Section 3 Worker Success Stories

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Section 3 10-Year Anniversary Celebration

Section 3 Resident Testimonials

Meet our Section 3 Workers who have successfully found employment and are sharing their stories with you!

See below or Click here to read about their journeys. 

 

Francisco Valdez

Francisco Valdez Profile

Jorge Romero

Jorge Romero was 10 years old when his family moved into Jordan Downs public housing community. Jorge was always ambitious and wanted to achieve his dreams of having a career and moving out of Jordan Downs. At the age of 18 he enrolled in supportive service programs provided by HACLA’s WSC and took courses in Environmental and Asbestos and Lead Abatement worker certification. His timing was perfect as that led him to being hired by American Integrated in 2015. A year and a half later Jorge was hired by EFI Global in connection with the remediation work at Jordan Downs. These employment opportunities were made possible through HACLA’s Section 3 Program and helped Jorge identify his career interest. Jorge says that EFI taught him the ins and outs of the consulting field and was his foot in the door. After EFI, Jorge worked for American Environmental Specialists between 2019-2021 as a Certified Site Surveillance Technician and acting Jr Project Manager.   During this time Jorge obtained various professional certifications, such as Certified Site Surveillance Technician (CSST), OSHA 30, and Lead Sampling Technicians (LST). Each certification has assisted him in securing additional employment opportunities and higher wages. Jorge is now a Certified Asbestos Consultant (CAC) with Citadel Environmental Services. He travels to work sites to do building surveys, oversees abatement work, and takes samples for lab analysis. Citadel Environmental is a HACLA vendor and supports youth through the Section 3 Promises Program. Today, Jorge is a father to three children ages 10, 7 and 5, and it has been many years since he and his family left Jordan Downs. They visit often to see his family who still live there. He fondly remembers the impact Jordan Downs has had on him. “It was a great community when I was there. There were many challenges, but there was also a support system to lift you up” says Jorge.  At a HACLA youth scholarship event in the Summer of 2024, Jorge had the opportunity to hand-out scholarship awards to public

Jose Mateo
Jose Mateo is a resident of the Pueblo Del Sol community and a role model for youth! He was hired by the Portrait Construction team in 2020 to assist with Section 3 requirements relating to the rehabilitation work at PDS. “Working with Portrait Construction has been a great experience. From the moment I was hired, the people at Portrait have embraced me as part of their team. Any questions that I had on the job were quickly answered, any curiosities about the industry were met with detailed insights, and opportunities for growth were always available.” says Jose. Jose’s supervisor says that he exceeded their expectations. “During his time there he expanded Portrait’s excel tracking sheet to automate the data for section 3 hiring, built relationships with the subcontractors and workers. He puts his best effort to assist Section 3 workers find employment through the program.” This position allowed Jose to hone his skills and find a new interest in data analytics. In 2023 Jose enrolled in a COOP program, a 16 week bootcamp to learn data analytics and how to apply it to different settings. Around this time he also completed an internship with Kaplan, an advertising agency. Jose says that he was able to directly apply what he learned at Portrait and COOP to the advertising agency position. Currently, Jose is working for digital marketing company Code3, handling their Chipotle account. Jose has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Consumer Affairs from California State Long Beach, but says he was never able to apply it to a job, or know what direction he wanted to go. Jose says that the position at Portrait and his later experiences opened his eyes to how ubiquitous data is and sparked an interest that developed into a career choice. “Thank you to the Related, Portrait and HACLA Section 3 teams for having faith in me and mentoring me in my early days.” “Being able to be a small part of the redevelopment of my community has been a great privilege for me, and I look forward to seeing how my community benefits from these changes.
Jesus Perez

Jesus Perez Profile

Kenneth Lewis

Kenneth Lewis Profile

Yerir Pacheco Tapia

Yerir Pacheco Tapia Profile

Xavier Thomas

Xavier Thomas Profile

Gabriela Perez

Gabriela Perez Profile

Natasha Salazar
Natasha Salazar Profile
Deshone Walker

Deshone Walker Profile

Jaime Galeana Garcia

Jaime Galeana Garcia Profile

Vincent Harris Jr

Vincent Harris Profile

Alberto Perez

Alberto Perez Profile

Francisco Perez

Francisco Perez Profile

Britney Castillo
Britney Castillo Profile
Sheila Walton 
Sheila Walton: Sheila Walton has been a resident of Jordan Downs for over 15 years. She currently lives there with her daughter and young grandson. Through the Section 3 program she has held many jobs with different contractors, and is currently working with Alameda Construction. Sheila’s first experience in construction was working as a laborer in HACLA’s Million Dollar Jobs program which provided her the opportunity to train as a cement mason apprentice. As she worked through her apprenticeship, she realized that she was passionate about cement work. Sheila saw that there was an art to how cement was poured and leveled out and yearned to master her craft and pursue further work in this field. Sheila has been working as a cement mason ever since, and is currently a 5th period apprentice! She wants to continue down this path and together with her friend is in the process of opening their own business! “I’m glad that I am in a field that I love. It’s a hard job, but I love it and want to put more effort into it every day. Work hard, play hard. That is my motto.” – Sheila Walton


