Mari Pérez-Dowling, president and CEO of United Way of Central Eastern California, is best known as a standout community leader.

Originally from Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, she immigrated at age 13, one of seven siblings who would be the first generation in their family to graduate from college.

“We struggled like a lot of immigrant families but I took extra classes, studied English at night and was Valedictorian,” she said. “Work ethic was instilled in me.”

Pérez-Dowling graduated from San Diego State University, completed a fellowship at Stanford and earned her master’s at California State University - Bakersfield. After her divorce, she became a single mother to Monica, now 26, and Sebastian, born in 1999.

From the classroom to the boardroom, Pérez-Dowling has also focused on the people-centered aspects of her work in teaching, radio and marketing. She accepted the position of president and CEO of United Way of Kern County in 2017, the first Latina to hold the position.

“There was some doubting and there was some applauding but I took advantage of the momentum change brings, which led to publicizing our programs,” said Pérez-Dowling.

As the world struggled to navigate COVID, a private tragedy overshadowed the pandemic for Pérez-Dowling. Her son, Sebastian Martinez, age 20, died on March 15, 2020 in a collision on Highway 33. The next day, United Way of Kern County announced closure of public-facing services as part of the pandemic response.

“I had to put my personal situation aside. I prayed a lot and asked God for strength,” said Pérez-Dowling. “We got a miracle donation of $1.3 million, a gift from an anonymous donor, in May 2020, which made it possible to have funding for families and agencies, to feed essential workers and individuals experiencing homelessness.”

She recalls being guided by the community’s faith and love during that difficult time.“Through the commitment I have to serve the community, I have received love in return,” she said. “I still have so many reasons to live and move forward.”

The 2024 Talons Sebastian Martinez Memorial Scholarship was awarded for the third time this past May. It is open each spring to Centennial High School music program or color guard participants. Find more information at https://uwcec.org/sebastian-martinezmemorial-scholarship-application/.

Although Sebastian had played football since childhood, his focus switched to band as a junior at Centennial. “Within a month, he became the leader of the drumline,” she explained. “He gave it his all. That was a different side of him, which he always said was from me.”

Pérez-Dowling played flute and clarinet in high school, and violin in orchestra as a senior. She took guitar classes and sang in college, a talent that continues.

When Lotus Radio honored her as one of its inaugural Tu Voz, Tu Héroe/Your Voice, Your Hero community business award recipients, Pérez-Dowling reconnected with former radio colleagues. She was then invited to record an album with Mariachi Vargas, the genre’s premier group, which performs with Luis Miguel.

As the third anniversary of the loss of her son approached, she found herself flying to Guadalajara to meet the band. She received additional coaching from Julian Torres, a Hawthorne-born ranchera singer Snoop Dogg signed to Death Row Records in January 2024. Her album, “Canciones con Alma,” was released in December. She chose to open with the Marco Antonio Solis song “¿A Dónde Vamos A Parar?,” one of Sebastian’s favorites, of which a video of him singing as a teenager exists.

Last October, Mariachi Vargas headlined the second annual Festival del Mariachi, with proceeds dedicated to offset future student attendees’ fees. In April, United Way of Central Eastern California hosted Noche de Mariachi: A Fundraising Fiesta for Musical Futures at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, raising $19,000. This year’s event will feature world-renowned Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlán at The Bakersfield Fox Theater on Sept. 7. Get details at https://uwcec.org/festival-delmariachi/.

Having her daughter join her on stage at Crystal Palace to sing is her favorite performance. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Monica returned to Bakersfield as a data analyst. During the song, Monica changed the lyric of Luis Miguel’s “Si Nos Dejan” to “juntitas las dos,” the feminine form of the adjective and article to describe the mother and daughter together again. “God put us back together. We’ve invested in a karaoke machine and we’re getting through life,” said Pérez-Dowling.

In November 2023, United Way of Kern County announced expanded services to three additional counties, along with a name change. United Way of Central Eastern California now serves residents in the counties of Kern, Mono, Inyo, Northern San Bernardino and Indian Wells Valley.  Priorities have included forging food bank partnerships, offering Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) services in Ridgecrest and advocating for equitable housing.

Keynote speeches are part of her role as an executive, including for the 2024 Bakersfield Women’s Business Conference, where she spoke about how to heal through grief.

“I would encourage others who have gone through devastating experiences to funnel their passions into something they really enjoy and be intentional,” she said. “I chose to sing. Every time I get on stage, I feel closer to my son. I’ve found that peace and want to share it with the world. As women especially, we can be heroes but we’re also human.

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Fill-in-the-blank questions

I’m always laughing at: Jokes;  I love jokes.

The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is: Pray.

Today, the strangest thing in my purse is: Tea tree oil.

My favorite drink is: Coffee.

My favorite dessert is: Carrot cake.

Before I go out, I always make sure I have: My keys.

My favorite musical genre is: Mariachi.

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