By Khalida Sarwari
Jill Hunter may be new to the mayor’s seat, but she isn’t a stranger to public service.
From the PTA and elementary school board to her time serving on various city commissions, the longtime Saratoga resident has worn many hats. In recognition of her efforts, state Assemblyman Paul Fong recently selected Hunter as a “woman of the year” for the 28th state Assembly District.
Hunter joined five other honorees, including Campbell Union School District board president Juliet Tiffany-Morales; Beverly Lenihan, a nonprofit leader and Rotarian in Cupertino; Los Gatos Town Councilwoman Diane McNutt; Gay Patin Brasher, a teacher at Leland High School in San Jose; and Chevonne Johst, an education leader and small business owner in San Jose. The women were nominated by community leaders and selected by the state Legislature for recognition in honor of Women’s History Month.
On March 7, Fong paid Hunter a surprise visit to notify her of the recognition in person. Hunter was in the middle of a weekly agenda meeting with Vice Mayor Emily Lo at the time and said she was surprised to see Fong come in with a big bouquet of roses.
“It was a total surprise,” she said. “I had no idea.”
The mayor said she was “very grateful” for the accolade and noted that there are many others in the community who deserve to be commended for their work. Her personal role model and mentor is Betty Peck, Hunter said.
“I admire her tremendously for her perseverance and good humor,” she said.
The assemblyman said he chose Hunter because of her leadership on and off the council. Hunter’s track record reflects a dedication of her life to public service, Fong said. She is a 32-year resident who has been a PTA leader for more than three decades, served on the Saratoga Union School District board for 10 years and sat on the heritage and planning commissions before joining the council. She is chairwoman and founder of the Saratoga Village Development Council, Village Gardeners and the Heritage Tree Society of Saratoga.
“Mayor Hunter has been a role model for all citizens, and women in particular, in civic leadership in the community of Saratoga,” Fong said. “Mayor Hunter’s leadership on the Saratoga City Council to fight for local control, among the many other things she has fought for, demonstrates her commitment to her constituents and her city.”
The assemblyman particularly commended Hunter for leading an effort by the Saratoga City Council to appeal a mandate by the Association of Bay Area Governments for the city to supply a designated number of affordable housing units that the city council believes does not necessarily improve Saratoga.
“The numbers we had been given for affordable housing were too high for Saratoga,” Hunter said. “Saratoga doesn’t have much in the way of public transit and it’s a suburban community with very little density in housing, and we felt that this was unjustly given to us.”
The appeal will be considered at an ABAG meeting on April 1, which the entire council plans to attend, Hunter said.
In addition to a certificate of recognition by the Legislature, Hunter was also given an opportunity to attend a luncheon on March 15 in Campbell.
Fong, who prior to redistricting represented the 22nd District, represents Campbell, Cupertino, Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga and the areas of Willow Glen, Cambrian and Almaden Valley in San Jose. Last year, he selected Mei Huey Huang, the editor-in-chief of the San Francisco World Journal Newspaper, who began her career in his former district.
Hunter selected as a woman of the year in 28th Assembly District
