Shannon O’Brien, a former member of the Fontana School Board, has announced that she plans to run for mayor of Fontana in the November election.
O’Brien will be opposing incumbent Acquanetta Warren, who has been the mayor since 2010.
“If I am elected to serve as the mayor of Fontana, I will work to ensure that there is transparency in the way that our city governs and spends monetary resources,” O’Brien said in a message on her website. “Voters deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and their input will not be ignored. I also believe that respect and compassion are important leadership traits, and these are something that the residents of Fontana deserve.”
In her mission statement, O’Brien indicated that she would like to see “new leadership and energy” in Fontana.
“Term limits for the mayor do not currently exist in Fontana. Under my leadership, should I become elected, I will put forth an agenda item that calls for term limits,” O’Brien said. “The City of Fontana is not a monarchy, and other hard working leaders deserve the opportunity to lead as our city progresses. Because complacency may lend itself to corruption in government, accountable leadership should include the opportunity for advancement through fresh enthusiasm and new ideas.”
O’Brien is a graduate of Howard University, where she met her husband, Jason, who was hired by the Los Angeles Police Department. After they relocated to California, she completed a master of public administration degree from the Graduate Center for Public Policy and Administration at Cal State Long Beach.
“After our son, Jason, Jr. was born, I co-founded Children’s Resources nonprofit organization with my husband, to help families support their children socially and academically,” she said. She is now the chief executive officer of that organization.
She said that growing up in the city of Carson allowed her to have a very strong sense of community.
“My father, Dennis, was a well respected coach who founded a nationally renowned track club, and my mother, Jerrie, was very active in a church ministry and choir. I enjoyed the safety and support of community, and am running for mayor to ensure that the families of Fontana enjoy the same idyllic neighborhoods,” she said.
Shannon O’Brien served briefly on the Fontana Unified School District Board of Education in 2013-14 (and her husband is also a former member of that board). She also was on the executive committee of the San Bernardino County School Boards Association.
She ran unsuccessfully for a Fontana City Council seat in 2018.
Among the people who have endorsed Shannon O’Brien this year are Jennifer Quezada, the current president of the Fontana School Board, and Robert Garcia, who represents Trustee Area 5 of the Etiwanda School District.
Also endorsing her are Elizabeth Sena, founder of the South Fontana Concerned Citizens Coalition, and Ana Gonzalez, the executive director of the Center for Community Action and Environmental Justice.
Sena and Gonzalez have been regularly attending City Council meetings and have expressed their opposition to warehouse construction in Fontana. Warren has consistently supported the warehouses.
Warren will be seeking her fourth term as mayor. She won previous elections by wide margins.
