Elected Officials
PUBLIC SERVICE GOAL:
To provide leadership and resources that ensure the highest quality of life possible for residents, support business development, welcome visitors, and establish a positive work environment for City employees.
To view an elected officials biography or to email that official please click on their photo or name below.
Tasha Cerda – Mayor
1700 West 162nd Street, Gardena, CA 90247
Phone: (310) 217-9507
Email: tcerda@cityofgardena.org
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In March 2017, Tasha Cerda was first elected by the citizens of Gardena as their Mayor. In June 2022, she ran unopposed and was re-elected for a second term. Her current term will end in June 2026. She is the first female Mayor, the first African American Mayor, and the first Native American Mayor in the State of California. Prior to the 2017 Mayoral election, she served over seven years as a City Council Member and served as the City of Gardena City Clerk before her service as a Council Member began.
She is a well-known figure in the Gardena community because of her leadership and active roles in a variety of civic and community organizations.
Because she was brought up with strong family values and encouraged to help those in need, these are integral parts of what Mayor Cerda represents. Believing in community volunteerism enabled her to become well known for her “hands on” leadership know-how beginning with her neighborhood involvement when she joined a local Homeowners Association and discovered her passion for volunteering.
Her Mayoral responsibilities include representing the City on the:
- Gardena Finance Committee
- County of Los Angeles Sanitation District
- California Cities Gaming Authority
- Los Angeles County City Selection Committee
- Los Angeles Metro Mayors Roundtable
- And as the alternate City delegate to the South Bay Regional Public Communications Authority
Growing up in the City of Gardena has allowed Mayor Cerda to see the City during its best and worst times. Mayor Cerda wants to continue developing Gardena into the amazing City that we all love. Her goal is to give our family oriented, multicultural community the quality of life that they desire. A safe City to live, work, raise a family and retire in.
Being so involved in the community has given her the opportunity to learn more about what the community wants in their City. That said, she has been able to attract new housing and business developments, acquire grant money for new projects, increase our revenue, and save our city money, with more to come. As the Chairwoman of Gardena’s Finance Committee, she is determined to do more because she wants the City of Gardena to be the destination City of the South Bay.
Through Mayor Cerda’s careful analysis of the issues at hand and leadership based on integrity, Gardena will experience the positive change that it much deserves and needs – She is truly ‘The People’s Advocate.’
Mark E. Henderson Ed. D – Mayor Pro Tem
1700 West 162nd Street, Gardena, CA 90247
Phone: (310) 217-9507
Email: mhenderson@cityofgardena.org
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Mark E. Henderson, Ed. D was first elected by the citizens of Gardena in March 2015 to serve as a member of the City Council. He was elected a second term in March 2020, and elected a third term in March of 2024. Prior to his election as a Councilmember, he served the City of Gardena as an appointed member of the Planning and Environmental Quality Commission, from 2010 to 2013. As the past chairman (during 2012), he worked to be an effective leader of the Planning Commission and proactively collaborated with community members, City Council and city staff, exhibiting valuable insight into understanding the needs of the residents and businesses of the entire community. Before that appointment, he served as a Member-at-Large for the City of Gardena Rent Mediation Board. In that role he worked tirelessly to ensure that landlord and tenant discussions were civil, ended with both parties satisfied, and that the most appropriate measures were executed. He later became a community leader within the Gardena Environmental Justice Committee, whose primary purpose is to heighten community awareness regarding long-standing environmental issues and to create opportunities to develop and propose strategies to city officials and staff while maintaining open dialogue prior to the implementation of environmental land reuse policies.
Henderson was born in Harbor City, CA, and was raised in Los Angeles County. After completing his military service in the U.S. Navy, he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Telecommunications Management from DeVry University, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Redlands, and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne. He is currently an administrator at Los Angeles Pierce College and has been with the Los Angeles Community College District since 2002. He has held previous leadership roles for municipalities in California. In 2014, the Center for Digital Education recognized him as a Top 30 Technologist, Transformer, and Trailblazer.
His Council responsibilities include representing the City of Gardena as a Delegate to the Independent Cities Association (current President). He also serves as an Alternate City Delegate to the Los Angeles Metro Mayors Roundtable, and the County of Los Angeles Sanitation District No. 5.
Additionally, Councilmember Henderson represents the cities of Hawthorne, Inglewood, and Gardena as their District 28 representative to the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG).
With approximately 40 years as a resident of Gardena, Henderson has been actively involved in the life of our community. He was a past volunteer coach for City of Gardena youth sports activities. He is a city commissioner with the Gardena Pop Warner organization. He is the current President of a community-based organization named Brothers Inc., which works with middle school-aged African-American and Latino males in the disciplines of decision-making and critical thinking. He is a board member of PV Jobs Inc., which works to train community members and Veterans in obtaining employment within the Building Trades. He is very active in addressing Veteran’s concerns.
Henderson believes in placing the community first while developing success strategies in a collaborative manner with all stakeholders to improve our elite City.
Rodney G. Tanaka – Councilmember
1700 West 162nd Street, Gardena, CA 90247
Phone: (310) 217-9507
Email: rtanaka@cityofgardena.org
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Councilmember Rodney G. Tanaka was first elected in March 2017, and re-elected in June 2022 for a second term. He will continue to represent the City very well as he is a retired City of Gardena Police Department Lieutenant. Councilmember Tanaka will serve in his second term until June 2026. He is the Current Mayor Pro Tem and has previously served in this capacity from April 2018 – April 2019, and from March 2021 – July 2022.
