Duarte City Council selects Vinh Truong as new mayor

At the Duarte City Council meeting on Tuesday, December 12, the Council hosted its annual reorganization and selected Vinh Truong, District 2, to represent Duarte as Mayor and Cesar A. Garcia, District 6, as Mayor Pro Tem.

“General Colin Powell once said ‘Great leaders are almost always great simplifiers who can cut through argument, debate and doubt to offer a solution everybody can understand.’ Everybody does deserve an opportunity, but when we sit here on this dias, that opportunity is for our constituents and our residents, not for us. I believe that is who I am and who I will continue to be.” said newly appointed Mayor Vinh Truong. “ Not only do I have all of Duarte to represent but I have to represent my kids and my wife at home.”

Vinh Truong’s family migrated from Vietnam to the United States in the late 1970s and settled in Duarte in 1985. He has held a seat on the Duarte Economic Development Commission and served as a board member of the Santa Anita Family YMCA. In 2019, Mayor Truong was appointed to Duarte’s Financial Advisory Task Force, which allowed him to learn about the City’s financial condition and engrain in him the value of economic growth. He is a team player and leader and looks forward to building a solid foundation and stable City for the next generation in Duarte.

Cesar A. Garcia was appointed by the City Council to fill the District 6 vacancy in December 2021. Mayor Pro Tem Garcia was raised in the City of Duarte and his family has lived in Duarte for over 27 years. His positive experiences beginning at a young age in the City of Duarte inspired him to give back to Duarte’s unique community. He cares deeply about the City of Duarte and its residents, including its youth, seniors and families. He values teamwork and strives to serve the community with confidence, pride, respect and responsibility.

“To be able to sit here with the rest of my colleagues is truly a full circle moment for me. I always knew I would continue to serve my community but I never thought at this capacity,” said newly appointed Mayor Pro Tem Cesar A. Garcia. “The greatest lesson my family ever taught me was how to serve others. It feels really good to be serving this community because of my family’s history with Duarte. My grandparents bought their first home here, my parents met at Mike’s Food and this is also where I met my wife. I am humbled and will continue to serve this community in any capacity.”

A representative from the office of Senator Susan Rubio presented Councilmember Jody Schulz with certificates from Senator Susan Rubio and Assemblywoman Blanca Rubio thanking her for her service as Duarte’s mayor.

“This has been a tremendous honor and one of the most profound things I’ve done professionally,” said Councilmember Jody Schulz. “The amount that I’ve learned about myself, others, government, the residents and the connections I’ve been able to make with the residents in the community is something I’ll cherish forever.”

Councilmember Schulz further expressed her gratitude to her husband, Gunther, and her daughter, Isabel, who is the reason she initially ran for office and continues to be her inspiration. She stated, “The most fulfilling and proudest part of serving is having my daughter by my side and flourishing in the public arena, as a person with autism, who has grown tremendously being at the forefront of events in the City with her mother as Mayor. It has been such a blessing and I’m very grateful that I had this opportunity to share with her. I’m incredibly grateful for my husband and for all the support my family has received from people in the community as well as my colleagues and City staff.”

For additional information about the Duarte City Council, please visit the Duarte City website or contact the City Manager’s Office at (626) 357-7931.

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