Henry Lo knows the resilience of Monterey Park residents. As our voice on the City Council, he has led Monterey Park through its toughest challenges and has delivered resources to help residents and small businesses recover and thrive.
Working Toward Success
Henry Lo's immigrant parents taught him early on that to get ahead, you must work harder than everyone else. His mother was a seamstress in the garment district, and his father worked at a restaurant and simultaneously attended night school to earn a certificate to become a machinist. Together, they worked nearly every day to ensure Henry had the best opportunities to create his path to the middle class.
With both parents working, Henry took advantage of before and after-school programs to expand his education. His hustle paid off when he earned a spot at the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES). Henry excelled at LACES and developed a strong work ethic to ensure his success and help others get ahead.
Henry was recruited to attend Colby College in Maine—an experience that took him across the country for the first time. He spent a semester in Washington, DC, learning about the government's impact on our daily lives while interning for a member of Congress. After graduating with his Bachelor of Arts in Government, Henry worked for the California Democratic Party, registering new citizens to vote and fighting against attacks on immigrant communities.
Track Record of Service
San Gabriel Valley elected officials and neighbors quickly recognized Henry as a leader who stood up for people without a voice. He worked with Senator Gloria Romero, Assemblymember Mike Eng, Assemblymember Ed Chau, and now the State Assembly Democratic Caucus on legislation improving the San Gabriel Valley, helping residents get better access to services, and making it easier for local businesses to grow. He also attended California State University, Northridge, part-time, earning his Master's Degree in Public Administration.
Henry knew he could do more to help students, teachers, and parents succeed in Monterey Park and West San Gabriel Valley schools. Henry was first elected to the Garvey Elementary School District Board of Trustees in 2003, serving four times as school board president. Henry, a fiscal watchdog for our schools, engaged with parents and community advocates to forge creative solutions to balance the district's budget. He led the effort to transform underutilized schools into a park, a dual language academy, and a satellite campus for East Los Angeles College, which offered summer programs and adult education.
Henry co-founded the Garvey Education Foundation, helping raise more than $100,000 to fund grants for special projects and field trips that provide kids with new experiences beyond the classroom.
Delivering Results for Monterey Park Residents
Henry was elected to the Monterey Park City Council in March 2020, making history as the city's first openly gay Councilmember. The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global health emergency two weeks after his election. Henry got to work to help ensure residents and businesses had the resources they needed to remain safe. He worked with the city's restaurants and delivery apps to curb fees for food deliveries so these small businesses could stay in business. He also worked with health partners like the Chinatown Service Center to increase access to vaccines for teachers so students could return to school in person. Henry also worked with public safety officers to raise awareness about hate crimes stemming from harmful rhetoric directed at the Asian American community.
Henry served as Mayor from December 2021 to January 2023, where he led Monterey Park through the aftermath of the mass shooting at the Star Ballroom. As the nation watched, Henry consoled his community while securing resources from the federal, state, and county governments to deliver public safety services and mental health counseling for victims' families, residents, and small businesses. U.S. Senator Alex Padilla invited Henry as his guest to President Biden's State of the Union address in recognition of his advocacy to end gun violence in our communities.
As our Councilmember, Henry Lo has worked to support:
Repaving roads and improving pedestrian safety
Passing Measure MP to stabilize the city's finances
Updating Monterey Park's Climate Action Plan
Opening several new playgrounds and improving the city's open spaces.
Henry has worked to ensure Monterey Park is a city that supports women's, LGBTQ+, and working people's rights. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, he partnered with Planned Parenthood to pass a resolution to affirm women's Reproductive Rights. He led the passage of the first-ever resolution acknowledging Pride Month and worked with the Alhambra Teacher Association to start the city's Pride Festival and March, now in its fourth year. He has consistently supported workers, including the city's nurses and health care workers.
Henry will continue to ensure his neighbors have a strong voice at City Hall. He'll use his two decades of experience to focus on the issues that matter most for Monterey Park's future. Henry will work to preserve the integrity of our neighborhoods by prioritizing safety and addressing homelessness by improving access to affordable housing. He'll help attract more retail options and enhance public transportation to create thriving business corridors.
Henry lives just north of the Garvey Reservoir, where he often walks his dog, Dolly Paw-ton, and talks with neighbors. He also regularly brings friends to explore Monterey Park's restaurant scene and show off the unique architecture, such as the historic El Encanto building, the fountain at Cascades Park, and the world-class Vincent Price Art Museum at East Los Angeles College.
