Armed with a “roll-up-your-sleeves” attitude and an unmatched work ethic, Councilman Albert P. Vera passion for community service sets him apart. A lifelong Culver City resident dedicated to making his community better, Vera has deep roots in the community he loves. While growing up, Vera spent much of his spare time and time after school working alongside his parents at both of their family businesses – Sorrento Italian Market, and in the family-owned olive fields north of Bakersfield. Today, Vera operates both businesses while maintaining the broad philanthropic efforts undertaken by his father, something he believes in deeply, donating to a wide array of organizations from local churches, schools and youth sports teams.
Vera was the top vote-getter in the 2020 Culver City Council election and is proud of the success the city has had during his four years on the Council. During 2023 alone, his year as Mayor, the city made significant strides in addressing homelessness, improving community safety, helping small businesses, enhancing technology, updating and improving the MOVE Culver City project, stopping drilling in the Inglewood Oil Field forever and much, much more.
Deeply committed to helping the homeless, Vera spearheaded the efforts to eliminate dangerous encampments and provide options like the Safe Sleep Site, which provides temporary shelter and respite to people experiencing homelessness and includes access to basic human necessities with bathrooms, showers, and on-site supportive services.
Vera’s depth of knowledge and commitment to the Culver City community has made him a leader in the region, forging partnerships with Mayor Karen Bass in the City of Los Angeles and other elected officials to develop collaborative solutions to challenges facing the entire region.
He is a member of the Culver City Exchange Club and has served on both the Culver City Landlord/Tenant Board and the Culver City Civil Service Commission. Vera has also served on the Culver City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Culver City Palms YMCA Board of Managers and the board of Upward Bound House, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping homeless children and their families find permanent, supportive housing.