Mayor Laura Bettencourt

About

Laura Bettencourt was elected to her first term for City Council on May 19, 2009 and re-elected on November 3, 2009, November 8, 2016 and again on November 6, 2018. She was named Mayor Pro Tem on December 22, 2020.

Career

Bettencourt works as a crime and intelligence analyst for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and has done so for 22 years. She previously worked for Northrop Grumman at Site 4 on the B2 Bomber project. For the past 20 years, Bettencourt has also worked as an adjunct instructor at Antelope Valley College teaching courses in criminal justice.

Education

Bettencourt holds an associate’s degree from Antelope Valley College, a bachelor’s degree in social ecology, specializing in criminology, law and society, from the University of California, Irvine, and a master’s degree in criminal justice from California State University, San Bernardino. While attending UC Irvine, she worked at the Irvine Police Department.

She is also certified by the California Department of Justice in Crime and Intelligence Analysis and has attended both the basic and advanced DEA federal law enforcement academies for intelligence analysis in Quantico, Virginia.

City Council Representation

Bettencourt is a member of the Palmdale City Audit Committee, Palmdale Airport Authority, a director on the Palmdale Financing Authority, director on the Palmdale Civic Authority, director on the Industrial Development Authority, director with the Successor Agency, a commissioner with the Palmdale Housing Authority, a delegate representative at large for the North Los Angeles County Transportation Coalition (NCTC), and is a delegate for the California State Prison – Los Angeles County, Citizens Advisory Committee. She is also an alternate delegate for the Antelope Valley Transit Authority, Palmdale Recycled Water Authority (PRWA), California Contract Cities Association, and US/Mexico Sister Cities Association. She was a member of the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA) commission, and previously served for 6 years on the board of directors for the Palmdale Aerospace Academy.

Memberships

Bettencourt holds memberships with the National Criminal Justice Honor Society (Alpha Phi Sigma) , the International Association of Crime Analysts (IACA), the International Association of Law Enforcement Intelligence Analysts (IALEIA), the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), the American Society of Criminology (ASC), is a member of the Professional Peace Officers Association (PPOA 621), AVCFT Local 4683A (CFT, AFT, AFL-CIO), and holds a lifetime membership with Girl Scouts of America.

Personal

Bettencourt has been an Antelope Valley resident since 1985. She is a proud mother and grandmother, and   enjoys cooking, genealogy, traveling, gardening, reading, and community service.