Fernando Vasquez
Fernando Vasquez is the founder and CEO of Prima Development, a nonprofit urban development group that enhances wellness, engagement and liveability in underserved communities. He has over 15 years of experience in real estate development, housing policy, community engagement and public space enhancement.
During his tenure with National CORE and Lewis Group of Companies, Fernando secured more than $500 million in financing for projects throughout Southern California and was responsible for the development and construction of more than 1,400 units. His entitlement and development expertise include acquisition/rehab, mixed-use and new construction projects.
In 2010, Fernando became the youngest person in his district to serve as a Councilman for the City of Downey. During his eight-year tenure, he was elected Mayor and championed the revival of Downtown Downey and the development of the The Promenade at Downey, a 160-acre retail, dining and entertainment center. Fernando was responsible for the initiation of numerous community events, new businesses, infill housing and public art installations, resulting in Downey being named the most business-friendly City in 2017 by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation.
A respected public policy speaker, Fernando has presented at numerous forums and seminars for groups including the Urban Land Institute, Forecast LA, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), Posible LA Entrepreneur Summit and California Contract Cities Association. He has been a guest lecturer at academic institutions such as USC, Loyola Marymount University, UC San Diego and Universidad de Guadalajara.
Fernando has served on the boards of more than 15 organizations, including I-5 Consortium Cities Joint Powers Authority (I-5 JPA) and Gateway Council of Governments. He currently serves on the boards of Avanti Hospitals and Catholic Association of Latino Leaders (CALL) and is an active member of the BizFed, National Association of Latino Elected Appointed Officials (NALEO), US Army Advisory Board, IsraAid Ambassador and the Downey Kiwanis.
Named one of Downey’s “Top 40 under 40”, Fernando has been recognized with numerous awards, including Wesley Health Center’s Community Service Award, Eisner Health’s Community Health Champion and Hope Through Housing’s Champion of Hope.
Fernando holds a Master’s Degree in City Planning from San Diego State University and a Bachelor’s Degree from UC Riverside.
Born from immigrant parents that migrated from Tepatitlan, Jalisco Mexico, Fernando grew up in the Los Angeles area. He currently resides in Downey, California with his wife Donna Vasquez, a partner with the D Vasquez Law Group. They welcomed their first child, Ethan, in November of 2017.