About

Meet Alex Villanueva

Alex Villanueva’s mother, Mary Ann was the daughter of Polish immigrants and his father, Victor, was born and raised in Puerto Rico. Alex was born in Chicago, IL but the family moved to Rochester, NY. Victor and Mary Ann Villanueva moved Alex and his five brothers and sisters to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The family ran a small print shop in a close-knit and safe community.

After graduating from high school in Puerto Rico, Sheriff Alex Villanueva began a long road to earning his college degrees. Along the way, Villanueva joined the military, moved to Los Angeles, CA, became LA Sheriff’s Deputy, served in the Army National Guard, earned his Doctoral Degree, became Adjunct Professor, and eventually became our 33rd Sheriff of LA County.

Education

Villanueva earned an associate degree in Liberal Arts from San Bernardino Valley College in 1986.

B.A. in Liberal Arts from Excelsior College, University of the State of New York, Regents College.

Master of Public Administration from California State University, Northridge.

Doctor of Public Administration from the University of La Verne. Villanueva’s dissertation focused on leadership diversity in law enforcement.

Career

Alex Villanueva is the 33rd Sheriff of Los Angeles County, and he is the first Spanish-speaking sheriff in the county. In 2018, retired sheriff’s lieutenant Villanueva defeated incumbent Sheriff Jim McDonell, becoming the first to unseat the incumbent in over 100 years. Sheriff Villanueva also became the first Democratic Sheriff in LA County in almost 140 years.

Alex served our communities as a member of the LA Sheriff’s Department for almost 35 years before becoming Sheriff.

Career at LASD

Custody, Century Regional Detention Facility.
Patrol Deputy, East LA.
Drill Instructor at the Sheriff’s Academy Training Bureau.
California Army National Guard, Lieutenant (2nd Battalion, 144th Field Artillery Regiment, 40th Infantry Division).
Sergeant, Lennox and Carson Sheriff Stations, the Community College Bureau, and the Advanced Officer Training unit.
Watch Commander at the Pico Rivera Sheriff’s Station