Community Leaders Honored Before a Record-Breaking Fiesta Gathering

Congratulations to our 2025 Community Leadership Award winners, honored last month at this year’s Fiesta de Independencia, sponsored by Redwood Credit Union. Our lively annual celebration of Mexican Independence Day reached record-breaking participation as the community gathered to honor this year’s outstanding award recipients.

LBC and Los Cien Sonoma County proudly presented the Community Leadership Awards to Oscar Villalobos Campos, who was named the individual awardee and Legal Aid of Sonoma County (LASC), designated for the business/organization award. LBC’s Latino Advisory Council in partnership with Los Cien are proud to extend this honor for all that they do for our community and the significant impact their work has made.

Individual Community Leadership Award

Oscar Villalobos Campos is a Victims Advocate with the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office. He works with Project California’s Office of Emergency Services tasked with helping to expand services to underserved and unserved communities. He assists members of the Latine community in understanding the criminal justice system, and he works one-on-one with victims of crime.

“It is a huge honor to have been nominated and a marker of how far I’ve come in my own life and the barriers I’ve been able to overcome,” said Villalobos Campos.

During his acceptance speech, in a message directed at future leaders, Villalobos Campos said, “Leadership is about showing up, speaking up, and lifting others. I’ve defied many odds, and this recognition is a message to keep going. We as a community face more challenges than ever, and efforts to mitigate these challenges did not begin with me and will not end with me. This is for the kids growing up just like me in Moorland, Apple Valley, Roseland, West Ninth, and South Park. Be the change.”

Legal Aid of Sonoma County

“We are deeply proud to serve this diverse community,” said Sunny Noh, LASC Executive Director. “At a time of tremendous unease, it feels more important than ever to lift up the power of community and the call for strong, compassionate leadership.”

LASC has provided services to Sonoma County’s low-income families, children, elders, immigrants, other vulnerable Sonoma County residents and Small Business owners for more than 65 years. Founded in 1958 and incorporated in 1983 as a private nonprofit, LASC provides crisis legal services to more than 3,000 adults and 2,000 children every year with crisis legal needs.

Record Breaking Attendance

 

Despite temperatures in the 90s, more than 5,800 people came and went in waves throughout the day to this free community celebration. It has become a beloved North Bay tradition, bringing families together for music, dance, food, art, and cultural pride “As the Fiesta continues to grow year after year, it stands as a powerful reminder of the LBC’s role as a gathering place where culture, tradition, and community spirit thrive,” said Rick Nowlin, President and CEO.

“The success of the Fiesta is a testament to the hard work of the LBC’s Events, Security, Box Office, and Production teams, as well as the dedication of volunteers, vendors, and community partners,” said Ashleigh Worley, Director of Education and Community Engagement. “This milestone celebration was truly a community triumph.”