CARLSBAD — For the first time in its history, the League of California Cities will have a Carlsbad president.
Councilmember Teresa Acosta told The Coast News she hopes to draw on her diverse background and experience to advance the league’s mission through a collaborative, compassionate approach.
“This is the first time we’ve had Carlsbad at the table in those conversations with the governor and the attorney general and the top administration in Sacramento and in D.C,” Acosta said. “I’m so thrilled to bring Carlsbad with me to this position.”
She is also the first league president from the San Diego region since San Diego City Councilmember Jim Madaffer served in the role from 2007 to 2008, according to the league’s website.
Acosta outlined her personal and professional experiences during her speech at the league’s annual conference in Anaheim on Sept. 25.
“It’s always a risk to share your personal story,” she told The Coast News, “but I think it’s important for people to know where I’m coming from, what I stand for, what my values are and my personal story shares that.”
After graduating from the University of Southern California at age 18, getting married and starting a family, she had to rebuild her life after her husband left with the car they shared.
“I was alone with no car, no money, a dependent, rent and bills to pay, and feeling ashamed,” Acosta told convention attendees. “But the first step out of a tough situation is to face it and to ask for help.”
She then began working for state Sen. Jack Scott and earned a master’s degree in business administration from Pepperdine University while caring for her young daughter.
After working for Scott for seven years, Acosta took a job as a regional public affairs manager with the League of California Cities.
“Yes, I am the first board member to have previously been on our staff,” she said.
In that role, she said she “really learned about how cities work, what makes cities so valuable and why communities trust their local government above any other level of government, and that’s because cities are the level of government closest to the people.”
A longtime Southern California resident, she moved to Carlsbad in 2010 to be near her mother, open a consulting business and teach at MiraCosta College. Acosta was first elected to the Carlsbad City Council in 2020.
She said her experiences across state and local government shaped much of what she hopes to accomplish as league president. She emphasized a commitment to the league’s mission through collaboration and compassion, saying you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.
Acosta pointed to her track record on the Carlsbad subcommittee focused on legislation and collaboration with state and federal partners. The subcommittee has worked on legislation strengthening protections for victims of workplace harassment, as well as legislation addressing lifeguard certifications.
“It’s about having that clear understanding and respect for each other’s roles,” she said. “I think with respect and an attitude of collaboration and coordination, we will achieve so much more.”
Acosta added that this approach could help address the league’s past reputation for “opposing everything,” which she said created “League fatigue.”
She said this would be part of a strategy to gain more local control.
“It’s really a matter of us convincing and persuading state legislators to take a deeper look and not apply a broad brush to all cities,” Acosta said. “I really do believe that we can be more successful if we present solutions.”
