Ria works in the City Manager’s Office for the City of Ontario, California, where her role sits at the intersection of data, people, and policy. 

In her work, she helps departments translate priorities and ideas into measurable outcomes. Over the past several years, Ria has helped to guide a major cultural shift within the organization: strengthening data practices, increasing transparency, and launching initiatives such as the Ontario University, an internal learning platform designed to build skills and leadership across the workforce.

Here is a small portion of what her nominator had to say about her:“Ria is widely recognized as an outstanding leader and public servant that holds her team to high standards, mentoring others, and balancing strategic thinking with adaptability. Her ability to translate complex topics into clear action steps, drive operational excellence, and build collaborative partnerships continues to make a meaningful and lasting impact on the City of Ontario and the community it serves.”

In our conversation, Ria reflected on thinking bigger in government, developing strong internal relationships, peer mentorship, and why building confident public servants may be the most important legacy a leader can have.

This is the third profile in our 2026 Inspirational Women in Local Government series. The profiles and Q&As with the first two honorees – Melissa Moore and Nicolle Rosecrans -- can still be accessed at the bottom of this page and the fourth will be featured in this spot on Thursday, March 26. 

Q. Is there a book that you've read in the past that was particularly meaningful to you?

One book that really changed my mindset is “The 10X Rule” by Grant Cardone. The core message is that people dramatically underestimate the level of thinking required to achieve meaningful success and growth. That idea has shaped how I approach performance management - it’s not just about setting reasonable goals for the next year, but thinking about the kind of long-term impact we want to create.

That mindset applies to my personal life too. It’s not just where I see myself in five years, but what kind of life I want to build for my children and the impact I want to have over time.

Right now, I am reading “My Next Breath”, the memoir by Jeremy Renner. The book reflects on his life and recovery after a near-fatal snowplow accident in 2023, when he was severely injured while helping a family member and was left with dozens of broken bones. What stands out to me is his perspective during recovery. Even in the middle of something incredibly difficult, he focuses on gratitude, resilience, and the people who supported him. I tend to gravitate toward memoirs and autobiographies like that because they remind me how much perspective and determination matter when facing challenges. 

Q. Tell us a little about your community and your role.

I serve in the City Manager’s Office for the City of Ontario, California, where my work focuses on innovation, performance management, and audit. Essentially, I help departments move from good intentions and ideas into measurable outcomes.

A big part of my job is connecting the dots across departments. Cities are full of talented people doing important work, but collaboration doesn’t always happen naturally. My role is often to bring those perspectives together, help leaders think bigger, and turn cross-departmental ideas into projects that deliver results.

Ontario is a city that’s moving very quickly right now, with a lot of major initiatives underway. That pace of change means communication, strategy, and collaboration are essential. 

Q. What was the path that led you to public service?

My mother worked for the California Employment Development Department’s disability program for 28 years after our family emigrated from the Philippines. Watching her career had a big impact on me. She always spoke about the stability and purpose of government work, and how it allowed her to build a meaningful career while helping people who needed support. 

My own career actually began in auditing. I started working in tax credit audits for the State of California and later moved into a program integrity unit in San Bernardino County’s housing department, where I focused on anti-fraud work. Those roles gave me a deep appreciation for how systems operate and where they can be strengthened.

Over time, I realized that what really energized me wasn’t just auditing programs, but improving the systems behind them. I’ve always been drawn to understanding how things work and how they could work better. That curiosity eventually led me into analyst roles and then into broader work around performance management and innovation.

I grew up nearby in Riverside and watched the City of Ontario develop over the years - the growth of the airport, the malls, and the broader economic expansion in the region. Ontario has always been part of the community around me, so having most of my career take place here feels very meaningful. 

Q. What are you most proud of professionally?

One initiative I’m particularly proud of is helping to move the City of Ontario toward greater transparency and data-driven decision-making, especially around Measure Q, the city’s voter-approved sales tax measure.

When the city asked residents to support that measure, we felt it was essential to show clearly how those resources were being used. My team worked to build dashboards and reporting tools that allow the public to see where funds are going and what projects they are supporting. That work required a lot of collaboration with our IT team to clean and structure the data so that we could confidently share it with the public.

Historically, sharing data openly wasn’t really part of the city’s culture. Helping shift that mindset has been incredibly rewarding. Residents no longer have to dig through agenda reports or council meetings to understand what the city is doing; they can simply visit the website and see it clearly.

I’m also proud of an internal initiative called Ontario University, which we developed as part of our broader change management efforts. It’s an internal learning platform where city staff teach courses to one another on topics like data analytics, finance, and leadership. The idea is to give employees practical skills that directly apply to their work and help them understand the larger goals of the organization.

