Valarie De La Garza '91

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Valarie De La Garza, CEO of Fenton, self-described "communications strategists for social change," has been named a “Woman of Distinction 2023” by PR Week magazine. The honor follows previous recognition by PRSA-LA as a Sunrise honoree for her leadership in diversity, equity and inclusion.

Since her days as a UCLA student, De La Garza has championed DEI. In 1989, the editor of UCLA’s LGBTQ+ student newspaper, Ten Percent, proposed a one-time insertion of the paper into the Daily Bruin with the goal of providing a safe space for students who were fearful of being outed or stigmatized for picking up Ten Percent at a kiosk. This act of empathy and inclusion was met with a battle within the Daily Bruin advertising and editorial departments. The concern was that Daily Bruin advertisers would object to the content and pull their dollars. As the paper’s editor-in-chief, De La Garza advocated for the inclusion of Ten Percent, citing that the business decisions of the Daily Bruin were led by an editorial vision, not dictated by ad revenue. The University’s governing entity for student publications agreed and the insertion, in fact, yielded some of the highest ad revenue the Daily Bruin had experienced. Reader feedback was so positive that other student newspapers representing diverse ethnic and racial communities followed Ten Percent’s example and included their publications into the Daily Bruin as well.

De La Garza was the first Latina to lead the Daily Bruin and today she is the first woman and person of color to serve as Fenton’s chief executive officer. Fenton helps clients by raising awareness about their issues to spark movements, change behavior and generate support for a more just, equitable and sustainable world. Clients include changemakers Color Of Change, Stop AAPI Hate, Black Voters Matter, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and National Nurses United, to name a few.

Raised in South Gate, a working-class Latinx community in Southeast Los Angeles, De La Garza’s personal history drives her commitment to advancing social impact. As a child growing up near the industrial Vernon corridor — a region infamous for its pollution — she understood early on the nexus between inequity and access to opportunity based on zip code. As the first member of her family to attend college, she was drawn to uncovering truth as a writer and editor for Daily Bruin. Her journey in public relations began in the 1990s when she worked for some of the nation’s emerging Latino PR firms. At the time, Latino PR was in its infancy and still considered “niche.” Today, Latino communications are the expectation vs. the exception, and she is a respected leader in the field.

During her first two years as CEO, the agency has doubled in size in both revenue and number of staff members – a notable achievement for a firm in its 40th year. Under De La Garza’s leadership, Fenton leads the industry in representation with 55 percent of the agency’s overall staff and 55 percent of Fenton’s C-suite representing people of color. Fenton was recognized by PR Week for “Best Nonprofit Campaign of the Year” for its work with Stop AAPI Hate and as Best Digital Team by PR Daily.

Spanning 30 years, De La Garza has worked for boutique, mid-sized and global PR agencies, including The Rogers Group (now Finn Partners), MSLGROUP and her own successful consultancy, De La Garza PR. Prior to joining Fenton, De La Garza led the communications and marketing for the California Community Foundation, one of the largest and most prestigious community foundations in the country.

De La Garza serves on the board of directors for Homeboy Industries and is on the Council of Governors for Self Help Graphics & Art in Boyle Heights. She is also a board member of PR Council, one of the leading trade associations for communications in the nation.