Ken Trujillo is a former Democratic candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia. by Damon C. Williams at The Philadelphia Tribune; published September 19, 2014 As one of five children in a family often facing poverty, Trujillo attended public schools and became the only one in his family to graduate from college. by Arturo Varela at Al Dia News; published January 13, 2015 He then went on to graduate Penn Law School in 1986, where he now teaches as an adjunct professor. by Joe Li at The Daily Pennsylvanian; published September 30, 2014 Trujillo founded The Food Stamp Clinic in West Philadelphia, worked at Community Legal Aid Services, and spent two decades growing Congreso into one of the largest anti-poverty advocates in the nation. by Congreso (Press release); published April 29, 2014 Trujillo also served Philadelphia as City Solicitor and an Assistant U.S. Attorney, by Ron Avery at Philadelphia Daily News; published January 28, 2000 winning a historic settlement against gun manufacturers by staff writers at the Wall Street Journal; published June 5, 2000 and taking down Philadelphia's largest heroin gang by David Zucchino at the Philadelphia Inquirer; published July 24, 1991 and bank robbery ring. by Jim Smith at the Philadelphia Daily News; published September 22, 1993 A small business owner, Trujillo founded a successful law practice by Jeff Blumenthal at the Philadelphia Business Journal; published July 30, 2013 and purchased historic WHAT 1340 AM, relaunching it as the Spanish-language station El Zol Philly. by Philly Ad Club; published December 13, 2011 He was part of President Obama's transition team, and Governor Ed Rendell also appointed Trujillo to oversee Philadelphia's finances as his first appointee to Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority. by Damon C. Williams at The Philadelphia Tribune; published September 19, 2014 In July 2016, he joined the Philadelphia-area office of law firm Chamberlain Hrdlicka. by Jeff Blumenthal at The Philadelphia Business Journal; published July 20, 2016 Trujillo lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Laura, and daughter, Maya.
Early life
The son of a minister and a nurses' aide, Ken Trujillo grew up with four sisters living for long stretches in the back of churches where his father ministered. by Arturo Varela at Al Dia News; published January 13, 2015 Trujillo is of Mexican descent. ken Trujillo: We have restore local control by Arturo Varela at Al Dia News; published January 13, 2015 Trujillo's family often struggled to get by, having to rely on food stamps at times and school lunch programs.
Trujillo attended public schools and credits his teachers with giving him the tools to become the only one in his family to graduate from college. by Arturo Varela at Al Dia News; published January 13, 2015
Trujillo later earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1986 with the help of student loans and several part-time jobs. by Joe Li at The Daily Pennsylvanian; published September 30, 2014
Career
US Attorney
After graduating from law school, Trujillo was appointed as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, by Ron Avery at Philadelphia Daily News; published January 28, 2000 where he successfully prosecuted Philadelphia's largest heroin gang by David Zucchino at the Philadelphia Inquirer; published July 24, 1991 and the biggest bank robbery ring in city history. by Jim Smith at the Philadelphia Daily News; published September 22, 1993
City Solicitor
Trujillo's success in the courtroom earned him the position of Philadelphia's City Solicitor. by Robert Zausner and Clea Benson at The Philadelphia Inquirer; published January 28, 2000 As the city's top lawyer, he brought a lawsuit against gun manufacturers by Michael Rubinkam at the Associated Press; published April 12, 2000 and reached an historic settlement with Smith & Wesson. by staff writers at the Wall Street Journal; published June 5, 2000
Business
In 1997, Trujillo started his own firm, Trujillo Rodriguez & Richards. by Jeff Blumenthal at the Philadelphia Business Journal; published July 30, 2013 The firm ultimately combined with top Philadelphia firm Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis. by Jeff Blumenthal at the Philadelphia Business Journal; published July 30, 2013 In 2011, Trujillo purchased WHAT 1340 AM and relaunched the station as Spanish-language radio El Zol Philly. by Philly Ad Club; published December 13, 2011 In 2016, he left Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis and joined the Philadelphia-area office of Houston-based Chamberlain Hrdlicka. by Jeff Blumenthal at The Philadelphia Business Journal; published July 20, 2016
Public Service
Nonprofit Work
While at Penn Law, Trujillo joined with other students to start The Food Stamp Clinic in West Philadelphia. Since 1990, he has helped build Congreso, which provides underserved communities with education, job training, and housing and health care services, into one of the leading anti-poverty organizations in Philadelphia. by Congreso (Press release); published April 29, 2014 He and his wife, Laura, have also worked for many years with Community Legal Services to provide free legal services to low income Philadelphians, who otherwise would have gone unrepresented at trial. by Anne Saporito in the Philadelphia Social Innovations Journal; published June 2011 He also holds a position on the Community Leadership Board for the Greater Philadelphia Area American Diabetes Association.
Political Involvement
Trujillo was appointed to President Obama's transition team where he made recommendations on how to reform the Securities and Exchange Committee Commission. by Damon C. Williams at The Philadelphia Tribune; published September 19, 2014 Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell also appointed him to oversee Philadelphia's finances as his first appointee to Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority. by Lora Strum at PoliticsPA; published September 16, 2014 In January 2015, he withdrew from the Mayoral race due to extended family matters. by Chris Hepp at The Philadelphia Inquirer; published January 22, 2015
Personal life Ken first met his wife, Laura, on a blind date set up by their families at the local American Legion Hall. They have been married for almost twenty years, and live with their daughter, Maya, in Philadelphia.
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