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San Mateo County Poet Laureate and former East Palo Alto mayor Antonio López was announced last week as one of 100 people nationwide selected for the Obama Foundation’s 2025–26 Leaders USA program.
López will join the six-month leadership program, which brings together civic leaders across the country for weekly training sessions, mentorship and collaboration. The program emphasizes strengthening democratic culture and supporting leaders working on issues ranging from civic engagement and climate to arts and culture.
In addition to his service on the East Palo Alto City Council from 2020 to 2023 and as mayor in 2024, López has worked as associate director of research and advocacy at Ayudando Latinos a Soñar (ALAS), while pursuing a PhD at Stanford University. His debut poetry collection, Gentefication, won the 2019 Levis Prize in Poetry.
López also ran for the San Mateo County District 4 supervisor seat in 2024 but lost to Lisa Gauthier, who took 58% of the vote. His campaign focused on homelessness, economic disparities and childcare access — issues that remain central to his work today.
The Obama Foundation Leaders USA program, now in its third year, is guided by the values of President and former First Lady Michelle Obama and is intended to inspire and equip emerging leaders to drive change in their communities.
