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A familiar face on the Danville Town Council is set to step down at the end of the year and usher in a successor.
Karen Stepper announced this week that she will not be seeking reelection for a seventh term in office.
Stepper shared the news Monday as election season gets underway for both the upcoming June primary and the general vote in November, with elections for the town council set for the latter.
“Serving this Town has been one of the greatest honors of my life, and I am deeply grateful for the friendships, support, and shared commitment to this community that I have experienced along the way,” Stepper said in Monday’s announcement.
While Stepper’s departure will mark the end of a 24-year tenure on the Town Council, her experience as an elected official in the San Ramon Valley goes back even further.
Her nine-year tenure on the SRVUSD Board of Education dates back to years before the town was incorporated – and before there was a town council – having first joined the board nearly 50 years ago in 1979.
In addition to her elected positions, Stepper has served in multiple community advisory roles, including on the San Ramon Valley Historic Foundation Board, RecycleSmart, the East Bay Economic Development Alliance and multiple transportation boards including that for the Valley Link rail project.
Stepper’s wide-ranging community and public service activities over the decades were alongside a career as a certified public accountant, which she retired from in 2020 after 37 years.
“It has truly been life-changing to meet so many people who love Danville as much as I do,” Stepper said. “As many of you know, I have always said that a great day in Danville is one where I meet someone new, welcome a visitor from another city or state, or have the chance to share all the things that make our Town so special—museums, community events, parks, local shops and restaurants, the Veterans Memorial Building, our sports fields, and of course, at the Fourth of July Parade!”
Despite her retirement from public office, Stepper said that she continues to “look forward to continuing the many connections and friendships that have meant so much to my husband Tony and me.”
While the Danville Town Council race has yet to fully take shape, Stepper said Monday that she was endorsing former SRPD Chief Denton Carlson as her successor.
“Denton and I have overlapped public service at many meetings and events, and he has just completed his service as the respected Police Chief of San Ramon,” Stepper said. “He and his family have deep roots in our community, with a long history of involvement in Danville schools, local events, and shared public service.”
Stepper and Vice Mayor Robert Storer occupy the two at-large seats on the council with terms expiring this year. Mayor Newell Arnerich, Renee Morgan and Mark Belotz are currently in terms that expire in 2028.
