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The San Ramon City Council held a special meeting this week in which they discussed the applicants for the vacant District 2 seat – left open by Mayor Mark Armstrong upon winning the title in the Nov. 5 election – and named their picks to move forward for further consideration.
Kyle Levy, Richard Adler, Tiffany Uhri Chu, and Baljit Sull were selected from the pool of 16 eligible applicants for the open seat who are set for formal interviews with the council Friday (Jan. 10), with Levy being the top choice for Armstrong and all three councilmembers.
“At this point, we’re just looking to whittle down the field down to a manageable number to interview on Friday,” Armstrong said at the Jan. 6 special meeting. “We may all agree on the same person, the same two people, the same four people, so I’m not sure if we’re all going to have a different person necessarily, but I’d like to start this process now and see who you’ve got in mind.”
Each council member had the option of selecting up to two different candidates as their choices to interview for a maximum of eight different applicants at the next special meeting in the appointment process for the vacant seat.
Armstrong and the three sitting councilmembers all said that Levy’s application had stood out to them the most, with District 1 Councilmember Robert Jweinat also naming Uhri Chu as a potentially strong candidate. District 4 Councilmember Marisol Rubio and District 3 Councilmember Sridhar Verose also named Adler, with Armstrong naming Sull.
Levy served as treasurer for the successful Yes on Measure N campaign in last year’s election, as well as a member of an earlier neighborhood group that had encouraged the council to place the sales tax measure on the ballot. He is a current parks commissioner, board president for the San Ramon Library Foundation, and chair of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District Facilities Oversight and Advisory Committee. He is an alumnus of the city’s Government 101 and Citizens Planning Academy courses, as well as Leadership San Ramon Valley.
“I have the experience with San Ramon’s institutions and local government decision-making to thoughtfully evaluate issues that impact San Ramon,” Levy said in his application. “I will work to meet the needs of our residents and sustain San Ramon’s high quality of life.”
Adler was also a member of the Yes on Measure N committee, and an alumnus of the Leadership San Ramon Valley, Government 101 and Citizens Planning academy courses, as well as SRPD’s Citizens Police Academy. He currently serves as president of Dougherty Valley San Ramon Rotary Club, and a member of the city’s Senior Advisory Committee and the San Ramon Valley Mental Health Advisory Council.
“I believe that my background and experience has prepared me to serve on the San Ramon City Council,” Adler said in his application. “I work well with others to get goals done. I strongly believe in public service and giving back to my community.”
Uhri Chu is a licensed attorney with an advanced degree in education, who pointed to the critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills developed during her career as qualities that would be valuable to the City Council.
“Protecting the quality of life of San Ramon residents is a top priority and means ensuring our open spaces and parks remain accessible and well-maintained for families to enjoy,” Uhri Chu said in her application. “Additionally, I believe that keeping crime rates low is essential to maintaining the safety and security of all our neighborhoods. I will support policies and initiatives that enhance public safety, ensuring that our city remains a place where families feel secure and can thrive.”
Sull, a nearly 36-year San Ramon resident, said that his long history with the city and educational and professional backgrounds, have given him a “unique skill set rooted in communication, relationship building and advocacy.” He has volunteered with the San Ramon Futbol Club for eight years, as T-Shirt Sub-Committee for the SRVEF Run for Education for 10 years, and on the local and county PTAs, as well as more than 13 years as a youth sports coach with the city. He plays euphonium horn with the San Ramon Symphonic Band.
He added that his commitment to volunteer work and community service is inspired by his mother, and that carrying on her legacy has been one of his most important achievements.
“The most important volunteer position I have held is being part of the organizing team for the ‘Bay Sikh Community Blanket Drive’ that now memorializes its founder Betty Sull who started the blanket drive out of the Fremont Gurdwara/Sikh Temple over 30 years ago,” Sull said in his application. “My mother Betty Sull had instilled a lifelong sense of service to community.”
The additional applicants who will not move forward to the interview process include former City Council member Harry Sachs, CSU East Bay professor Erik Helgreen, Iron Horse Middle School administrator Veena Virdee, and 2024 mayoral candidate Chirag Kathrani, as well as Diana Korpi, Mary Jo Longyear, Manoj Bhardwaj, Justin Cates, Audra Carrion, Isabelle Carrion, Gabe Melendres, and Rajneesh Saini.
The San Ramon City Council is set to meet for their second special meeting of the week to conduct interviews with the selected applicants on Friday at 5 p.m. The chosen applicant is set to be sworn in at the next regular council meeting on Jan. 14.
