Mayor Gary Taylor
Gary
A. Taylor has been active in Rosemead civic affairs for three decades.
Mayor Taylor was first elected to the Rosemead City Council in 1974 and has
served Rosemead residents continuously for over 35 years. Gary has served as Mayor
for four terms and Mayor Pro Tem for two terms.
Gary has been
a long time and strong advocate for property rights protections. He
takes pride in Rosemead being among only a handful of cities that don’t
have either a city imposed property tax levy or utility user tax.
Gary
is a native of the West San Gabriel Valley, having attended St.
Anthony’s School and San Gabriel Mission High School, and later
enrolled at UCLA Extension, where he specialized in business
management, and Pasadena Community College. Gary is retired from the
construction industry, where as a Construction Supervisor he managed
large and complex commercial and industrial construction projects.
Gary and his wife, Pat, have lived in Rosemead for more than thirty-five years. They have nine children.
Mayor Pro Tem Steven Ly
Mayor Pro Tem Steven Ly was elected to the Rosemead City Council in March 2009. At the age of 24, he is the youngest council member to serve the City of Rosemead. Mayor Pro Tem has been a resident of Rosemead since the age of three. He attended Willard Elementary School, Temple Intermediate, and Rosemead High School.
Steven is the owner and manager of his own real estate business, handling residential property. He is also an investor in various business endeavors in the San Gabriel Valley.
Steven graduated from UCLA with bachelor’s degree in both Political Science and Public Policy. He is currently active in various non-profit organizations including his fraternity’s alumni association, Delta Kappa Epsilon and Rosemead Kiwanis.
Steven currently represents the City of Rosemead in a variety of regional agencies. He is a Councilmember for Metro’s San Gabriel Valley Service Sector. He also serves as a member of the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments’ Transportation Committee as well as the League of California Cities’ Transportation, Communication and Public Works Policy Committee.
Steven’s father was an electrician and his mother an office clerk. Steven has a brother who currently attends Cal Poly, Pomona. He has a number of extended family members who live in Rosemead. Steven is a first-generation American and among the first generation in his family to graduate from college.
During the 2009 election, Steven enjoyed speaking with community members and discussing issues and concerns. He believes in open communication and looks forward to increasing constituent access to City Council through Town Hall meetings and various discussion forums. If you have any questions or concerns, Steven encourages the community to contact him by calling him at (626) 320-5486 or e-mailing him at sly@cityofrosemead.org.
Council Member Sandra Armenta
Sandra Armenta has been involved in the community for many years through youth groups and community-based activities prior to being elected to the City Council in March 2009. Sandra currently serves as the Vice Chair for the City Council's newly created Public Safety Connections Committee. The committee is comprised of community organizations and community leaders who are working together to prevent and combat crime. She represents the City as a delegate for the League of California Cities and the California Contract Cities Association (CCCA). Sandra also serves as the By-Laws Committee Chair for the CCCA Executive Board of Directors.
Through the years, as a Special Education Teacher, she has worked with parents who were unaware of the resources and programs available to them or who were not receiving adequate support from program providers. As a result, Sandra dedicated herself to work with her students’ families to make them more aware of their rights and available resources. This experience, in part, proved a catalyst for her becoming a City Council candidate.
As a Council Member, her goal is to encourage and empower residents to voice their concerns, particularly for those residents who have had little or no involvement in local affairs. Participation is vital to the success of Democracy, and an understanding of the principles and practices that govern a community will encourage civic engagement. Miss Armenta strives to ensure that residents are informed about issues and are knowledgeable about the policy-making process for the City Council. She strongly believes in two-way communication, and wants residents to play a prominent role in the process. Sandra feels that there is no issue too small or too big for constituents. Sandra believes that City Council and City staff must be accessible to the residents of the community they serve. She believes that City staff is here to assist residents with their concerns. She encourages residents to meet with Department Directors and other members of the Executive Team to discuss their issues.
