By Brett Callwood
As we build up to the General Municipal Election on June 2, the GVN will be speaking to the candidates, continuing with sitting Council Member Wanda Love, who is looking to make the step up to Mayor…
How do you think your spell on the City Council has gone?
It has been a journey with its share of real challenges. At times, I found it difficult to keep the focus where it belongs, on the residents who show up to council meetings with genuine concerns and hopes for their community. My commitment throughout has been to stay centered on their needs, even when the environment made that harder than it should have been. I would not trade the experience, because it only deepened my understanding of what Gardena truly needs from its leaders.
Early on, I made a simple request for a cell phone to stay connected with constituents, a modest ask that was elevated to a full council vote and ultimately denied. It was a signal that the road ahead would require patience and persistence, and I tried to approach every challenge that followed with that same spirit.
My background leading the Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce also shaped my perspective. I believe strongly that the business community needs an independent advocate. One that can speak honestly when policies aren’t working, regardless of where those policies originate.
What have been the highlights, and lowlights?
The greatest highlight, without question, was election night. Knowing that my constituents had chosen me to be their voice inside city hall meant the world to me.
One of the greatest gifts of this work has been the people. Every community event brought new conversations, new neighbors, and new perspectives on what Gardena means to the people who call it home. Listening to residents, I mean really listening and then carrying their voices into council chambers is something I have never taken lightly.
And it is the everyday moments I will carry with me longest. Serving nachos at National Night Out, dancing with neighbors at the Food, Wine and Cigar Festival, handing out cupcakes at the harvest festival, not as a candidate or a councilmember, but simply as a neighbor who loves this community. Those moments are the reason I do this work, and they always will be.
The lowlights have been harder to carry. I faced accusations of harassing city staff that led to investigations and two censures, and I believe the timing coming shortly after I announced my intention to run for mayor was not coincidental. Those allegations remain online, and that is genuinely painful, because my reputation and my character are things I have spent decades building.
I would simply ask voters to do their own research. Watch the council meetings, read the reports, and ask whether the evidence truly supported the outcomes. I have nothing to hide, and more than 20 years of documented community work that speaks for itself.
Why do you think you’re the right person to be Mayor?
I have been a Gardena resident for more than 30 years and have served this community for over 20. Long before politics entered the picture, I was organizing job fairs, school supply giveaways, toy and food drives, community breakfasts, and business expos. In 2017, During the pandemic, I did not shelter in place. I worked to help connect businesses and residents with quality PPE supplies and financial resources to help businesses owners have stay open after the pandemic.
I am a retired owner/operator three hair salons for thirty years. I the director of the Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce for more than 20 years, and advocating for the business community is something I genuinely love. My time on the council has only strengthened my relationships with the utility companies, elected officials at every level, the SBA, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments and many other organization I will be able to call on when I’m elected.
Most importantly, I have tried to remain accessible, honest, and independent. That has not always made things easy, but I believe it is exactly what the people of Gardena deserve.
If successful, what would your first act be?
Everything would flow from one principle: restoring trust between residents and their city government.
Opening the doors. I would create a clear, structured way for residents to genuinely access the mayor’s office, a real, ongoing commitment to being present and available in the community.
A full audit of city operations and spending. I would initiate a comprehensive review of how funds are allocated, how departments are staffed, and whether hiring decisions are being made based on merit, qualifications, and genuine commitment to this community. Residents deserve to know their tax dollars are being managed with care and transparency.
A real economic development strategy. Gardena has tremendous assets, our diversity, our location, our freeway access, our restaurants and entertainment. I would work to establish a fully resourced economic development department with a clear mission: attract thoughtful commercial investment, support small and minority-owned businesses, and ensure that growth benefits the people who have been here for years.
What are your priorities?
Public safety. In 2024, Gardena responded to over 36,000 emergency 911 calls. Getting our public safety departments properly staffed, and pursuing every available funding opportunity to make that happen, would be among my most urgent priorities.
Modernizing our municipal codes. Our codes are more than 30 plus years out of date, and that is quietly costing us developers, businesses, and tax revenue. I would initiate a comprehensive review to remove outdated barriers and help Gardena compete for the investment our residents deserve.
Where has the current council been successful, and where have they been less so?
I believe in giving credit where it is due. The city has made real progress on capital improvements, a record $71.5 million capital improvement projects budgeted for FY 2024-2025, with investments in a new aquatics and senior center, community centers, streets, parks, and infrastructure. These are tangible things our residents can see and use. The city has also maintained important programs for seniors and families, and worked to protect its credit rating.
Where I think we could have done better: public safety staffing. economic development is lacking the infrastructure to truly compete with neighboring cities. And the 333-unit, five-story development approved at 169th and Normandie weighed heavily on me. Our seniors residents stayed at the January 14, 2025 city council meeting until nearly 2 a.m. to be heard, and I,was the only lone NO vote because I felt their concerns deserved to carry more weight.
I also wish we had spent less time and energy on internal conflict and more on the people’s business. Gardena’s residents deserved better from all of us in that regard.
How is the campaign going so far?
It has been exactly what I expected, which is not necessarily a comfortable thing to say. Campaigns in this city have a familiar shape, but this one has been a bit different.
I have concerns about the role of the Gardena Police Officers Association in local elections. The council votes on their contracts, which creates a meaningful conflict of interest, and the resources available to the hand selected GPOA-endorsed candidates are simply not available to independent residents running on their own. I raise this not to be combative, but because I think transparency about who funds and shapes our elections is something every voter deserves.
I raise this concern, not to create conflict, but because I think the people of Gardena deserve honest, transparent leadership that’s not shaped by special interest groups and that starts with being honest even when it is uncomfortable.
What makes Gardena special?
100% The residents of Gardena!
We are one of the most genuinely multicultural cities in Southern California with a Japanese cultural heritage that runs deep through our businesses and community, a Latino population of roughly 40 percent, a strong African American community, Asian Americans representing about a quarter of the city, and many others. That diversity is not just a statistic; it shows up in our 200 restaurants, our community events, and the way this city pulls together when it matters.
Our location is remarkable too. We are minutes from LAX, close to the ports, a short drive from the beach and downtown LA. And our seniors, who built this city, and our young people, who are still waiting for the investment they deserve, are at the heart of everything I care about.
I have spent more than 20 years serving Gardena not because it is perfect, but because I believe deeply in what it can become.
What would you like to say to the people of Gardena?
I want to speak to you simply and honestly.
I have lived here for over 30 years. I have served alongside you for more than 20. I showed up at community events long before the thought of becoming an elected official, and worked through a pandemic to help our neighbors, not for recognition, but because this is my home and you are my people.
This campaign has had its difficult moments. But I would ask you to look at the full picture, not the mailers, but the years of documented work. Not the accusations, but the community members, board volunteers, and small business owners who were standing right next to me throughout all of it.
I am not a perfect person. But I am someone who has shown up, year after year, and tried to do right by this community without being pressured or bought off in the process.
On June 2nd, I am asking for your trust. Not because I have the most funding or the most political connections, but because I believe I have earned it. For the Gardena our children deserve to inherit, our seniors deserve to retire in, and our businesses deserve to thrive in. I humbly ask for your vote.
