For the first time, Savita Vaidhyanathan, an Indian-American woman has been elected as the new Mayor of the key Californian city of Cupertino. Cupertino is globally known for its Apple headquarters. Savita Vaidhyanathan is an MBA who worked as a high school Math teacher and an officer in a commercial bank as well as in non-profit management, was sworn in last week in a ceremony attended by her mother who had flown in from India.
“This is definitely a very momentous moment in my life,” Vaidhyanathan told a packed house at the community hall in Cupertino, ‘The Mercury News’ reported. Vaidhyanathan is also the first woman mayor of the city since Kris Wang served in 2010. Newly re-elected councilman Rod Sinks took a moment at the meeting to congratulate the new mayor, reported Mercury News.
Two days after taking charge, she issued her first proclamation as the Cupertino Mayor in education. Savita is the first Indian-American Mayor of Cupertino, which according to Forbes is one of the most educated small towns in the country with local public schools ranking highly.
What Savita Vaidhyanathan said after being elected as new mayor of Cupertino?
“I’ve had several congratulatory messages saying that I’m the first woman mayor of Indian-origin,” said Savita. She added saying that “Yes, I do take a lot of pride and prestige in that, but I do want to thank the residents of the city of Cupertino that voted me in not looking at ethnicity at all. Thank you for your trust in me, and maybe we did break that silicon ceiling and put a few more cracks in that glass ceiling.”
Let’s take a look at her Bio and her accomplishments.
According to her campaign website, Savita has been a Cupertino resident for over 19 years and has been deeply involved in several community activities in the city. She was awarded the ‘Community Leader of the Year, Silicon Valley DECA’ (2010).
Among her other accomplishments shown on her website are, President of the Rotary Club of Cupertino (2013-14); Member since 2007; Board of West Valley Community Services (2007-12); De Anza College Commissioner (2008-present); Cupertino Rotary Endowment Board (2010-present); Co-chair of the Cupertino Chamber of Commerce Diwali in the park festival (2005); Program Coordinator/Chair of Cupertino Rotary Fall Festival (2007-10, 2011).