Further, Miss Armenta has always had a passion for youth, and the breadth of her professional experiences have proven it. She is a strong advocate for youth programs and services, and will strive to ensure quality, variety, and accessibility. She is a product of Rosemead’s recreation programs and understands the benefits they provide. She works to ensure that others receive similar benefits.
Sandra received both her Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Studies and her Masters in Education from University of La Verne. She also attended Cal Poly, Pomona, where she was a member of the Sigma Kappa sorority.
Sandra has been a teacher since 1997 and began specializing in Special Education in 2000. She most recently worked for the Garvey School District and is currently tutoring at the Temple City Education Center. She enjoys working with pre-kindergarten to high school students. She especially enjoys working with 6th – 8th grade students and helping them excel in subjects, such as algebra, beyond their expected capability. She also worked in various roles for the Rosemead Parks and Recreation Department for nearly 10 years.
Sandra has been a resident of Rosemead for 30 years. She attended Savannah Elementary School, Muscatel Middle School, and Rosemead High School. Her parents Jesus and Yolanda and her sister Nancy, who is a Social worker, also live in Rosemead. You may send her an e-mail at sarmenta@cityofrosemead.org.
Council Member Margaret Clark
Margaret
Clark has served on the Rosemead City Council since March 1991,
including four terms as Mayor. Prior to her election to the City
Council she was a Commissioner on the Rosemead Planning and Traffic
Commissions. In addition to her council responsibilities, Margaret has
been an active leader in national, state and regional organizations and
agencies. She was elected by 88 cities to serve as President of the Los
Angeles County Division of the League of California Cities and has been
a member of the California Contract Cities Association executive board.
Margaret also represents the City of Rosemead on the board of the San
Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG).
Well respected for her knowledge of water quality and environmental
issues, Mrs. Clark was selected by her colleagues from 29 SGVCOG cities
to serve as a founding board member on the San Gabriel and Lower Los
Angeles Rivers and Mountain Conservancy. She has served on the Board of
Directors of the San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority since its
establishment in 1992 by legislative action to oversee clean-up of one
of the largest Superfund sites in the nation. Margaret’s environmental
credentials also include membership on the National League of Cities
Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee as well as numerous
other environmental committee assignments such as membership on the
governing board of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel River Watershed
Council.
Prior to matriculating from college, Margaret studied in Europe at
the University of Bordeaux through the University of California
Education Abroad Program. She holds a bachelors degree and teaching
credential from UCLA, where she met her husband Jim. Soon thereafter,
they chose Rosemead in which to reside and raise their family. Feel free to send Council Member Clark an e-mail at clarkeeesc@yahoo.com.
Council Member Polly Low
Council Member Polly Low was elected to the Rosemead City Council in March
2007. Council Member Low has been a resident of the city for over 20 years. Polly currently serves as the Chair for the City Council's newly created Public Safety Connections Committee. The committee is comprised of community organizations and community leaders who are working together to prevent and combat crime.
She is very active in the community and received an award from Senate Majority Leader
Gloria Romero as the Woman of the Year in 2005 in honor of her community
involvement. She also received an award from Congresswoman Hilda Solis in March 2007
in recognition of her commitment to the advancement and advocacy for women.
Council Member Low made the decision to run for City Council because of her interest in promoting a more progressive community that is up to date in development and technology. She also aims to providing a cleaner and safer community place for residents by focusing on the removal of graffiti, providing more patrol, and enhancing the visual appeal of the city.
She has worked in the aerospace industry for over 20 year and is currently employed by Ratheon as a Software Engineering Manager. She received her bachelor’s degree from UCLA and her master’s degree in computer science from Loyola Marymount University.
Polly grew up in Porterville, California and moved to southern California to attend college.
Council Member Low has been married to her husband Ving for 20 years. They have three children, Kevin, Matthew and Kristi.
She and her husband are very involved in their children’s school activities and enjoy attending their daughter’s dance performances. Council Member Low is also very involved in the PTA of her children’s afterschool program. You can contact her by sending her an e-mail at plow@cityofrosemead.org.