Councilmember Tanaka has made leadership commitments to the City by accepting assignments to represent the City Council and citizens of Gardena as a Delegate to the League of California Cities – Los Angeles County Division, the South Bay Regional Public Communications Authority, the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG), and the West Basin Water Association. He is also representing Gardena as an Alternate Delegate to the Independent Cities Association (ICA) and the California Cities Gaming Authority (CCGA).
During the many years he has resided in Gardena, Councilmember Tanaka has been a Distinguished Leader with the Gardena Elks Lodge, an Executive Leader with Kiwanis International, and is an Honoree on the City of Gardena Wall of Fame. He is sharing new ideas for the betterment of the City, its citizens, and members of the business community.
Paulette C. Francis – Councilmember
1700 West 162nd Street, Gardena, CA 90247
Phone: (310) 217-9507
Email: pfrancis@cityofgardena.org
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Paulette C. Francis is a 49-year resident of the City of Gardena and was elected to her first term as a Member of the Gardena City Council in March 2020.
Known as a pragmatic problem solver and a coalition builder, Councilmember Francis focuses on improving the quality of life in the City of Gardena for all its residents and businesses.
Paulette holds a Master’s of Science in Education from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of California San Diego. She is experienced in the Aerospace, Real estate, and Government Service professions and currently serves as an Educator and President of California Educational Solution, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women and children.
Paulette has served the City of Gardena residents as chair of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Cultural Committee of Gardena. In this capacity, Paulette led the way to produce and present the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Commemorative Program and Parade in collaboration with the City of Gardena. She is also a strong supporter of the city’s rich diversity of cultural and educational programs such as the Cinco de Mayo Parade and Celebration and the Japanese Cultural Institute activities.
Paulette previously served as the Vice President of the Gardena Holly Park Homeowners Association, President of the Gardena Valley Democratic Club, President of the Gardena Holly Park Homeowners Association, and as a Commissioner on the Gardena Recreation and Parks Commission and the Planning & Environmental Quality Commission.
Paulette is the current Chairperson for the Gardena Beautification Commission and also represents the City of Gardena on the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District Board of Trustees.
Wanda Love – Councilmember
1700 West 162nd Street, Gardena, CA 90247
Phone: (310) 217-9507
Email: wlove@cityofgardena.org
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Wanda Love was first elected as a Council Member for the City of Gardena in July 2022. Council Member Love has been a resident of Gardena for more than 30 years and has faithfully and diligently served the Gardena community for the past 20+ years.
She has been the President and CEO of the Gardena Valley Chamber of Commerce for the past 16 years where she has organized countless community events that have benefited the residents and businesses alike. She is a past vice president of the largest senior group in Gardena, The Second Time Around Club, and served as a Commissioner on the City of Gardena’s Business Economic Advisory Council. She also served as an Executive Board Member of the South Bay Association of Chambers of Commerce, member of the Los Angeles Business Federation, and was appointed to the LA County Democratic Party.
As a newly elected Council Member, she has taken on the role to represent the City of Gardena as the Alternate to the South Bay Cities Council of Governments and the Southern California Association of Governments.
Serving in the community is nothing new for Council Member Love. Her time at the Gardena Chamber has allowed her to create and develop great relationships within the community. These relationships are vitally important and beneficial in helping her move Gardena forward. She has owned four successful small businesses for more than 25 years, so being at the forefront of small business advocacy, fighting for sensible legislation from Sacramento, as well as our local government is what she loves to do. She does not just talk about Gardena; she is truly about the business of Gardena.
Guy Mato – Treasurer
1700 West 162nd Street, Gardena, CA 90247
Phone: (310) 217-9664
Email: gmato@cityofgardena.org
COMING SOON!
Mina Semenza – City Clerk
1700 West 162nd Street, Room 106, Gardena, CA 90247
Phone: (310) 217-9565
Email: msemenza@cityofgardena.org
The City Clerk is the official record keeper of the City and, as the City’s Elections Official, oversees the conduct of general and special elections, with day-to-day operations managed by the Deputy City Clerk/Records Management Officer.
Elected to the office of City Clerk in March 2013, Mina Semenza has a long history of leadership and community service. Formerly, Chair of the Planning Commission, member of the Chief of Police Advisory Panel, member of the Human Services Commissions and President of the Gardena Valley YMCA, she continues to be involved as a leader of our Neighborhood Watch program.
Additionally, she is a member of the California City Clerks Association, the International Institute of Municipal City Clerks, a member of the Board of Directors of the South Bay Association of Realtors, Chair of the Government Affairs Committee, and is a licensed California State Realtor in Gardena.
A life-long resident of Gardena she attended local schools and is a graduate of El Camino College. She and her husband raised their daughter here.
It is her public service goal to ensure that the office of the City Clerk runs with high standards, professionalism and transparency.
The office of the City Clerk is the hub of City Hall, providing the Mayor, City Council, City Departments and the public many services. The City Clerk is the official Clerk of the Council and administers democratic processes such as elections, access to city records and legislative actions ensuring transparency to the public. The City Clerk acts as a compliance officer for federal, state, and local statutes including the Political Reform Act, the Brown Act, and the Public Records Act.