Born and raised on the east side of Las Vegas, Councilwoman Olivia Díaz made history in June 2019 by becoming the first Latina to be elected to the Las Vegas City Council. Representing Ward 3, which encompasses downtown Las Vegas and the neighborhoods where she grew up, Díaz serves a diverse constituency that is more than 65% Hispanic and where more than 37% of residents work in the service industry. She loves her community and is passionate about serving its residents.
As a councilwoman, Díaz is leading a number of exciting projects, including the redevelopment of the former Desert Pines Golf Course. This project will provide housing options for first-time homebuyers and seniors, training spaces for the workforce, opportunities for small businesses, and recreational and green spaces for residents. Additionally, she is working with community members and stakeholders to create a shared vision for the future of East Las Vegas. Díaz is also focused on increasing public art and supporting education and workforce development initiatives.
In addition to her work on the Las Vegas City Council, Díaz serves as Vice-Chairwoman of the Chief Local Elected Official Consortium for the Workforce Connections board and sits on a number of other boards, including the Southern Nevada Water Authority, the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial, Nevada Legal of Cities, the Oversight Panel for School Facilities, and the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition.
Díaz is a proud Las Vegas native and the daughter of hardworking immigrant parents. As one of six siblings, she learned the value of hard work, taking risks, and standing up for what is right at a young age. Despite facing obstacles, she became the first person in her family to graduate from college and spent almost 18 years teaching at the elementary level with the Clark County School District. From 2010 to 2018, Díaz served in the Nevada State Assembly, where she championed bills that supported working families and students.
Díaz holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a Master of Sciences in Bilingual Education from NOVA Southeastern University.