Ernie Nishii, Vice President South

H. Ernie Nishii was born in East Los Angeles (Boyle Heights).  He graduated with a BA in Political Science at UCR, and a JD from UCLA Law.  He was elected to the ABC Unified School District Board in 2017 and, after chairing a successful bond committee to modernize School Facilities, was elected President in 2019 and 2024.  He is the current President of Historic Wintersburg Conservancy, Boardmember, Tuna Canyon Detention Station (Chair of MSSJ scholarship), Boardmember, Southeast Japanese School Community Center, Optimist Foundation Board, California School Board Delegate and Governance committee member, and in his spare time, Neighborhood Watch captain. As an attorney he headed federal litigation arising from Rodney King which reformed a payroll system in a major municipality.  He is a proud father of Yuri, husband of Young, Grandson of Tatsuo Inouye a “no-no” boy and Guzei Nishii, a Justice Camp incarceree.  He enabled a Day of Remembrance in ABC so that all students hear the testimony of survivors of injustice first hand.  He wants the lesson deeply embedded in the youth so that future innocent children and families are not incarcerated simply because of their race.  Through education our children can cure cancer, eliminate poverty, and stop war.  He believes it.