Celeste Rodriguez

Type of Donation:       Kidney Living Donor

Age and Location:      24 (age at surgery) from San Fernando, CA

Donation Date:           September 2013

Sponsor:                      OneLegacy

CELESTE’S STORY

Celeste Rodriguez currently serves as the Mayor of the City of San Fernando, located in the County of Los Angeles. Her eldest brother received a kidney donation from Celeste following five years of dialysis. Just after celebrating 10 years of the successful transplant, her brother celebrated another milestone: In October 2023, he walked his only daughter down the aisle for her wedding. It was a beautiful and emotional moment for the entire family.



Celeste has dedicated her life to public service. She began her career working in the City of San Fernando for the Recreation and Community Services Department. Celeste then worked with the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Office of Economic Opportunity where she focused on homelessness policy and community development. She went on to lead Community Wealth Initiatives with the City of Los Angeles Community Investment for Families Department. Some of her most notable projects there include leading the implementation of the Los Angeles' Guaranteed Basic Income pilot and children's savings account program, both the largest programs of their kind in the nation.



Throughout her professional career, she has worked to improve the quality of life in communities by creating policies and programs that respond to people's needs. She is continuing that work now as the Mayor of San Fernando. Her priorities are to provide a voice for San Fernando residents to engage with decision making at City Hall, ensure economic stability for residents and businesses to build a path for community wealth, strengthen programs for families to thrive, and to invest in vital infrastructure to strengthen the City's beauty and resilience.



Celeste is the daughter of an immigrant and has been inspired by her parents' dedication to social justice. Service was ingrained in her upbringing and she brings her passion and experience to the work she does in her community. Celeste received her bachelor's degree in Economics from San Diego State University and master's degree in Social Work from USC. She is raising her two young children with her husband Robert.