Mountain View Vice Mayor Mike Kasperzak was elected to serve as the League’s president, stepping into the role held for the past year by Modesto Mayor Jim Ridenour. Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard was elected as first vice president and San Francisco Treasurer Jose’ Cisneros joins the League’s executive committee as second vice president.
The League’s bylaws call for officers to serve one-year terms. Under the League’s bylaws, Ridenour now becomes immediate past president of the League and remains a member of the League’s executive committee. Kasperzak advances to his current position after serving the past year as first vice president. Bogaard has served the past year as second vice president.
“Mayor Ridenour took leadership of the organization at critical time for California cities. His commitment to Proposition 22, which overwhelmingly passed in November 2010, was undeniable. He was also an important player in the fight for redevelopment and genuinely cares about the future of Modesto and California cities as a whole.” said League Executive Director Chris McKenzie.
The new League President Mike Kasperzak was first elected to the Mountain View City Council in November 1998 and served as mayor in 2003. After a hiatus starting in 2006, he was reelected to the Council in 2008. During his public service career, Council Member Kasperzak has been actively involved with several environmental and transportation organizations. He’s also served a term on both the League’s and the Institute for Local Government’s board of directors, and chair of the League’s Revenue & Tax Policy Committee. He additionally chaired the National League of Cities’ FAIR Steering Committee and the Health Care Task Force. He was elected to the League’s board of directors’ executive committee in 2009.
McKenzie welcomed the incoming president saying, “It is an honor to have Vice Mayor Kasperzak serve as League president. He is an outstanding leader who works tirelessly on behalf of his own city as well as all California cities. Mike takes the reigns of the League at a time of great opportunities.”
Founded in 1898, the League of California Cities is an association of California city officials who work together to enhance their knowledge and skills, exchange information, and combine resources so that they may influence policy decisions that affect cities. The League’s mission is to restore and protect local control for cities through education and advocacy to enhance the quality of life for all Californians.