Kylee

Peña

For Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council

Area 4 - Residential Representative

As a younger member of the community, I want to offer a fresh perspective and a critical eye to the issues all residents of Sherman Oaks are facing, including homelessness and food insecurity, access to healthcare including mental health services, and the ramifications of rapid technological innovation.

But more importantly, I want to listen to those community members I represent and collaborate on real change — not superficially, but at the root. Incremental change at the local level can be challenging, but it has a ripple effect in shaping our community, city, and country. I’m ready to do that hard work for you.

ABOUT KYLEE

Community is everything. That’s why in the past eight years I have called Sherman Oaks my home, I have built, led, or participated in non-profit organizations that serve foster youth transitioning to adulthood, educational and literacy initiatives in LAUSD, career-changing women, and emerging professionals in media and entertainment.

Professionally, I am currently a Product Marketing Manager for video editing software. I have served in creative and technical roles in the entertainment industry in project and program management capacities, so I know how to get stuff done. I recently completed a masters degree from USC.

I love shopping local and discovering new things about LA. My favorite thing about Sherman Oaks is the scent of jasmine on every street.

I am originally from the Midwest, but always longed to move to Los Angeles and work in the entertainment industry. This is my chosen home, and I share it with my tortie cat Sparkle.

Achievements

    • Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt.

    • Named a TVN Woman to Watch in Technology, a Top Technologist and Woman in Post and Production, and nominated for RISE Influencer award.

    • Published in the October 2018 SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal, Guest Editor for the Nov/Dec 2021 SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal, and co-author of several Netflix Tech Blogs.

    • Speaker at Adobe Video World, EBU Production Technology Summit, Visual Storytelling Conference, NAB Show, SMPTE Conference, numerous podcasts, universities, and high schools.

    • Selected for participation in various political activism and candidacy training including Vote Run Lead, Los Angeles County Democratic Party Training and Advancement Program Candidate Academy, She Should Run, and Ready to Run since 2016.

    • Led a 501c3 all-volunteer organization from 2016 to 2020 with a mission to support emerging talent in post production through free and frequent events, educational experiences, and focused initiatives. Managed a budget of over $25,000 and worked to increase global membership from ~4000 to over 11,000.

    • Founded a nonprofit in 2021 called The Second Act Foundation which helps women over thirty transition to STE(A)M careers.

    • Served in leadership for the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) for several years, currently on the Board of Governors representing Hollywood.

    • Served in leadership for Junior League of Los Angeles since 2020, serving community partners in LA.

    • Completed a Masters in Integrated Design, Business, and Technology at USC in May 2023 in the top 10% of my class with a 4.0 GPA.

    • BS in Media Arts and Science from Indiana University

    • Certificate in Project Management from Cornell University

ISSUES

  • I have worked directly with individuals seeking assistance in housing, employment, and healthcare, navigating the complexities of Medi-Cal, EDD and workers rights (including gig workers), mental healthcare access, and more. Our system is needlessly complex and overburdened. Without advocacy, members of our community are lost.

    These are challenging issues that require creative thinking and accountability. Together we can require that accountability of Mayor Bass, especially in her promises in improving the state of homelessness in Los Angeles.

  • I often work directly with second grade LAUSD students in a weekend reading club. When I get the opportunity to enter these schools, I am always inspired by the teachers and staff who go the extra mile to ensure the next generation is even more prepared for the world.

    Together we can make sure our schools and other educational public spaces are beautiful, welcoming places of learning. We can provide supplemental enrichment to the children of Sherman Oaks to provide critical perspectives that shape them into well-rounded active participants of our community.

  • A robust system of human services and education means nothing unless it is accessible by all in a community where residents feel safe — physically and psychologically. Whether it’s signage on Ventura Boulevard, a healthy outdoor recreation program, or a hard line on housing rights, the most vulnerable members of our community must be served too.

    Everything our Neighborhood Council discusses, votes on, or recommends should be through a lens of safety and equity. If we are not actively making Sherman Oaks a better place to live and a vocal stakeholder in the City of Los Angeles, we are not doing our jobs as your representatives.

  • We are at a critical turning point in the application of technology across human services, education, and our wider community. Our Neighborhood Council needs to be able to speak to how technology can solve problems while critically evaluating its responsible use, especially with the sudden exponential rise of generative artificial intelligence. Technology should not be feared, but wielded — and Sherman Oaks can influence the state of our city with this expertise and perspective.

WHAT ARE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS?

The purpose of neighborhood councils is to promote public participation in City governance and the decision-making process so that government is more responsive to local needs and requests.

Neighborhood Councils will advise the Mayor, City Council and City Departments on the City budget and will give local residents greater say over the decisions that affect our lives.

SONC Area 4 is bounded by:

HOW DO I VOTE?

Voting is easy — Review the Official Voter Guide for 2023 Neighborhood Council Elections!

Voting is open to anyone aged 16+ who lives, works, studies, worships, or owns property or a business in Area 4.

  • Vote-By-Mail Ballots will begin mailing on May 18, 2023.

  • To vote in a Neighborhood Council election, you can submit an application for a Vote-By-Mail ballot beginning April 23, 2023. Even if you get mail-in ballots for elections, you must request a Neighborhood Council ballot.

  • Ballots must be mailed by June 10, 2023.

  • Alternatively, you can vote in person on June 22, 2023. The in-person polling location for the 2023 Sherman Oaks NC Election will take place at the Sherman Oaks East Valley Adult Center (SOEVAC), 5056 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403, in Building C, Back Division. Voting hours will be 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM. You can verify this through the City Clerk Office.

  • The voting deadline for SONC elections will be Thursday, June 22, 2023, with official results released on July 6, 2023

Find more information about the 2023 SONC Election on the SONC website.