“I’m proud of the work we’ve done to address the issues affecting our neighborhoods while protecting democracy to enact five voting districts.
Let’s keep working together to make things better for everyone in Palm Desert, not just the few.”
—Karina Quintanilla, Mayor of Palm Desert
Meet Mayor Karina Quintanilla
Mayor Karina Quintanilla has served on the Palm Desert City Council since she was elected in 2020. She made history becoming the first Latina and the youngest woman elected since the City was incorporated in 1973. Karina has lived in the Coachella Valley with her family since 1984, and raised her daughters in Palm Desert since 2002. Although her daughters are now adults, she finds joy in walking around the Civic Center Park, which holds many special memories of her daughters. She continues to work towards the promise she made them: to leave the world a better place than you found it. Karina has donated over 18 gallons of platelets to LifeStream and has been on the bone marrow registry for nearly 20 years.
Karina has always had a passion for serving her community. In 2015, she completed the Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) Leadership Institute and learned the tools to enhance her skills to become an effective public servant. She learned to lobby state legislators and successfully passed SB 4 and SB 15 to enhance public health and education for Californians. Additionally, she learned about the California Voter Rights Act, which ultimately led to making historic changes to the electoral process in Palm Desert
A graduate of Cathedral City High School and UC Riverside, Karina learned early on that education is transformative and a gateway to opportunity. She was a founding member of the Advisory Board that launched Cathedral City High School’s Health & Environmental Academy of Learning (HEAL). She maintained an active leadership role as a Band Booster, where she conducted simultaneous translations for parents who primarily spoke Spanish.
She is passionate about education and has worked in various capacities as an educator, working with students in K-12, and in higher education, including those studying for their associates, bachelors, masters, credentials, or PhD. She has served many first-generation and underserved students at College of the Desert, CSU San Bernardino-Palm Desert Campus, Brandman University, and UC Riverside School of Medicine Biomedical Sciences PhD program. As an academic counselor for CSU San Bernardino, Palm Desert Campus’ Nursing Admissions, she developed a tutoring program that resulted in a $240,000 grant from the California Wellness Foundation. Today, Karina finds great pleasure in running into former students she has helped grow towards their career goals.
Since her election in 2020, Mayor Quintanilla’s service spans a multitude of leadership roles for local, regional, and statewide efforts, including:
The City of Palm Desert
Finance Committee, Palm Desert iHub,
Children’s Discovery Museum, McCallum Education Policy,
Cultural Arts, Cultural Resources Preservation
Homelessness Taskforce, Cannabis Regulation Subcommittee
Regional and Statewide
Coachella Valley Association of Governments: Public Safety and Homelessness Committees
Coachella Valley Animal Campus (Chair)
California Cities, Environmental Quality Policy Committee, Latino Caucus Appointee
Riverside County Foundation on Aging
Regional Access Project (RAP) Foundation
Salton Sea Action Committee
Endorsed by Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz
“Mayor Karina Quintanilla knows how to stand up for Palm Desert residents. She has been a tireless advocate for representation for all and the rights of every voter.
She was a catalyst that made Palm Desert comply with voting rights law and is a proven leader who prioritizes shared community values on housing, education, healthcare, and safety.
The first Latina elected to the city council, Karina is a diligent public servant who has fought hard for transparency in government and the needs of her constituents. I’m proud to endorse Karina’s re-election campaign.”
— Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz
CONTACT US!
Being a voice for the community is our priority. Drop a message with any questions or suggestions you may have—Mayor Karina Quintanilla wants to hear from you!
RE-ELECT MAYOR KARINA QUINTANILLA
FOR A STRONGER AND BRIGHTER PALM DESERT
Vote on Tuesday November 5, 2024