Supervisor Hahn honors Paramount sisters who made political history

Annette Delgadillo, Janice Hahn and Diane Martinez (courtesy photo)

PARAMOUNT — Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn on Tuesday honored two local trailblazers — Diane Martinez and Annette Delgadillo — for their historic leadership in the City of Paramount, recognizing them as the first sisters and first educators to both serve as mayor of the city.

Hahn presented the commendation during a morning ceremony attended by Archbishop José Gomez and other dignitaries, noting the sisters’ decades of public service and community involvement.

“Diane and Annette have been dedicated leaders for the people of Paramount, role models for young women, my partners in public service, and I am proud to call them both my friends,” Hahn said. “Their extraordinary story needs to be told, and their service deserves to be honored.”

Martinez served on the Paramount City Council for 25 years, from 1994 until 2019, holding the role of mayor six times. She currently serves on the Paramount Unified School District Board and is Vice Chairwoman for the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders. A longtime educator, she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University, Long Beach.

Delgadillo was elected to Paramount’s all-women City Council in 2022 and recently concluded her term as mayor this past April. Like her sister, she earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Cal State Long Beach and holds a teaching credential in elementary education. She also serves as Paramount’s representative to the Southern California Association of Governments General Assembly.

The sisters are active volunteers at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Paramount.

“On behalf of my sister and I, we humbly thank Supervisor Janice Hahn and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for recognizing our historical achievement,” Delgadillo said during the presentation. “Diane and I will always remember this moment that we shared together.”

Supervisor Hahn used the occasion to highlight the importance of visible leadership by women in public service.

“Your city council is all women, our Board of Supervisors is all women, but still there are girls that grow up and are not sure that a career in politics or education is what they want to do,” said Hahn. “You're role models, and the more girls we can get into our line of work, the better this world will be.”