La Mirada City Council
MAYOR PETE DAMES
CITY OF LA MIRADA
Mayor Pete Dames was elected to the La Mirada City Council on April 12, 1994; re-elected on March 2, 1999, March 4, 2003 and March 6, 2007; and served as Mayor in 1997-1998, 2001-2002 and 2006-2007. Mayor Dames is a former member of the City's Parks and Recreation Commission, and has been involved in numerous civic, service, and educational organizations and programs.
Mayor Dames is the past President of the La Mirada Athletic Council, a life member of the VFW and Knights of Columbus, and a Board member of the La Mirada Youth Foundation and Beatitudes of Our Lord School. He has been honored as the "Kiwanis Administrator of the Year", and has received the Kiwanis Governor's Award for Distinguished Service. He has also received the PTA Honorary Service and Continuing Service Award. He received the 2005 Community Service Award from the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints.
He and his wife of 45 years, Gerrie, have two children, Peter, Beth and two grandsons Timothy and Jack.
Mayor Dames is currently serving as a Delegate to the Southern California Joint Powers Insurance Authority and to the Southern California Association of Governments. He also serves as the City's liaison to the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce.
Email Mayor Dames
MAYOR PRO TEM STEVE JONES
CITY OF LA MIRADA
Mayor Pro Tem Steve Jones was elected to the La Mirada City Council on March 2, 1999 and re-elected on March 4, 2003 and March 6, 2007 and served as Mayor in 2002-03 and 2007-08. A former teacher at La Mirada High School, Councilmember Jones’ classes included U.S. History and Economics. He was selected “Teacher of the Year” for the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District in 1993. In June of 2008, he retired after 36 years in public eduction.
Mayor Pro Tem Jones served on the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission from June 1981 to June 1988 and June 1996 until he was elected to the City Council. He served as Chairman of that Commission in 1998-1999. He was also a member of the City’s Historical Commission from June 1994 to June 1996.
Mayor Pro Tem Jones is a member of the La Mirada Kiwanis Club and served as a sponsor of the La Mirada High School Key Club. He has long served as an advisor to La Mirada’s Youth-In-Government program and received the City of La Mirada’s “Volunteers in Action Award” in 1997.
Mayor Pro Tem Jones holds an Associate of Arts degree from Cerritos College, a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Biola University, and a Master of Arts in History from California State University, Fullerton. He has been a resident of La Mirada since 1955. He and his wife, Janis, have two sons, Bryce and Bryan.
Email Mayor Pro Tem Jones
COUNCILMEMBER GABE GARCIA
CITY OF LA MIRADA
Councilmember Gabe Garcia was elected to the La Mirada City Council on March 4, 2009. He has been actively involved in the community. He was elected to the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District’s Board of Education from 1993-2005. He also served on the Southeast Regional Occupation Program (R.O.P.), which provided vocational education and training for the students of Norwalk-La Mirada and ABC Unified School Districts. Councilmember Garcia is a former member of the City of La Mirada’s Public Safety Commission and Planning Commission.
Councilmember Garcia works as the Director of Parks and Community Services and a Reserve Police Officer for two southern California cities. He has worked 28 years for public agencies in various capacities, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. He has a strong passion for student education, public safety, and quality of life for all our residents.
Councilmember Garcia and his wife, Maria, have been married since June 1987 and have two children, Paul and Cristina. Paul attends Fullerton Junior College and Cristina is a senior at La Mirada High School. Councilmember Garcia is active in his parish of Beatitudes Church, a season ticket holder and avid Dodger fan, enjoys traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Email Councilmember Garcia
COUNCILMEMBER HAL MALKIN
CITY OF LA MIRADA
Councilmember Hal Malkin was first elected to the La Mirada City Council on April 12, 1994 and re-elected on March 2, 1999, March 4, 2003 and March 6, 2007. Councilmember Malkin served as Mayor and Chairman of the Redevelopment Agency from 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2008-09. Councilmember Malkin was a member of the La Mirada Theatre Commission for 17 years and is involved in many civic organizations, including Member and Past President of the La Mirada Chamber of Commerce, Life Member of the Friends of the Library, Angel for the Friends of the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, Life Member of the City of Hope (Shirley Holiver Auxiliary), Life Patron of the La Mirada Symphony. Councilmember Malkin served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Rio Honda Chapter of the American Red Cross and as a member of the Executive Committee for 9 years.
