Larry Asera is a 2022 recipient of the Achievement Award, co-sponsored by the UC Berkeley Foundation and the Cal Alumni Association. The Achievement Awards are conferred annually at Berkeley Charter Gala. This text is reprinted from the biographical statement prepared for the event.
In 1973, Asera was elected to the Vallejo City Council at just 24 years old, making him the first Filipino American to hold elected office on the U.S. mainland. He was later elected to the Solano County Board of Supervisors at 29, the youngest chairman in county history. After working as a senior legislative consultant to both the California State Senate and the State Assembly, Asera was appointed by California Governor Jerry Brown as a deputy secretary of state and chairman of the State Building Standards Commission in 1981. He was the first Filipino American in California and the U.S. to serve in these cabinet-level positions.
A recognized pioneer in the advancement of photovoltaic cells, Asera has received numerous technology awards from the California Energy Commissions, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the U.S. Agency for International Development. After serving as vice president of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company, he founded the Asera Group of Companies in 1996, specializing in renewable energy resources and sustainable communities.
A dedicated educator, Asera has been an assistant professor of engineering technology at the California State University Maritime Academy, served as a trustee and president of the Solano County Board of Education, and is a trustee emeritus at UC Davis.
Asera is a proud recipient of the 2022 Campanile Excellence in Achievement Award, which recognizes alumni whose remarkable professional achievements reflect the excellence of their UC Berkeley education.
Learn more about the Achievement Awards.
