Laura Nakamura

Laura Nakamura is a pediatric cardiac sonographer with over 30 years of experience in healthcare and a Concord resident since 1988. A longtime advocate for equity, sustainability, and community well-being, she brings both professional and lived experience to her role on the Growing Healthy Kids Board.

Elected to the Concord City Council in 2022, Laura currently serves as the city’s Mayor. Her regional leadership includes service on the Marin Clean Energy Board of Directors, Contra Costa Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), and the John Muir Health Community Health Fund Board. She is also a proud member of the National Union of Healthcare Workers.

In 2024, Laura received Save Mount Diablo’s Mountain Star Award in recognition of her support for the community-backed decision to select a new master developer for the Concord Naval Weapons Station Reuse Project—a step that reaffirmed public trust and prioritized sustainable urban design and the protection of Mount Diablo Creek.

Raised in Pleasant Hill and a graduate of College Park High School, Laura earned a B.A. in Public Relations from San José State University and later trained in echocardiography at City College of San Francisco. Her children attended Mt. Diablo Unified schools, where she stayed actively engaged as a parent. Outside the classroom, she was often found on the soccer field—coaching, organizing snacks, and cheering from the sidelines.

An experienced bicycle commuter and active transportation advocate, Laura believes how we move through the world shapes how we care for it. She enjoys growing tomatoes in her backyard garden—because truly, there’s nothing better than a garden-fresh tomato—and each winter turns her Meyer lemon harvest into small batches of homemade marmalade!

Laura is inspired by Growing Healthy Kids’ mission to nurture curiosity, connection, and stewardship in young people. She believes that when children are healthy, engaged, and learn to care for our common home, communities blossom.