George Aguilar Has a Tradition of Service

George A. Aguilar has dedicated his entire career to serving his community and upholding his family’s tradition of doing what is best for the people and the community he lives in. Known best for his work as a commissioner with the City of Colton Utilities Commission and his particularly extensive work during his seven elected terms on the San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, Aguilar has also served on the Highway Patrol Oral Review Board and has been an active member in the Cal State San Bernardino Foundation Board, which has put its efforts into expanding available student housing. Aguilar is also a past Chairman of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, responsible for overseeing the processes that filter water to 5.5 million people, and was the first Latino to serve on this board. Aguilar also owns his own business, Aguilar & Associates, which focuses on waste energy projects and utilizing waste to convert into energy. Aguilar & Associates is active here in California as well as in certain parts of Africa. Aguilar was raised by people who felt a personal responsibility to the individuals who lived in their community. His family has been serving the community since the early 20th century, when his great-grandfather Gil Enciso moved to California to work for the Southern Pacific Railroad. At the time, there were a large number of immigrants coming from Mexico to work in the States. When the workers would come to cash their checks at local stores and businesses they were often taken advantage of. It was because of this that Aguilar’s grandfather, Juan Enciso, established La Esperanza Markets in the early 1920’s and gave the Latino community a place where they could feel comfortable and safe. The Pacific Union workers would have to travel all across California for work and would often leave many members of their family behind while they traveled. This caused markets such as Aguilar’s family’s market to become a social hub for the community. “People would call us for all sorts of things. It even got to the point where they would call us to see what was playing in the movies,” Aguilar said. Juan Enciso always kept his prices fair; he felt that he owed the people who came to his store a debt, and that value was passed on throughout his family to George, who still holds that value today. “We had a nice lifestyle, and it was due to the hardworking people who came to our store, so at the least we owe them our service," he said. La Esperanza Markets also served as a place of meeting for people involved in city government. From about age 13, George was around prominent elected officials including mayors and City council members, and gained a bit of a reputation for himself as someone who would ask hard questions about politics and serious community issues when he was in charge of keeping them entertained while they waited for another family member or friend to arrive at the store. It was also at this store where César E. Chávez would become a prominent figure in Aguilar’s life. “I met César at the store but I can’t really remember exactly when. I always remember him being there,” Aguilar said. During the Chicano Movement, a movement fighting for equality and fair treatment rights for workers and farmers, Aguilar stated, “Our market always had a strong relationship with the farmers.” The market would play a huge role in the boycotts of Coors Beer, wine, lettuce, and grapes: illegal boycotts the Chicano Movement used as a way to raise awareness for their cause. La Esperanza Market also sponsored “Los Madrugadores” (The Early Birds), the first Spanish radio show that serves as a source of education for the Latino community and could be heard throughout the Western United States. Aguilar was propelled into community service by his upbringing and soon began to serve on the Junior Chamber, where he worked on the George E. Brown, Jr. campaign. At Colton High School, he would go on to run for school president but was unable to serve due to a low grade halfway through a semester. He was still active in campus affairs as ASB Secretary, and would work together with his friend Eloise Gomez-Reyes, who at the time was elected Vice-President of the school and is also currently running for Congress, to recover money being taken from students by diving headfirst into the long list of rules and policies of the school. Aguilar would go on to get a master’s degree in Business Administration from the American Intercontinental University in Chicago, Illinois. Aguilar developed the ability to speed-read during this time, and can now read up to 2,700 words per minute. At the age of 26, Aguilar decided he wanted to run for office. Since he was already an active member of the Democratic Party, he had no trouble finding support. Aguilar decided to run for the Water Board, and with the help of the Democratic Party, set up a plan to move up to State Assembly and eventually up to United States Congress. During a meeting with sponsors for his campaign, Aguilar and his party managed to establish a $2 million commitment with sponsors such as BP Oil, Chevron, Wells Fargo and Bank of America. The Democratic Party began telling him exactly what he could and could not do, and it began to “feel like I had sold my soul,” Aguilar said as he looked back. Aguilar decided not to go forward with the political plan since he felt he would not be able to contribute much with the limitations placed on him, and continued on to serve the Water Board for 28 years, where he felt he had much more influence. “Water is power in California and the Water Board is the highest level of elected officials here in California,” Aguilar stated. After years of service, Aguilar takes comfort knowing that he has “left behind enough pipeline, reservoir, and over $1 billion in infrastructure to be safe for the next 50 years.” He will continue to develop clean energy products through Aguilar & Associates and serve on the countless panels and committees he is involved with to continue serving his community.