Fil-Am appointed mayor of California town
MANILA, Philippines—Filipino American Myrna Lardizabal de Vera has been appointed as mayor of Hercules, California following the resignation of incumbent Mayor Joanne Ward.
De Vera, who was recently appointed as vice mayor, will hold the mayoral seat until end of this year.
“During these challenging economic times, Hercules needs a leader with business experience to promote fiscal responsibility and economic development so the city will raise sufficient funds to strengthen public safety, educational, youth and senior programs, ” de Vera said.
De Vera, an alumna of the University of the Philippines, is a member of the Hercules Chamber of Commerce. Her business background includes ownership of an insurance agency in San Francisco, California.
For de Vera, he volunteer work in diverse local organizations “hones my independent thinking, sharpens my skills in team leadership, and develops the inclusive decision-making process in any project or activity.”
De Vera and her husband Manuel, sons Mark, Christian and Emmanuel have been residents of Hercules, California for the past 19 years.
She has been involved in various civic organizations. She served as treasurer of the Filipino-Americans of Hercules, member of the Pastoral Council of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, and a volunteer in various drives of the Asian American Donor Program. She is also a member of the Hercules Lions Club and the Filipino Americans of Contra Costa.
Recently, de Vera was honored as the 2010 Hercules Woman of the Year by the City of Hercules and given a Special Recognition Award by the Hercules Chamber of Commerce. Filipina Women’s Network also recognized her as one of the “100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the USA” for 2009 under the Policymakers and Visionaries category.
In November’s elections, she won a seat as councilor of Hercules, a city with a large Filipino community.
The town’s former mayor, Ed Balico, is also a Filipino-American. He resigned from his post last year amid allegations of impropriety.
