Rey Leon was born in Fresno and raised in the Huron area. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley, where he earned a BA in Chicano Studies with an emphasis in public health.
Rey is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of the LEAP (Latino Equity, Advocacy & Policy) Institute, a Latino-led nonprofit organization based in California’s Central Valley. Through LEAP, he advances economic, environmental, transportation and climate justice, clean energy, green jobs, and community development across the region.
Since 1994, Rey has worked to embed environmental justice principles into the region’s institutions and culture. He was founder of the San Joaquin Valley Regional Green Jobs Coalition (300+ members) and co-founder of the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition. As Co-Chair of CVAQ, he helped deliver major victories for clean air in the Valley, including ending agriculture industry exemptions from the Clean Air Act and securing the appointment of a doctor and a scientist to the Air District Board.
Rey has served on numerous boards and committees including the Center on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT), Fresno County’s Economic Opportunities Commission, and the California Air Resources Board Environmental Justice AB 3 2 Advisory Committee.
He has led landmark initiatives such as the placement of the first PM2.5 air quality monitor on the West Side of the Valley, the development of environmental justice strategies for the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District and the Fresno Council of Governments, and the Environmental Justice Planning Project for Huron, identifying more than 3 0 community-prioritized projects.
As Mayor of Huron, Rey continues to champion policies and infrastructure that improve quality of life for working families, leading the construction of the $31 million “Heart of the Valley” bridge, converting street lighting to LED (saving the city $60,000 annually), launching the community’s first youth soccer league, advancing grey-water systems in new developments, planting over 300 trees, implementing a hire-local-first policy, and leading COVID-19 relief efforts that distributed thousands of masks, hand sanitizers, and food to families in need.
He currently serves on the Fresno County Council of Governments, the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority (as alternate), and other regional bodies. Rey remains committed t o building partnerships across communities, agencies, and governments to expand opportunity, advance clean energy, and ensure environmental and climate justice for current and future generations.
