Matthew Leyba-Gonzalez serves as Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Imperial Beach, and elected as Councilmember for District 4.
Education
Matthew joined the U.S. Army Reserves out of high school and served for nine years and was inspired to learn the value of motivation and a strong work ethic. He earned his Associates Degree from Southwestern Community College, and his Bachelors’ Degree from California State University at Dominguez Hills. He was the first member of his family to earn a college degree.
Career
A third-generation Laborer, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Matthew got his start in the construction trades at UC San Diego. He excelled in his field and took leadership roles in managing workers’ safety and overseeing payroll and project budgets.
As a local organizer, Matthew has made a difference for the working families of Imperial Beach and throughout San Diego County as a US Army Reservist and a labor relations representative.
Matthew has dedicated his career to fighting for better jobs with fair pay and benefits for local families – while strengthening the local economy and expanding apprenticeship programs, job training and worker safety. He has helped make sure many important community infrastructure investments are safely and properly built. At the same time, he works to make sure pay rates, overtime laws, worker safety laws and standards on public works projects are adhered to.
Matthew has stepped forward to help the Imperial Beach Community through the COVID-19 crisis. He served on the Imperial Beach Mayor’s Task Force working with the Imperial Beach Business Round Table, worked with City Council and State Legislators to give small business owners information on how to get assistance during the pandemic to employ Imperial Beach residents as much as possible. He served as the primary City Council representative for SANDAG Bayshore Bikeway Working Group for two consecutive years. Matthew is the representative for Job Corps Liaison since 2021, He currently serves as a representative for Metropolitan Transit Systems Board (MTS) (primary), and San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Board (2nd alternate). As Mayor Pro Tem, he serves as the representative for South Bay Mayors and City Managers Committee in the absence of the Mayor.
Quote
You can count on me to work for safer neighborhoods and to improve opportunities for all the people of Imperial Beach, not just the powerful.