Cindy Montañez was appointed to the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board in January 2007. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Montañez served 5 years in the California State Assembly. Elected at the age of 28, she was the youngest woman ever elected to California Legislature. Ms. Montañez proudly served the communities of San Fernando, Pacoima, Sylmar, Panorama City, Sun Valley, Mission Hills, Arleta and Valley View.

Ms. Montañez and her five brothers and sisters were raised by their immigrant parents, Manuel and Margarita Montañez, in the Northeast San Fernando Valley. Cindy's parents were of humble origin and had minimal institution education, yet through the Montañez family's tireless work ethic every child has been college educated. Growing up in the City of San Fernando, Ms. Montañez showed promise in public service at a young age. Whether volunteering at the social agency MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity) or helping the Los Angeles Archdiocese prepare for the Pope's Los Angeles visit or at one of the many other local activities she volunteered with, Ms. Montañez was ready and eager to help improve the quality of life for her neighbors.

Good grades and a commitment to excellence earned Ms. Montañez entrance to UCLA. As a first year student, Ms. Montañez and her sister participated in the historic 14-day Hunger Strike that established the Cesar E. Chavez Center for Interdisciplinary Instruction in Chicana Studies. Between classes, homework and helping in the family business, Ms. Montañez found time for public service. As a volunteer in her hometown, or as a host to cultural and educational workshops on campus or offering peer counseling to her younger colleagues, Ms. Montañez was truly a student activist. Her efforts as well as those of other students at UCLA caused Mother Jones magazine to name UCLA one of the top Student Activist Campuses in the United States during the 1990s.

Ms. Montañez' experience in public service has been diverse. Her experience as a community advocate for battered women, her internship with then Los Angeles City Councilman Richard Alarcon and her appointment to the San Fernando Cultural Arts Commission, helped Ms. Montañez develop a firm grounding for her future as an elected official. Ms. Montañez' early efforts gained the confidence of voters in the City of San Fernando where in 1999 she was elected the youngest person ever to the San Fernando City Council. She became the city's Mayor in 2001 and created a strong resume of accomplishments in the City during her tenure, including building a new Library, expanding a Community Center and developing a new plan for commercial business development. In 2002, Ms. Montañez was elected to the California State Assembly.

Ms. Montañez' legislative work focused on issues most important to her working class district. Her areas of focus were education, the environment, health care and consumer/worker protection. Ten of Ms. Montañez' legislative proposals were adopted by the Legislature and signed into law during her first year in office. These bills included statutes to improve the management of urban landfills, a law to protect children from a sexually abusive parent and laws to insure the safety of temporary construction workers. In addition, Ms. Montañez was the author of several bills on education to ensure healthier students.

In February 2004, Ms. Montañez was appointed Chair of the powerful and influential Rules Committee by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. At 30 years old, Ms. Montañez was the youngest woman, the first Democratic woman, and the first Latina to serve as Chair of Rules. In many State Legislatures, the Rules committees perform only "housekeeping" functions. However, in California, the Rules committees for the respective houses may consider substantive legislation in the same manner as the policy committees. One of the most important functions of the committee is the referral of bills to the appropriate policy committees. The Rules Committee also administers the Assembly's $114 million dollar operating budget and provides administrative, personnel, clerical and other assistance for the Assembly members.