Norma Arias-Hicks broke two glass ceilings when she was elected mayor in 1982; she was Brea’s first woman Mayor and Orange County’s first Hispanic woman mayor. She was very popular with the public, in part because of her open style of communication.
In her early career, Norma was an administrative aide to a state assemblyman and state senator. She was the founding member and director of the first West Coast Businesswomen’s Conference. During her eight years on Brea City Council, she worked on several projects, including the Brea Project, which was a way of engaging local citizens in community decisions. She helped start a monthly newsletter called The Brea Line, was instrumental in the building of the Senior Center and the concept of a Community Center (two resources loved by Brea residents today). Norma was also a commissioner on the Orange County Waste and Hazardous Materials Commission for six years.