Councilmember Malkin has received several awards including: Outstanding Faculty Member, Cerritos College 2002-2003; Member of the Year, La Mirada Chamber of Commerce; Parent-Teachers Association Honorary Service Award; and the Golden State Children's Theatre Appreciation Award. Councilmember Malkin has also sponsored more than 100 Little League, Soccer, Little Miss Softball, and school athletic teams.
Councilmember Malkin owned and operated Key Rexall Drugs in La Mirada for 23 years. He sold the business to a major national chain in November of 1994 and is now an Associate Professor and department chair at Cerritos College in the Pharmacy Technology program.
Councilmember Malkin has been a resident of La Mirada since February 1972. He has been married to his wife Barbara for 36 years and they have two married sons, Michael (received his PhD. from Stanford University) and Jon (currently in the PhD. Program at the University of Washington).
Email Councilmember Malkin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COUNCILMEMBER SUSAN TRIPP
CITY OF LA MIRADA
Councilmember Susan Tripp was elected to the La Mirada City Council on March 6, 2001 and re-elected on March 8, 2005 and on March 3, 2009. She served as Mayor from March 2004 to March 2005 and from March 2009 to March 2010.
Prior to 2001, Councilmember Tripp earned two La Mirada Volunteers in Action Awards for Innovative Leadership. As a community volunteer, she served as Board Member for Musical Theatre West and the Chamber of Commerce. As a La Mirada volunteer, she served on the Communitywide Drug and Gang Task Force, as Public Safety Commission Chair, Disaster Preparedness Steering Committee Co-Chair, and Neighborhood Watch Advisory Council Chair. Councilmember Tripp has been a school mentor and Sponsored Youth Coordinator for the La Mirada Kiwanis Club, earning the NLM Superintendent’s Community Award in 2004.
Councilmember Tripp has been the Marketing and Education Committee Chair for Greater L.A. County Vector Control, a Los Angeles County Sanitation District Trustee, Southeast Area Social Services Funding Authority (SASSFA) Board Chair, California Contract Cities Delegate, and Gateway Cities Council of Governments (COG) Delegate.
Councilmember Tripp earned her BA and Lifetime California Teaching Credential at San Jose State University, and completed a MS in Psychology in 2008. She is a columnist for Universal Syndicated Press and writes for www.petconnection.com. Councilmember Tripp is founder and president of the non-profit, Positive Pet Parenting Saves Lives that puts free ECourses into homes with pet adoptions from shelters and rescue groups to help prevent pet abuse, neglect, and surrender due to behavior issues. She is co-author Animal Behavior Network ECourses, EBooks and Web Library Topics. She and her husband, Rolan sold the La Mirada Animal Hospital in1999 after ten years of business ownership to begin their current business of providing pet behavior education and services to veterinary hospitals nationwide through www.AnimalBehavior.Net.
Councilmember Tripp is an ordained Elder and also enjoys singing in the choir at Community Presbyterian Church of La Mirada. Her son, Dan, graduated from La Pluma Elementary, Brethren Christian School, and La Mirada High School before joining the Air Force in 1997 as a firefighter. Dan served two tours of duty, in Kuwait and Iraq, before retiring from the Air Force in 2007. Dan is currently a civil service firefighter and Lieutenant at Grissom ARB in Indiana. Dan’s wife, Michelle, is a third generation La Miradan. Dan and Michelle have two sons, Tyler and Bradley.
Email Councilmember Tripp
Dated : March 2010