Born in Zacatecas, Mexico, Victor immigrated to the United States with his parents as a young child. The oldest of six, Victor grew up in Pasadena and is a proud product of the Pasadena Unified School District. Both of his parents worked two jobs. Victor’s father was a dishwasher and cook at Ranchero’s Mexican Restaurant for 50 years. His late mother, who died when his youngest brother was four years old, was a seamstress. From age nine until he was 17 years old, Victor delivered the Pasadena Star-News newspaper every day before school and every weekend.
Victor played football, baseball, and soccer at Pasadena High School and received a number of athletic honors including All Pacific League honors and All San Gabriel Valley Ambassadors Co-Athlete of the year. The Pasadena High School faculty awarded him the George Stewart Memorial Scholarship established to “honor the graduating senior whose character, determination, and quiet leadership best reflect the memory of George Stewart.”
When Victor enrolled at Pasadena City College, he became the first person in his family to attend college, continuing his education at Azusa Pacific University, studying business management and finance. Shortly after his mother passed away, Victor was forced to postpone his college dreams to help raise his siblings. As his siblings got older, Victor was able to continue his formal education while still working full-time eventually working his way through law school.
Victor began his direct service to the City of Pasadena in 1997, when then–Vice Mayor Bill Crowfoot appointed him as the field representative for District 5. Pasadena’s District 5 is one of our City’s most ethnically and socially diverse districts, and includes several of its most important and notable historic landmark districts—Bungalow Heaven, Garfield Heights, Washington Square, and Orange Heights.
While working as the field representative for Vice Mayor Crowfoot, Victor undertook the grueling task of attending law school at night, commuting 4-5 nights a week to the University of La Verne College of Law for classes and spending weekends in that institution’s law library in order to compete with students who did not work. He excelled at his studies and graduated with honors one year ahead of his class. Victor passed the California Bar Exam on his first attempt in July, 2001.
Following Vice Mayor Crowfoot’s retirement from City service, Victor was elected to represent Pasadena’s District 5 on the Pasadena City Council in March, 2001. In 2009, he was selected by the Pasadena City Council to serve as its representative on the Rose Bowl Operating Company (RBOC) and was its longest-serving President/Chair, leading the Stadium’s successful renovation efforts. Victor has served on the Council’s Finance Committee and as Chair of the Economic Development and Technology Committee of the City Council.
Victor was elected Pasadena’s third Citywide-elected Mayor on November 3, 2020. Throughout his time as Mayor, Victor has focused on fostering an improved quality of life, and promoting safe, family-friendly environments throughout the City. As Mayor, together with the City Council, Victor has guided Pasadena through the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery, the challenges presented by social inequity, mass retirements and the search for a new City Manager.
Professionally, Victor serves as the General Counsel and Secretary Treasurer for the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 777. Victor enjoys a wonderful family life in Pasadena’s District 5 with his wife Kelly, an elementary school teacher in the El Monte Unified School District, and their two children— Michael (St. Francis) and Emma (Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy).
Bio Source: https://www.cityofpasadena.net/mayor/city-mayor-victor-gordo/
