Dedicated to Family and Community

Rose grew up in a La Habra migrant camp owned by the La Habra Citrus Association.  She is the youngest of 8 children.
 
Rose attended schools in La Habra and then graduated from Fullerton College with an Associate of Arts degree.  Spending 30 years at Beckman Coulter, Inc., the latter years as a Principal Designer, Rose decided it was time to dedicate more time to Rosie's Garage, a program she founded in 1992 to address the growing gang activity and low educational attainment of children in her neighborhood.  Rose initially volunteered approximately 860 hours per year to the program.

Soon after her community involvement she was encouraged to run for local office.  Rose successfully won a seat on the La Habra City Council in 2000.  Council member Espinoza was unanimously selected by her colleagues to serve as Mayor in 2004 and 2008.  Rose is presently serving her third term in office.

Among the many awards and volunteerism recognitions, Ms. Espinoza has received the Points of Light Presidential Service Award from former President Clinton in 1994, the 72nd Assembly District Woman of the Year Award from Assemblywoman Lynn Daucher in 2002 as well as the North Orange County Magazine's 25 Most Influential People in 2006.

Her work with children was the subject of a documentary "Rosie's Garage" which aired on KCET in 2002.  The Orange County Register, in its 2005 special 100 year publication magazine profiled Ms. Espinoza as one of 100 People Who Shaped Orange County, Rose appeared in O, The Oprah Magazine in June of 2006, and Reader's Digest profiled her in their April 2009 issue. On November 15, 2007, Mayor Espinoza received the National Caring Award, a prestigious honor that have been given to such people as Mother Teresa, the Rev. Billy Graham and baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.  Mayor Espinoza's picture is displayed in the Frederick Douglass Museum and Hall of Fame for Caring Americans in Washington D.C.

Awards received
      2009  Hispanic Business Women of the Year (3 including Rose for community service)
      2008  The Truman Award
      2007  Washington DC Caring Institute - Caring Award
      2006  Flag Day Committee Consuelo Nieto Award for Patriotic Activism
      2005  NAWBO-OC  Inducted into the NAWBO Hall of Fame
      2005  Distinguished Public Service Award  Delta Kappa Gamma Society International
      2004  H.O.T. (Hispanic Outreach Taskforce)
      2004  La Habra Chambers of Commerce Citizen of The Year Award
      2004  We Give Thanks’  Women of Vision Award
      2004  Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Orange County  Community Service  Award
      2003  NAWBO-OC Pioneer Woman Award
      2003  Fullerton College Distinguished Alumna 2003
      2002  American Women Business Association 2002 Women Business Award
      2002  Women For: Orange County  Women’s Annual Suffrage Award
      2002  Kiwanis International Solomon Public Service Award
      2002  The New American Alliance Institute 2002 Philanthropy Award
      2002  YWCA Woman of Inspiration and Influential Award
      2002  72nd Assembly District  "Woman of the Year" 2002 Award
      2000  League of Women Voter Susan B. Anthony Award
      2000  Sertoma Service to Mankind Award
      1999  United Way Hispanic Influential Award
      1999  Hispanic Magazine Hispanic Achievement Award
      1997  NHS (Neighborhood Housing Services) Neighborhood Development Award
      1997  Disneyland Community Service Award & 2001 Special Judges Award
      1994  Points of Light United States Presidential Service Award
      1993  KNX Radio Citizen of the Week Award
      1993  Los Angeles Times Volunteer of Distinction Award
      1992  La Habra Citizen of the Month Award
      1992  Angel/Register Award
      1992  Orange County Human Relations Award
  
Notable Articles and Appearances
      2009  Reader's Digest
      2008  Univision - selected for the Orgullo Hispano segment
      2007  AARP Publications - Segunda Juventud   
      2006  Selecciones Reader's Digest - Triunfadores
      2006  O The Oprah Magazine  - March Issue, article titled “What a Concept”
      2005  Univision/Channel 34  Primer Edicion – Todo Mujer
      2005  OC Register - 100 Year Celebration profiling the 100 who shaped OC
      2002  Orange County Metro Magazine – Women Making a Difference
      2002  Documentary Rosie’s Garage  - Aired on PBS – KCET in 2002
      2001  GuidePost Magazine
      2001  Fox11 News
      2001  Dr. Laura TV Show / 2002 Dr. Laura’s Perspective Magazine
      2000  Woman’s World Magazine
      1999  People en Español Magazine
      1999  KCOP-13 Hero of the Week
      1999  AT&T Adelante con AT&T  (http://www.att.com/adelante/)
      1998/2002  Channel 7 Vista LA
      1998  New York Times (Front page)
      1996  Channel 4 Beating the Odds
      1996/97  KCBS-2 Evening News with Dan Rather
      1995  KCBS-2 People to Know
      1995  Child Magazine
      1994  Osgood Files
      1993  KCAL-9 Cinco De Mayo Special
 
Special Honors
      2006  North Orange County Magazine - One of 25 Influential People
      2004  State Proclamation naming June 12th as Rose Espinoza Day
      2000  Latino.com One of 20 Most Influential Hispanics of the 20th Century
      1997  Orange County Register One of People to Watch
      1995  American Red Cross as One of 50 Outstanding Women in Orange County
  
Community Involvement
      League of Women Voters
      La Habra Advisory of Neighborhood Housing Services of Orange County (NHS of OC)
      BOD of Neighborhood Housing Services of America
      Founder/Volunteer Executive Director of Rosie's Garage
      St. Jude Healthy Community Advisory Board
      Organize annual Rosie’s Garage 5K Walk/Run to raise scholarship funds
      MANA Organization
      Delta Kappa Gamma Society International – Beta Chapter
      La Habra Woman’s Club
      Friends of La Habra Library
      PWINOC - Progressive Women in North Orange County
      La Habra Chamber of Commerce
 
As a Councilmember
      Chairman of City of La Habra Housing Authority
      Director of La Habra Redevelopment Agency
      Orange County Library Advisory board
      Interjurisdictional Planning Forum Growth Management Area No. 1
      League of California Cities Orange County
      Hillside Open Space Education Steering Committee - Alternate
      Orange County Sanitation District Board - Alternate