Ben Aguilar, Mayor of Grass Valley, California

Host Brian Buckley takes us on a deep dive into Ben’s background and motivations for serving as Mayor of a small but dynamic city. From his local roots with a father and grandfather with long histories of public service, Ben studied business at Sonoma State and caught the bug for contributing to community ventures. Returning to take his place in the family business, A&A Air Conditioning and Heating, Ben is busy with multiple roles in the business, with his family and two youngsters and, of course, city business. Starting with a “terrifying” decision to compete for an appointed role on the City Council, to election in his own right and now as Mayor, Ben says it’s all worth it when he sees his kids and others “light up” when they go to parks that have transitioned to positive environments under the city’s care.