Sunny Zia is serving her second term on the Long Beach Community College District board, having been elected Trustee for Area 3 in April of 2014.  Upon securing this post, she became the first Jewish-Iranian American woman to assume elected public office in California. As a first-generation Iranian American, the importance of hard work and education in achieving the American Dream have been paramount in her life. 

She was the only female and the first to graduate from her class of Civil Engineering with a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Tehran. She later graduated with honors and received a Master of Science from University of California, Irvine in Civil Engineering. She has over two decades of experience in Construction, Environmental, Water and Infrastructure projects.

As Contract Compliance and Program Manager with the Port of Long Beach, Sunny Zia has overseen a variety of multidisciplinary capital improvement programs, including $870 million worth of work spanning construction, remediation, and oil-field operation and relocation efforts. Her accomplishments include securing more than $38 million in reimbursement funds from a petroleum company based at Pier A-West. Ms. Zia has worked integrally with a wide range of stakeholders, from local, state, federal, harbor commissioners and staff, to tenants, officials, and community members. She has supervised oversight of over $2.4 billion dollars of contracting activities related to port projects leading to savings of over $12M.

Under her leadership as a Trustee, she has instilled measures supporting students experiencing food and housing insecurity, support for formerly incarcerated youth and led building public private partnerships to support a pipeline for the career and educational future of the students.  As a leader whose work has spanned from working with at risk youth, addressing hate crimes and bullying and support for job placement for displaced Americans, she has been a stalwart for giving chances to youth and returning students in supporting their college and career prospects in society.