Alex Esparza

Community & Partnerships Advisor

With a distinguished career in corporate philanthropy, government affairs, and public policy, Alex Esparza brings over two decades of strategic leadership and community engagement expertise. 

Most recently, Esparza served as Interim Director of Development and Alumni Relations at the Mt. San Antonio College Foundation.  In this role, he led Foundation operations and donor and fundraising efforts to support student scholarships and resources for one of the largest community colleges in California.  

He also served as Principal Manager of Corporate Philanthropy and Community Engagement at Southern California Edison (SCE), where he led a high-impact team and guided the distribution of over $100 million to nonprofits and community partners. Prior to his role at SCE, Esparza directed the legislative affairs team for Edison International and served as chief legislative lobbyist for the City of Los Angeles. In these capacities, he oversaw legislative teams and contract lobbyists, advancing policy objectives that supported organizational priorities at both state and federal levels. 

Throughout his professional career, Esparza has always made it a priority to give back to the community by serving on various nonprofit boards such as the U.C. Santa Barabra Alumni Board, Trust for Public Lands, and the U.C.I-OC Alliance, to name a few.  

An Oakland native, Esparza commenced his career in the Legislature as a fellow in the prestigious Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship program. He holds a master’s degree in public policy from Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor's degree in political science with an emphasis in International Relations from the University of California, Santa Barbara.