API Women Make History on South San Francisco City Council

South San Francisco, CA   December 3, 2017  by David Burruto

Women API Councilmembers to Lead City as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem for First Time in City’s History

South San Francisco – For the first time in the City of South San Francisco’s 110-year history, two women will lead the City as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem.

On Dec. 5, 2017, it is anticipated that current Vice Mayor Liza Normandy and veteran Councilmember Karyl Matsumoto will ascend to the positions of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem respectively.

Liza Normandy is the newest member of the City Council having been first elected in November 2013. She previously served on the South San Francisco Unified School District Board of Trustees, serving as Board President from 2008-2010. She was the first Asian-American elected to the School Board and is only the second Asian-American elected to the City Council after Matsumoto, and only the third woman to serve on the South San Francisco City Council.

Karyl Matsumoto was the second woman ever elected to the South San Francisco City Council and the first Asian-American. Matsumoto was first elected to the City Council in November 1997 and re-elected in November 2001, 2005, 2009 and 2013. She has served as Mayor previously in 2000, 2004, 2009 and in 2014.

The ascension of both Normandy and Matsumoto into the positions of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem will represent the first time two women have served in both positions simultaneously in the City’s history and also marks the first time two API women will occupy those two positions at the same time. Normandy is of both Chinese and Korean descent and Matsumoto is of Japanese descent.

“Foremost, I am looking forward to the opportunity to represent my community as Mayor for the next year,” said Normandy. “I am equally honored to help make a bit of history with my colleague, friend and mentor Karyl Matsumoto.”

“As both the second woman and first API woman to serve on the South San Francisco City Council I am gratified and exhilarated at the prospect of having the face of our community fully represented by two API women for the first time in over a century,” said Matsumoto. “It is my hope that this event will help mark a turning point in our city’s history that will firmly establish that women can, do and should lead.”

The reorganization of the South San Francisco City Council will be held Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017 from 7pm-9pm at the Municipal Services Building located at 33 Arroyo Drive in South San Francisco.