Arvin Mayor Olivia Trujillo has died, the city announced Monday. The 67-year-old passed away Sunday, surrounded by family, after a lengthy battle with cancer.
In a press release, the city said the following:
Mayor Olivia Trujillo has been a proud member of the Arvin community for over 60 years. In 1962, at the age of five, Mayor Trujillo immigrated with her family to Arvin, California. As the proud daughter of farmworkers, she grew up harvesting fruits and vegetables in the fields of the San Joaquin Valley. She attended Sierra Vista Elementary School, Haven Drive Middle School, and graduated from Arvin High School in 1974.
On November 3, 2020, she became the first woman, first Latina, and first immigrant to be elected mayor of the City of Arvin. She served her community in appointed and elected office since 2013 as Vice-President of the Arvin City Chamber of Commerce (2013-2018), Chair of the Arvin City Planning Commission (2015-2018), Member of the Arvin City Council (2016-2018). She served as Mayor of the City of Arvin since (2020).
Mayor Trujillo’s vision for the Arvin community was grounded in a mission of service to uplift its residents. Since taking office, Mayor Trujillo has made and kept bold promises to ensure everyone’s right to work, study, and thrive. She was instrumental in establishing a Navigation Center for the unhoused, operated by Flood Ministries, to connect Arvin’s disenfranchised with life’s basic needs. She worked tirelessly to establish Arvin’s only food bank, a partnership with Laborers of the Harvest, where local residents who are experiencing food insecurity get fresh and healthy food twice a week. She played key roles in delivering transformational development projects, creating jobs, and expanding services for Arvin residents—including the new Bakersfield College Arvin Campus, the first Urgent Care Center, and the Arvin Kiwanis Club for youth leadership development. In addition, her domestic violence awareness campaigns provide a lifeline for those battered and abused.
Mayor Trujillo was a “roll up her sleeves” public servant, often on the scene for City-wide Cleanups, food bank distributions, graffiti cleanups, and days of service within the Arvin community. Her many accomplishments demonstrate her commitment to her community and love for humanity. She inspired her community members to make a positive difference in the world despite their circumstances. Mayor Trujillo believed that “anything is possible if you put your heart, mind and soul into it.” It’s a life lesson she regularly shares with her family, friends and community she proudly served.
We can all carry this lesson on humility, positivity, and servant leadership with us to honor her spirit and love of service. We mourn the loss of a beloved colleague, a fiercely independent leader, a friend, and an equity advocate for her community. We celebrate her enduring legacy as a true public servant.
Mayor Trujillo is survived by her three daughters, Olivia, Vanessa and Genie Calderón and her nine grandchildren Natalie, Eli, Jaiden, Noah, Isabella, Eva, Luca, Samuel, and Joshua.
Details will be forthcoming on her memorial service.
Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh also issued a statement regarding her counterpart’s passing.
“Kern County has lost a dedicated and purposeful leader, who fervently served and cared deeply for her community,” said Goh. “I extend my heartfelt condolences to her family, friends, and the city of Arvin.”