Goodman’s Biography

Rich Goodman’s multicultural Mexican-American family shaped his hardworking ethic and financial prudence from an early age.

Goodman began working part-time jobs in his teens, and worked throughout high school to pay his way through college.

With the savings from his part-time work and financial aid, he was able to start his educational career at Santa Monica College. While serving tables at night and working as an economics tutor at the Latino Center, Goodman transferred to UCLA to study Economics.

During his senior year of UCLA in 2007,  after a successful summer working on a Business Management and  Administration internship, Rich Goodman secured investment money and spearheaded the retail e-commerce business, Weddingism.

Rich Goodman has dedicated his life from an early age to improving his community through volunteerism and service, values passed down from his parents and grandparents.

As a young child, he would accompany his mother on her community projects to help beautify the neighborhood by picking up trash and planting trees.

While in college, Goodman was honored with the Virgil Kingsley Award by the Kiwanis Club  for outstanding leadership and community service. This award was for recognition of Goodman’s volunteering and leadership efforts with non-profits such as the Pico Youth and Family Center, an organization committed to preventing youth violence.

He also participated in the volunteer organization, Feed the Soul Program, helping pack and distribute food to economically impacted families.

Rich Goodman has also worked for Diverse Journeys, a non-profit organization committed to empowering individuals with disabilities to make their own choices through supported living services.

Since his college years, Goodman has always taken active leadership in his community.

Goodman was involved in student government and the school’s two honor societies, Phi Theta Kappa and Alpha Gamma Sigma.

He participated in Santa Monica College’s District Planning and Advisory Council Subcommittee, made up of student leaders, professors and administrators to develop recommendations for the board of trustees of the school.

At the age of 23, Rich Goodman was one of three students chosen from his area to participate in the prestigious one-year fellowship, “Young People For” (YP4). YP4 invests in the next generation of leaders by serving motivated, socially aware, diverse and creative young adults who are emerging leaders in their communities, and works with them to create positive change in their communities.

Goodman has been to Washington D.C several times to participate in the Voice One Summit, a coalition of organizations such as the Sierra Club and Advocates for Youth, to meet with members of Congress to discuss legislation affecting youth and health concerns and developing leadership skills. That was the first time Goodman learned the true power of civic participation and the role of the individual citizen in our democracy.

Through Goodman’s passion and commitment to participate more in improving local government, he has volunteered for elections, served as a poll worker, and studied carefully government reforms at all levels that improve government transparency and improve participation.

Rich Goodman’s commitment to serving his community, providing leadership and civic participation make him the best candidate for representing the people of the San Fernando Valley.  He will be honored to represent the the Valley, investing in the people by bringing jobs, investing in critical infrastructure and services, and through growing civic participation in a community that has long been neglected by its representatives.