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Betty grew up in a working-class family. Her father worked as a butcher until she was 11 years old, when he had an accident that left him disabled. At that time, her mother went to work cleaning houses and she took care of the household – cooking, cleaning, and caring for her two younger brothers. 
 

While working as a housekeeper at a hotel, she became involved in the hospitality workers union there. She quickly began helping organize her fellow workers to fight for workplace protections. After much success as an organizer, she moved to Maryvale in 2007 and became the director of organizing for UNITE HERE! Local 11. As the director in Phoenix, she conducted campaigns and negotiated contracts for thousands of hotel and food-service workers around Maricopa County. She also helped lead successful independent voter turnout campaigns to elect leaders from the local to federal level – while helping develop young leaders and empowering our youth.
 

While she is proud of the career she built outside of public service, it has been the honor of a lifetime to transition to her role as a Phoenix City Councilwoman. Since taking office she has taken a collaborative approach to governing. With partnership between our neighborhood leaders, stakeholders, and our local government she has been able to build a vision for West Phoenix.
 

In her first full term in office she has focused on strengthening communities, beautification of our neighborhoods, economic investment, and raising the standard of living for working class families. Additionally, she has worked hard to build bridges with our school districts to create educational opportunities at all levels. She has served on many different subcommittees – including Public Safety & Justice, Land Use & Livability, Transportation & Infrastructure, Co-Chaired the Latino Cultural Center, and was Chair of the Community & Cultural Investment subcommittee. Each one of these committees oversees the issues that are most critical to her District and she is working every day to deliver results.

She and her husband have lived in the Maryvale part of the district for the last fourteen years – where they are raising their two children.