By Khalida Sarwari
With the year still brand new, hardly anyone is even thinking about the end of 2014, but at least six residents in Saratoga have their eyes focused squarely on November.
Prospective candidates for city council seats are beginning to prepare for their November election campaigns, if only mentally for now.
The candidates are vying for three positions on the council now held by Mayor Emily Lo, who is running for re-election, and council members Jill Hunter and Chuck Page.
EMILY LO
Lo announced in December that she planned to run for re-election. The mayor joins a pool of candidates that is mostly comprised of current planning commissioners and community leaders.
On Dec. 4, Lo became only the second Asian woman to be appointed mayor in the city’s history. She ran for city council for the first time in 2008, but was unsuccessful. She ran again in 2010 and won.
Lo credits her friends and family for encouraging her to go into public service. She believes her experience and upbringing give her a unique edge on the council. She has indicated that celebrating the diversity that attracted her to Saratoga will remain one of her priorities.
Prior to her involvement in civic life, Lo was an active member of the school community, starting with a two-year stint as principal of a Chinese language school in Cupertino and later serving a two-year role as president of the parent-teacher association at Saratoga High School. In 2000, Lo joined the Saratoga Chamber of Commerce, and in 2009 became president.
She is a graduate of the American missionary school in Hong Kong.
PRAGATI GROVER
Pragati Grover hopes her second time running for council will be the charm. Grover, in the middle of a year term on the planning commission, initially ran for council in 2010.
“I want to give it another shot,” she said. “Being on the planning commission has given me a better understanding of city issues and land use issues.”
Grover said she’ll focus on revitalizing downtown Saratoga and the Quito neighborhood, maintaining the charm and character of the city amid new development and promoting community among the different neighborhoods.
Grover holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from San Jose State University and a master’s degree in social work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai, India.
Prior to joining the planning commission, she was a member on the Saratoga Union School District board. She has also served as vice president of fundraising for the Saratoga Education Foundation and has been on the Saratoga Library Commission and American Youth Soccer Organization board.
She is a board member of the Los Gatos-Saratoga Recreation Department and a California Democratic Party Assembly district delegate.
KATHLEEN KING
Kathleen King is a familiar face on the council, serving as both council member and mayor between 2002 and 2010.
“I enjoyed being on the council, improving the environment we live in,” King said. “If I run, I will be 12 years older than I was the first time. I hope that I am wiser and smarter than I was last time.”
She said she plans to focus on fiscal management, partnering with local schools and developing the Quarry.
King is the CEO of the Healthier Kids Foundation, a nonprofit that raises funds to support outreach for the Healthy Kids insurance program and the Children’s Health Initiative in Santa Clara County. She is also the founder and chairwoman of the Silicon Valley Children’s Hospital Foundation.
King graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in commerce and went on to work for nearly two decades at Applied Materials in Santa Clara. She has previously served as CEO of the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation and presently sits on several boards, including the Dental Board of California, Housing Trust Silicon Valley, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center Foundation and the Silicon Valley Women’s Alliance.
RISHI KUMAR
Saratoga Cares Foundation founder Rishi Kumar is another resident planning to throw his name into the pool of candidates. He said the driving force behind his decision to run for city council is Susie Nagpal, a Saratoga councilwoman who died from lung cancer in 2010.
“She cared for the community; that came out loud and clear,” he said. “She wanted a unified community. Everything we did, she’d say, ‘Let’s bring in the whole population,’ and that’s still stayed with me.”
Kumar and Nagpal served on the planning commission together and he later helped her run her campaign for city council. He said he wants to continue to fulfill Nagpal’s vision for Saratoga. Unifying the community, actively communicating and collaborating with residents, and making changes that improve the city while maintaining its ambience are Kumar’s main priorities.
Kumar is a graduate of the University of Mumbai, where he received his bachelor’s degree in engineering and the University of Connecticut, where he earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He works at Imaginea Technologies.
Kumar is founder of Saratoga’s Got Talent, a local talent show that raises money for various causes in the community, focusing on those that benefit seniors and children. He is also a California Democratic Party Assembly district delegate and executive board member.
YAN ZHAO
Yan Zhao is another planning commissioner seeking a seat on the council. When her term ends in April, it will be the end of an eight-year career on the planning commission for Zhao.
She first ran for council in 2010. This time around, Zhao said she wants to focus on maintaining safe neighborhoods, ensuring fiscal responsibility and strengthening the services provided by the library.
“I fell in love with Saratoga when I first visited this charming and beautiful town,” said Zhao. “I knew this was where I wanted to live and raise my family. I want to serve on the city council because I want to help maintain our quality of life and preserve and promote the natural beauty of our city, so that Saratoga can remain a great place to live.”
She serves on the Santa Clara County Commission on the Status of Women and as a parliamentarian on the Saratoga Elementary School parent-teacher association board.
Zhao graduated from UC-Berkeley with a degree in electrical engineering and computer science and Santa Clara University, where she received a master’s in electrical engineering. She works as a sales engineer at Linear Technology.
MARY-LYNNE BERNALD
Mary-Lynne Bernald, vice chair of the planning commission, is also considering throwing her hat in the ring. Like Grover, her commission term ends April 2015.
Bernald’s first stint on the planning commission was in 1996 and she has served in different capacities over the years, including chair.
“Living in Saratoga since 1978, working at The Butter Paddle in downtown Saratoga for 10 years and serving on the planning commission for nine-plus years, I felt it was time to use that experience and accumulated knowledge to serve the citizens as a representative on the city council,” Bernald said.
Although issues tend to change in Saratoga, Bernald said she is committed to “achieving optimal solutions while building a strong sense of community.”
She previously served as a member of the Saratoga Library Expansion Committee as well as on the Yes on Measure A and B, Library Bond Measure Initiative.
Bernald received a degree in political science from the University of Colorado. Prior to settling in Saratoga 35 years ago, Bernald said she was an “Army brat who moved throughout the U.S. and Europe on the average of every two years.”
The nomination period for the November 2014 election runs from July 14 to Aug. 8. Prospective candidates can pick up nomination documents from the city clerk. Candidates must be registered to vote in Saratoga.
Six hats already fly into the ring for November city council race
