Jerry Velasco has been in the entertainment industry for over forty years as an accomplished actor, producer, union organizer, personal manager, Arts Advocate and as head of his own multimedia entertainment company, Velasco & Associates.  Jerry’s resume reflects his unwavering persistence to achieve his goals.

Jerry Velasco has been involved for over four decades in the non-profit sector and has been credited with being one of the most outspoken advocates in the country for the improvement of the Latino Image and employment in the media, in front of and behind the camera. 

He served for thirty years as President of NOSOTROS, the oldest nonprofit Latino arts advocacy organization founded by the iconic actor Ricardo Montalban, with the expressed goals of training Latino Talent, seeking employment opportunities and improving the Image of Latinos in the entertainment industry.  As President, Jerry led NOSOTROS into one of the most influential Latino Arts organizations in the country. 

Jerry also established the prestigious NOSOTROS GOLDEN EAGLE AWARDS, the oldest and most respected Latino Arts Awards Show, which many equated to the Latino Oscars, and which honored celebrities such as Anthony Quinn, Rita Moreno, Desi Arnaz, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Cantinflas, Gilbert Rowland, Robert Rodriguez, Dolores Del Rio, Juan Gabriel, Perez Prado, Edward James Olmos, Paul Rodriguez, Mike Gomez, Eva Longoria, Raquel Welch, Salma Hayek, and Jennifer Lopez, among many others.  Jerry presently serves as President Emeritus of NOSOTROS.

Well known for his humanitarian work, his lifelong commitment to social justice, labor and workers’ rights, but especially his work in the nonprofit sector, Jerry’s dedication has insured an improved quality of life which garnered many benefits for workers and their families, not only in the entertainment industry, but across the U.S. labor movement.  He has dedicated the majority of his life to the nonprofit world, serving communities across the United States and abroad. Currently, Jerry serves on several nonprofit organizations, including as Chair of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation.

Jerry’s unwavering dedication as an advocate for the Arts, labor unions, and Latinos in the Entertainment Industry, has brought many opportunities to the U.S. Latino community.  Jerry has served on many boards, including the national and local boards of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), as well as numerous committees for the entertainment unions, which have brought about many significant changes and benefits for actors in general but especially for Latino artists.

After serving the community in many aspects for over forty years, Jerry’s most recent venture has been into the political arena.  After serving as a Planning Commissioner for the City of El Monte for two years, Jerry was elected as the El Monte City Treasurer 2013-2014. 

In 2015, Jerry served in the El Monte City Council.  He also serves as a Los Angeles County Commissioner on the Los Angeles County Commission on Alcohol and Other Drugs commission, appointed by Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis.

Now, Jerry is running for El Monte City Clerk so that he can continue his dedication to uplifting the voices of his community, improve our quality of life, and establish a brighter future for all El Monte residents.