Supervisor Kathryn Barger Honors Two Latino Community Leaders During Hispanic Heritage Month

LOS ANGELES COUNTY — Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger honored two community leaders Tuesday in recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month, including Lake Los Angeles native Francisco “Panchito” Ramirez Rueda, for their service and commitment to strengthening their communities.

Barger recognized Ramirez Rueda and Pasadena resident Kathy Hernandez during the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting on Sept. 22, presenting both with commendation scrolls. The Board held a public hearing meeting that morning. (LA BOS⁠)

“These two honorees represent the very best of what Hispanic Heritage Month highlights,” Barger said. “They are leaders whose values of family and service to others drive them to lift up the young people and the community around them.”

Barger said their work demonstrates the contributions residents make throughout the Fifth District, which includes communities across the Antelope, San Gabriel, San Fernando, Crescenta and Santa Clarita valleys. (LA BOS⁠)

Lake Los Angeles Native Recognized

For the Antelope Valley, the recognition highlighted the accomplishments of Francisco “Panchito” Ramirez Rueda, a Lake Los Angeles native whose work has focused heavily on youth, education and soccer.

Ramirez Rueda became the first student-athlete from his hometown to compete in an NCAA Division I program, playing soccer at UC Riverside. At age 25, he became the university’s youngest-ever 40 Under 40 honoree.

He later received a full-ride scholarship to the University of Michigan, where he earned his master’s degree in education.

Ramirez Rueda and his brother, Christian, also founded The Dreamers Soccer Clinic, a volunteer-run nonprofit that has served more than 500 underserved young people throughout the Antelope Valley.

The organization has provided youth with tutoring, mentoring, college tours and scholarship opportunities, using soccer and education as tools to help young people pursue their goals.

Ramirez Rueda now serves as Director of Partnerships and Community for AV ALTA FC, the Antelope Valley’s professional soccer team. In that position, he has helped manage approximately 70 corporate partnerships that support investment and engagement in the local community.

Hernandez Honored for Foster Youth Advocacy

Barger also recognized Kathy Hernandez, a Pasadena resident and Director of Foster Care Programs for FosterAll.

For more than a decade, Hernandez has worked with hundreds of faith partners to recruit and retain foster families.

She was instrumental in establishing the Los Angeles County Faith Alliance, an interfaith partnership with the County’s Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships designed to strengthen coordination between faith organizations and county services.

Before joining FosterAll, Hernandez spent 20 years as National Coordinator for Winning Our World International, where she helped mobilize approximately 50,000 volunteers and develop programs serving thousands of young people.

She also volunteers with the Pasadena Police Department, working to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and the community.

Both Hernandez and Ramirez Rueda credited their Hispanic heritage with helping shape the values behind their community service, including faith, perseverance, family and a commitment to helping the next generation.

For Ramirez Rueda, Tuesday’s recognition also brought attention to the possibilities for young people growing up in rural communities such as Lake Los Angeles and throughout the Antelope Valley.

Barger represents Los Angeles County’s Fifth Supervisorial District, which encompasses 20 cities and 83 unincorporated communities and includes all or portions of the Antelope Valley. (LA BOS⁠)

PHOTO: Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger with Hispanic Heritage Month honorees Kathy Hernandez and Francisco “Panchito” Ramirez Rueda, joined by Ramirez Rueda’s parents, after receiving commendation scrolls during the Board of Supervisors meeting on Sept. 22, 2026.

Photo Credit: Bryan Chan/Los Angeles County

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