Alex Esparza

Alejandro “Alex” Esparza is a Principal Manager at Southern California Edison (SCE), one of the nation’s largest electric utilities. He is responsible for directing the Corporate Philanthropy and Community Engagement team, with an estimated annual budget of $20 million. As one of the largest philanthropic donors in Southern California, SCE’s charitable partnerships includes hundreds of nonprofit partners and multiple scholarship programs that support students pursuing careers in STEM related majors and careers in workforce development fields.

Esparza has served in leadership and visible roles since joining Edison International in 2012. Most recently, he served as Principal Manager of Government Affairs in Corporate Affairs. In this role, he led a team responsible for the review of federal and state legislative bills through an elaborate review process consisting of company subject matter experts.

Prior to joining Edison International, Esparza was the lead advocate for the Office of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City of Los Angeles. He was responsible for directing a contract lobbying team that focused on state policy areas of interest, specifically, transportation infrastructure, public safety, education, water, and economic development.

Before working for Mayor Villaraigosa, Esparza served as senior committee consultant for the Assembly Transportation Committee, developing expertise in funding, planning, and programming issues facing State, regional, and local transportation agencies. Esparza’s transportation experience began as a government affairs representative for the Orange County Transportation Authority, where he worked on state transportation issues and was responsible for maintaining relationships with Assembly members and Senators from the Orange County (OC) delegation.

He is a current member of the University of California, Irvine (UCI)-OC Alliance Advisory Board focused on increasing Latino/a student and faculty representation as a Hispanic serving higher education institution. He is also a past member of the U.C. Santa Barbara Alumni Board of Directors.

Esparza, an Oakland native, began his career in the Legislature as a fellow in the prestigious Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship program. He received a master’s degree in Public Policy from Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science with an emphasis in International Relations from U.C. Santa Barbara. He is also a past recipient of Edison’s Leadership Edge Program.