Dr. Robert Garcia is an accomplished educator and the 28th Mayor of Long Beach. Mayor Garcia has taken a leadership role in investing in technology, and is committed to moving Long Beach forward by attracting tech and green jobs, creating new educational partnerships, and improving city service provision. He has helped the city win a Bloomberg Philanthropy Innovation grant, and during his first term, several high profile technology companies, including Virgin Galactic, have relocated to Long Beach. He also sponsored legislation to install free WiFi in all parks and libraries.

In 2007, Garcia co-founded and launched the Long Beach Post, a Long Beach based media website and newspaper. By the time he left the company in 2013, the small business had grown into an important source for community information and has more than 45,000 online subscribers. Garcia has been named one of Long Beach’s “Most Innovative Minds” by Long Beach Magazine, to the Advocate Magazine’s 40 Under 40 List in 2010, and to Instinct Magazine’s Leading Men in 2009. He was the recipient of the 2014 Vanguard Leadership award from Equality California.