Carol K. Chen was selected as mayor of Cerritos and Jim Edwards as mayor pro tem during the Council’s annual reorganization meeting and mayoral transition on the evening of March 16.
The evening began with outgoing councilmember and former mayor Laura Lee being honored for her contributions to the community during her eight years on the City Council.
Lee was elected to the Cerritos City Council in 2003, was re-elected in 2007, and served as mayor in 2007-2008. During her tenure, she served on the City's ABC Unified School District, Budget/Finance, Business and Industry, Performing Arts and Senior Services/Senior Center Committees.
Mayor Chen was elected to the City Council in 2008 and previously served on the City’s Planning Commission, Property Preservation Commission and Community Safety Committee. Chen was re-elected to the City Council in 2009.
Mayor Pro Tem Edwards was first joined the City Council in 2005 and previously served on the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission and Community Safety Committee. Edwards was re-elected to the City Council in 2009 and has served one term as mayor.
Those inside the fully packed council chambers also watched re-elected incumbents Bruce W. Barrows and Joseph Cho, Ph.D. along with newly elected Mark E. Pulido being sworn into office. The trio received the most votes during the city's March 8 municipal election.
Councilmember and outgoing mayor Cho has served on the Council since 2007. He is an active member of the Cerritos Chamber of Commerce and is the founder and a member of the Mid-Cities Korean American Chamber of Commerce. A portion of the evening was also spent honoring Cho for his year of service as mayor.
Councilmember Barrows has served on the Council since 2007. He previously served on the City Council from 1994 to 2003, and has served three terms as mayor. Barrows has served on numerous City and regional committees.
First-time councilmember Pulido has a long history of community involvement, including serving on the ABC Unified School Board from 2001 to 2011. He is currently employed as the District Director for State Senator Alan Lowenthal.
Editor's Note: The information above was provided by a city-issued news release. A more detailed and comprehensive recap of the event will be featured on Patch early next week.
