Having been involved in Valley government and politics for over a decade, Assemblywoman Nicole M. Parra was elected in 2002 to represent the 30th Assembly District. The 30th AD is a diverse district located in California's southern Central Valley and composed of the southern part of Fresno County, a western portion of Tulare County, a large southwest portion of Kern County, and all of Kings County.
Assemblywoman Parra serves as Chair of the Assembly Veterans Affairs Committee because of her long commitment to assisting and recognizing those who have served to protect our nation. She is one of only five freshman members of the Assembly selected to head a committee this session. She also chairs the Select Committee on National Defense, Technology and Jobs, a committee established to address military base retentions and closures in California, and to develop proactive actions aimed at protecting the thousands of defense-related jobs throughout the state.
Assemblywoman Parra chairs the Select Committee on Megan's Law and Sex Offender Registration, and has authored several key bills aimed at strengthening and expanding Megan's Law in California. She further serves as a member of the Assembly Agricultural Committee, the Banking and Finance Committee, and the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. As a leader in the Democratic Caucus, Assemblywoman Parra also serves as Assistant Majority Whip.
In her first year in office, Assemblywoman Parra was named 2003 Legislator of the Year by the California Main Street Alliance and the California Downtown Association based on her efforts to accelerate economic development and secure more jobs for struggling communities around the state. She was the recipient of the California National Guard's highest honor for a civilian, The Order of California Public Service Award, for her leadership in authoring and co-authoring several bills and three house resolutions regarding military personnel, veterans and their families. The California Association of County Veteran Service Officers also named Parra 2003 Legislator of the Year, and the California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Alliance gave Parra their Freedom Fighter Award for her support of disabled veterans. The California Community Action Partnership honored Parra for her efforts to eliminate poverty in the Central Valley and for arranging a safe drinking-water supply for the small town of Alpaugh.
A resident of Hanford, Assemblywoman Parra was born in Bakersfield and attended Highland High School where her brother, Peter, now serves as a teacher. She studied Economics at the University of California at Berkeley and, after completing law school in Washington, D.C., returned to the Valley to work as District Director for Congressman Cal Dooley. Assemblywoman Parra follows her family's long tradition of public service. Her father, Pete Parra, is a Kern County Supervisor and former school board member and her mother Yolanda works for Bakersfield Adult School.