura Zavala
Longmont, CO 80501
This is an opinion piece that was submitted to the Longmont Observer and does not necessarily represent the opinion of the Longmont Observer. If you have an opinion piece you'd like published, please visit our 'Submit an Opinion' page.
