Cindy Montañez, Class of '98

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City of San Fernando councilwoman and former California State assemblywoman Cindy Montañez passed away today at the age of 49. The official cause of death was not immediately known, but she was recently diagnosed with aggressive terminal cancer.

As a student at UCLA in 1993, she helped push for the establishment of a Chicano Studies department by joining a 14-day hunger strike that inspired young Latinos across Southern California.

The death of Montañez, who was a member of the class of 1998, elicited an outpouring of grief from elected officials including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Congresswoman Nanette D. Barragán (CA-44) as well as members of the Bruin community.

As reported by nbclosangeles.com, "Montañez was the youngest person ever elected to the San Fernando City Council in 1999 at age 25, and the youngest woman elected to the California state Legislature at age 28 in 2002. Two years later she chaired the powerful Assembly Rules Committee, becoming the youngest person, first Latina and first Democratic woman to hold that post."

Bass today issued the following statement:

"I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Assemblywoman Montañez. The Assemblywoman was a relentless trailblazer who led with conviction and a vision of a better Los Angeles for all.

"I saw her tenacity up close many times. She was by my side when we fought together in Sacramento, making difficult decisions to help our state and she advised me when I served in Congress on a range of issues impacting our city. Throughout it all, one thing was always clear – Assemblywoman Montañez's heart and soul were always dedicated to the people of Los Angeles.

"It was an honor just last month to recognize her with members of the City Council. I join so many Angelenos in holding memories of the Assemblywoman close. My thoughts are with her friends and family as we mourn the loss of a great Angeleno.”

Montañez was a member of the UCLA Institute of the Environment & Sustainability (IoES) board of advisors and recently served as the CEO of Tree People, which posted a tribute to her after her passing.

"Since assuming her role in 2016, Montañez’s unwavering dedication, innovative vision, and commitment to environmental sustainability have driven TreePeople’s extraordinary growth and impact," the tribute said. "[She] brought a strong environmental justice focus to TreePeople, improving communities around Los Angeles that had historically low tree canopy coverage through increased tree plantings and workforce development."

Read the news release posted on the UCLA Latino Policy & Politics Institute after Montañez shared the news of her advanced-stage cancer diagnosis.