Raymond Meza is a civic leader and lifelong advocate for working people and the middle class, from his early activism to his current role at SEIU Local 721. A lifelong resident of Council District 1, Raymond has deep roots in the community where he grew up and continues to live.
With a career spanning seventeen years, Raymond now serves as Deputy Chief of Staff at SEIU Local 721. As part of the leadership team of SEIU’s largest public-sector union in the country, he helps oversee daily operations and builds power for working-class people. He has a strong track record of coalition building with diverse stakeholders to advance policies that strengthen the middle class.
Raymond’s advocacy began in college, where he organized students to secure federal funding for higher education, freeze tuition increases, and expand access for undocumented immigrants—decades before these issues gained national attention. In the wake of Proposition 209, he championed expanded academic outreach to underrepresented communities.
Born and raised in Montecito Heights in Los Angeles, Raymond is the third generation of his family to live in the same neighborhood. His grandmother moved to Los Angeles during the Great Depression in search of opportunity, eventually purchasing a home in 1956 that remains in the family today. His passion for social justice was shaped by the community values he experienced while attending Eagle Rock Junior High School and John Marshall High School. Coming out as gay at age 15, Raymond was inspired by the compassion, love, and acceptance he received from his family and community—fueling his lifelong commitment to advocacy for others.