In just one year, we’ve offered nearly 70 classes and trained more than 1,200 employees. Seeing people grow their skills and become more confident in using data and analytics has been very fulfilling - and it’s helping the city build a stronger, more informed workforce for the future.

Q. What advice would you give to other women working in local government who want to grow their careers?

The biggest thing I would say is: own your competence. Don’t downplay your expertise.

If you’re doing the work, step fully into it. Autonomy comes from credibility. When people see that you’re competent and that you think strategically, they invite you into bigger conversations.

Continuous learning is also critical. You don’t have to get every degree that exists, but you do need to keep learning. I thought I had mastered my areas - performance management, innovation, audit - and then suddenly AI arrived and changed everything.

So, I would summarize it as: be competent, own that competence, and stay competent.

Q. Where do you go when you want support, education, or mentorship?

I strongly believe in peer mentorship. Some of the most valuable guidance I’ve received has come from honest conversations with colleagues who are navigating many of the same challenges. Being able to talk candidly with other department heads and leaders across the organization - people who are willing to invest the time to share their perspective - has been really helpful throughout my career.

My deputy city manager and assistant city manager have also been important thinking partners for me. Having leaders who are willing to have open conversations about professional development, career goals, and leadership challenges has made a big difference. I’ve learned a great deal simply by observing and speaking with people whose decisions, strengths and experiences have shaped their own careers and who are in positions I hope to grow into one day. 

The City of Ontario also offers professional coaching opportunities for managers, and I’ve taken advantage of that as well. Those sessions aren’t necessarily traditional mentorship, but they’ve been helpful in working through specific challenges or leadership situations and gaining new perspectives.

For me, mentorship has been less about formal arrangements and more about building strong relationships with people inside the organization who are willing to share their insights and help each other grow.

Q: Who else has been an inspirational leader who has had an impact on you?

I would have to say two leaders I’ve worked closely with here in Ontario: our Assistant City Manager, Darlene Sanchez, and our City Manager, Scott Ochoa. I’ve had the opportunity to watch both of them lead in moments where real decisions had to be made, and that experience has shaped how I think about leadership.

What inspires me most about them is the clarity and conviction in the way they operate. Every leader eventually has to make difficult decisions, and not every decision will make everyone happy. But what I’ve seen from them is a willingness to make those decisions and then stand behind them. At the same time, they protect their teams while still holding people accountable. That balance is something I admire deeply.

Another quality that stands out is how much they think about the long term. They’re not just managing what’s happening today or reacting to issues as they come up. They’re always designing for the future.

Scott Ochoa, in particular, has been such a dreamer in the best possible way. When he arrived about six years ago, he talked about goals for the city that, at the time, many of us thought sounded almost impossible. But over the years, he’s actually delivered on those visions. As a City Manager, he made bold decisions, brought in the right people, and built the teams needed to carry those ideas forward. 

Q. What legacy do you hope to leave in your career?

If people were talking about me after I left a role, I’d want them to say that I built people.

Yes, strong systems and high-performing organizations matter. But more than that, I want future public servants to feel more confident and more strategic because of something we worked on together. 

Q. Are there women in public service who deserve a shout-out?

Women in public safety deserve tremendous recognition. They lead complex agencies and carry enormous responsibility, often while navigating expectations that are still different from those faced by men in similar roles.

Closer to home, I’d shout out our Assistant City manager, Darlene Sanchez. She has transformed our culture and her leadership has made my job, and many others, much easier.

#WomenInGovernment #WomenInLocalGovernment #InspirationalWomenInLocalGovernment #InspirationalWomenInGovernment2026 #InspirationalWomenInLocalGovernmentHonorees #InspirationalWomenHonoreeRiaPavia #IWLG #IWLG2026 #InspirationalWomenInGovernment2026 #StateandLocalPerformanceManagement #StateandLocalInnovation #StateandLocalPerformanceAudit  #StateandLocalDataDrivenDecisionMaking #LocalGovernmentCulturalShift #CityGovernmentManagement #CityGovernmentPerformance #CityInnovation #CityChangeManagement #StateandLocalGovernmentData #StrentheningCityDataPractices #CityDataDrivenDecisionMaking #CityDashboardsAndReportingTools #LocalGovernmentTransparency #OntarioCA #OntarioUniversity #OntarioaCAEmployeeTraining #WomenInGovernmentAndMemtorship #WomenInGovernmentAndCollaborativePartnerships #WomenLeaders #StateandLocalLeadership #CityLeadershipAndContinuousLearning #RiaPavia #CityManagerOfficeCityOfOntarioCA #CityGoalsAndLongTermImpact #CityCuriosityAndContinuousLearning #StateandLocalEmployeeCuriosity #OntarioaCACityManagerScottOchoa #OntarioCAAssistantCityManagerDarleneSanchez