Meet Tonia Arey, Candidate for LA County Supervisor

 

We recently connected with Tonia Arey and have shared our conversation below.

Tonia, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I get my work ethic from mum! Not only is she one of the hardest workers that I know, she always puts clients first regardless where she is. She taught me that when someone calls, emails, text whatever the case may be to always promptly respond regardless if I’m on a ski hill, a hiking trail wherever I might be. If I’m unable to respond in detail then to let the client know when they will have a detailed answer from me. When people have repeat clients it’s for a reason but oftentimes the person offering the service takes them for granted and they get complacent..I was taught to never let this happen, to treat a repeat client as though it’s day 1 with them.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

The Pacific Palisades fire and its aftermath were a breaking point for me, not just because of the devastation, but because of the irresponsible and negligent way it was handled. There was no real accountability. No plan for the surrounding communities. And no urgency from those in power.

Malibu’s businesses are still struggling to recover. Our beaches remain contaminated, strewn with harmful debris. And Calabasas has been turned into a dumping ground for toxic and hazardous waste.

This didn’t happen by accident; it was allowed to happen. Worse, it was voted on and approved by our current District Supervisor, who had the authority to challenge it and instead did nothing.

I love this community, every part of it: Calabasas, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and the entire District. I grew up here. I could no longer stay silent while it was ignored, mismanaged, and treated as disposable.

I’ve been actively involved in Protect Calabasas, a grassroots organization committed to preserving the health and safety of our neighborhoods. But I realized that protesting from the outside wasn’t enough, we needed leadership from within the system.

So I began having conversations, with community members, political organizers, and eventually a seasoned campaign manager and a well-respected political figure in LA County. Those discussions confirmed what I already knew in my heart: it’s time for a change. And I’m ready to be that change.

With the support of a committed campaign team and a clear vision for responsible, community-focused leadership, I am fully committed to this journey. I’m running for LA County Supervisor, District 3, because our communities deserve better, and I’m ready to fight for it.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Listen. Allow a person to speak no matter how much your blood boils. When shaking hands, make sure it’s a firm grip and nothing less.
Advice for people who are developing people skills is to speak with people walking down the street, say hello, too many people walk past each other with either their head down or suddenly look the other way. Engage with people as much as you can and smile, there are too many angry people in the world today.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

My parents have always been by my side during great times and during terrible times. They would get angry with me but they would never put me down, they would always raise me up and point out my potential along with both good and bad qualities. Not many people are fortunate enough to have parents like I do and for that I am forever grateful.

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Elizabeth Cortez

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