Ready to Lead. Ready to Listen.
Laura Lacko believes strong communities are built by people who show up, pitch in, and listen to one another.
Her connection to Mission Viejo began in 1988, when her family moved to the city and she started high school in South Orange County. While life and work took her to nearby communities over the years, South County has been home ever since, with a brief period living in Los Angeles from 2015 to 2020. Five years ago she returned to Mission Viejo, welcomed back by the same community spirit that first shaped her family’s life here.
Laura is a single mother of two accomplished daughters and someone who understands firsthand the daily realities families face. She has spent more than twenty five years working directly with the public, including years as a florist serving local customers and working in the kitchen at Tesoro High School. That work required teamwork, organization, and constant interaction with families and students. It reinforced the qualities that define her approach to leadership: collaboration, reliability, and care for people.
Her commitment to community service grew even stronger as she volunteered with AYSO, where she served as a coach, referee, board member, and Child and Volunteer Protection Advocate. Those roles meant protecting kids, supporting families, and working with volunteers to make youth sports safe and welcoming for everyone involved.
Laura has also spent many years working within the local real estate environment, giving her a practical understanding of housing, neighborhoods, and the factors that shape property values and community stability.
Her commitment to helping others extends far beyond her professional work. Laura supports organizations that fight hunger and provide critical services to families, including Feeding America, the Los Angeles Food Bank, and Second Harvest Orange County. She is a longtime supporter of Breakthrough T1D, the organization connected to the Type 1 diabetes diagnosis she received as a child, as well as CHOC, the hospital that treated her. She also supports PBS SoCal and organizations that assist immigrant families. She regularly participates in local events and community initiatives because she believes strong cities are built through participation. Through showing up.
Laura has lived with Type 1 diabetes since 1980. Managing it every day requires discipline, planning, and resilience. Those same qualities shape how she approaches service and leadership.
She is running for City Council to restore trust at City Hall and ensure that residents are heard before decisions are made. Laura believes in open, transparent decision making and real communication with the community. She supports safe streets, well maintained neighborhoods, and policies that protect seniors’ independence and quality of life. She believes Mission Viejo deserves careful budgeting, clear priorities, and leadership that puts neighborhoods first.
Laura Lacko is running to serve the city that first welcomed her family in 1988 and welcomed her back five years ago with open arms.
She is ready to give back to the community that helped shape her life and family.
Ready to Lead. Ready to Listen.