View Sheila Walton's inspirational story below:


 

Bryant Collins
Bryant Collins: Bryant Collins has been a resident of Jordan Downs for over 26 years, where he lives with his young son. Bryant was hired by Lonestar Construction in 2018 in connection with the Jordan Downs redevelopment project. He started as an apprentice, and through support from Lonestar and his own determination, he became a Journeyman. His duties included measuring areas of the roof, tiling, pouring cement, retrieving materials, and various other tasks. Bryant says the early days were hard when he was working during the week and driving long-distance on weekends to complete Roofers Union classes. Almost five years later, Bryant has learned the trade and Lonestar has hired him permanently. “It was a life changing experience. I am about to break the cycle of living at Jordan Downs,” says Bryant, whose grandmother and mother have also lived at Jordan Downs. He says that the change was needed. Bryant says Lonestar provided a great work environment with supportive coworkers and supervisors and a good steady income to help him provide for his son. He now looks to the next phase of his life and is ready to become a homeowner.
Ricardo Sandoval
Ricardo Sandoval: Ricardo Sandoval is a hard worker. He is a Watts resident currently working on the Rose Hill Courts project for JEM Unlimited Iron, Inc. as a Communication Systems Installer. Previously a machinist, he began on the project as a pipe layer laborer with Boudreau Pipeline, his first job in the construction field. HACLA’s WorkSource Center was able to provide funds for Ricardo to purchase tools and work attire for his new position. Although it has been a process, Ricardo has been enjoying learning new skills. “This has been a great opportunity, not only for my career, but also for his family. I want to encourage my family and friends to enroll with WSC and find their path.” says Ricardo, who is proud to see his work positively impact the community. Once his work at Rose Hills is completed, Ricardo hopes to move onto the Jordan Downs project and continue working in his new craft. He says, “I’m the kind of person who wants to work, I want to stay busy and keep working. I take any job and this was a great opportunity to get my foot in the door.”
Lakenya Spikes
Lakenya Spikes: Lakenya Spikes is a determined individual. She is a resident of Imperial Courts and currently working for Walton Construction as an Administrative Assistant for Jordan Downs redevelopment efforts. She has been in this position since September 2021. Ms.Spikes has worked in construction filed for years out in the field, but now also enjoys working in the office. As an administrative assistant she coordinates the efforts to hire Section 3 workers. Lakenya mentions how important it is for her to get women hired in the construction field. “It is a beautiful site when I see other women on site and I am not the only one.” When she encounters women working out in the field, she finds it motivating. She also finds it motivating to be part of something that she can see develop from the ground up and cannot wait to see the project when finished. “I encourage for more women to come in and get in the trade, it is male dominated but when women are here it makes us feel empowered. I feel empowered being in this construction site. What they can do, we can do ladies!” – Lakenya Spikes
George Taylor
George Taylor: “Be ready and take the opportunities” says George Taylor of Jordan Downs. He is member of Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. George has worked on different phases at Jordan Downs, including the retail center. Currently he is working with Elliott Construction on Phase S-2. George raised his three children at Jordan Downs as a single parent. He says after loosing one of his children and wife many years ago, it was hard for him to find the strength to move on, but the community helped him to overcome it. Today, he is proud of his children and their successes. George has moved to his new apartment at Jordan Downs and says “Like is not the word. I love it here.” when asked about living in the redeveloped units. He adds that having built the units with his own hands and continuing to do so while living in the same community adds another level of pride that can’t be explained.
Robert Lowe
Robert Lowe: Robert Lowe is a unique person. For the last 30 years, he has been a resident of Imperial Courts community where he raised his two sons. Lowe is a United States veteran, a journeyman plumber-laborer, but most importantly, inspiration and role model for his family and community. He has an exceptional work ethic and is always a valued member of any team he joins. A few years ago, he decided to go back to college to finish his AA degree from Trade Tech College, in addition to completing his apprenticeship in plumbing. Among his many talents, Lowe also draws construction blueprints and helps others as needed. Mr. Lowe has worked with HACLA’s Force Account and held way too many jobs in the Jordan Downs Redevelopment to list. He is currently working with Davis Construction on S-2 and S-3 phases. He will soon celebrate his 68th birthday! “I came out of retirement. Not working was not for me,” says Robert Lowe and jokes that the young workers at the site can’t keep up with him. Mr. Lowe’s goal is to use his VA benefits and buy a home this year!
Gina Miller
Gina Miller: Gina Miller has ben a resident of Jordan Downs for over 30 years. She has been enrolled with the WSC and Section 3 program since 2017. Gina has worked as a laborer on Jordan Downs Redevelopment Phases 1A, 1B, 1C, and later was hired for LAX through the Targeted Local Hire Program, placed by HACLA’s WorkSource Center. Today, Gina is working for the City of Los Angeles as a custodian, where she has been for three years. Again, she was hired through a referral from the WorkSource Center to the Targeted Local Hire Program. Gina’s hopes that more people enroll in HACLA’s WorkSource Center as she has found it to be a very useful tool. She mentions that they are “very professional and really want to help you get a job.”

If you are a Section 3 Worker and wish to share your story, please contact section3@hacla.org. 

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