Since
he was first elected
to the Santa Ana City
Council in 1986, Mayor
Miguel Pulido has been
a major force in the
renaissance and redevelopment
of the City. He
is currently serving
his sixth term as Mayor
and has proven to be
a leader, not only within
the community, but regionally
and nationally. Mayor
Pulido has focused his
efforts on improving
the quality of life for
all Santa Ana residents. During
his tenure the City has
experienced 58 percent
reduction in crime, an
increase in home values,
a rise in the number
of business licenses,
an enhancement of the
economic opportunities
for the private sector,
an overall revitalization
of the City's infrastructure
and an expansion in social
and culture venues.
Under
Mayor Pulido's leadership,
the City of Santa Ana
has benefited from a
tremendous growth in
economic opportunities. As
a result of his advocacy
efforts, the City of
Santa Ana was designated
an Enterprise Zone by
the State of California
in 1993 to promote business
growth and job generation
by offering state tax
credits and incentives
to businesses. To
date, nearly 23,000 hiring
tax credits have been
awarded to Santa Ana
firms. Mayor Pulido
has also taken a lead
role in facilitating
business opportunities
in the global economy. In
1999, he spearheaded
the Orange County International
Trade Center Advisory
Council's efforts
to develop a strategy
for assisting local businesses
expand into international
trade. In 2001,
Mayor Pulido established
the International Business
Center and negotiated
with President Fox to
open Mexico's first
trade center in Santa
Ana. He was also
appointed by the President
to serve on the Federal
Inter-Governmental Policy
Advisory Committee on
Trade, where he provides
advice to the United
States Trade Ambassador.
Mayor Pulido has been a major champion of the arts and culture movement. He
formed the Mayor's
Task Force on Arts
and Culture which
has been instrumental
in the development
of the Artists Village
in downtown Santa
Ana which includes
theatres, galleries,
and performance venues. Placing
an emphasis on education,
Mayor Pulido brought in
California State University
Fullerton's graduate arts
program and facilitated
the relocation of the Orange
County High School of the
Arts into Santa Ana.
Furthermore,
Mayor Pulido led
the City's effort
to locate the Discovery
Science Center in
the City's Museum
District and he has
worked aggressively
on the $10 million
expansion Bowers
Museum. The Mayor serves on the Bowers Museum President's Advisory Council, and was part of the negotiating team on the agreement with the British Museum to establish the first ever permanent exhibit of the British Museum outside of London.
During
the Mayor's tenure,
the City has also
seen the rebirth
of our community
spirit while maintaining
a strong commitment
to our historical
heritage. Despite two decades of phenomenal population growth (more than 70%), 60 neighborhood associations have been formed to reflect a strong community presence. The partnerships that Mayor Pulido and the Council have fostered between these groups and City Hall have resulted in greater participation by Santa Ana residents in government issues and an increased quality of life in their neighborhoods.
More importantly, Mayor Pulido secured Federal Empowerment Zone status for some of the City’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods, delivering federal funds to build capital, increase employment and to provide needed services to these residents. Mayor Pulido was appointed to serve on the State of California Workforce Investment Board to further employment opportunities, and job services for our residents.
One
of the greatest accomplishments
during Mayor Pulido's
term has been the significant
decrease in crime. The
City has experienced
a 64 percent decrease
in crime over the last
decade and is at its
lowest rate since 1963. Santa
Ana is the safest city
among the 50 most populated
cities in the United
States, and the Santa
Ana Police Department
has gained national recognition
for its leadership on
community-oriented policing.
Mayor Pulido has focused
on recruiting and retaining
a highly skilled police
force and led the City's
efforts that resulted
in the construction of
a new state-of-the-art
police facility in 1997. As
part of his public safety
commitment, the Mayor
is a strong advocate
of after-school programs
such as Project Pride,
and has sought to improve
our City parks and recreation
programs by leveraging
State and Federal grant
opportunities.
Mayor
Pulido represents Santa
Ana on state and regional
issues such as transportation
and has served on the
Orange County Transportation
Authority since 1997
where he is a leader
in promoting local street
and road improvements
and advocating for transit
alternatives. He
also currently serves
on the Governing Board
of the South Coast Air
Quality Management District
(AQMD), whic is responsible
for air pollution control
and clean air standards
to protect public health. Other
leadership positions
include service as a
board member of the Fullerton
Community Bank, Great
Park Corporation, Pacific
Symphony, Discovery Science
Center, the UCI Foundation
and the Bowers Museum
President's Advisory
Council.
Mayor Miguel Pulido was born in Mexico City in 1956. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from California State University, Fullerton. He and his wife, Laura, are the proud parents of two sons, Miguel Robert and David Andrew; and a daughter Isabel.