Los Angeles, CA — Today, Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn appointed Wilmington native and longshoreman Jesse “Nacho” Enriquez to the Los Angeles Harbor Area Cemetery District Board of Trustees. The trustees are entrusted with operating and preserving the Historic Wilmington Cemetery, which was built by Phineas Banning in 1857.
“Jesse’s own story represents the history of Wilmington. Caring for this community’s treasures like the Historic Wilmington Cemetery is personal, and it’s a job I know Jesse will take very seriously. This is a sacred place for families, so I’m thankful for his deep commitment to protecting and promoting it,” said Hahn
Enriquez has deep roots in Wilmington; his family settled in Wilmington over a century ago, and he attended Fries Ave. Elementary, Wilmington Jr. High School and Banning High School. Enriquez has been a member of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) for 28 years, and has served on its executive board for 15 of those years. He has also performed volunteer work abroad, building homes for the people in need in Mexico.
“I’m very honored to be a part of the Historic Wilmington Cemetery in this capacity, I have generations of my family interned there and countless friends,” said Enriquez. “Honoring all of them is an honor never planned in life but at this point I’m humbled to be part of this, I can’t think of a better way to serve the community and their loved ones.”
The Historic Wilmington Cemetery is the final resting place for many important figures in local history including Nathaniel Narbonne and Juan Antonio Machado, the namesake for Machado Lake. There are also 37 veterans of the Civil War buried at the cemetery.