MROSD board re-appoints Yoriko Kishimoto to fill vacancy

At a public meeting last night, the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District’s board of directors re-appointed Yoriko Kishimoto to fill a vacancy on their seven member, publicly elected board left by the passing of board president Mary Davey in October 2010.

Kishimoto was initially appointed to the board on November 29, 2010 following a public applicant search and interview process, to fulfill the remainder of Davey’s term through January 2, 2011. Because Davey’s position was unopposed in the November 2010 election, she would have served a subsequent term beginning January 3, 2011. The District’s board of directors chose to re-appoint Kishimoto to continue serving on the board until the next general election in November 2012, rather than hold a special election which would have cost the District approximately $556,900.

“The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District has forever changed the face of the Bay Area, protecting our regional greenbelt, our watersheds. I am honored to be selected to help be a guardian of the mission to acquire, protect and restore our greenbelt of open space in perpetuity,” Kishimoto said.

As director of ward two on the District’s board, Kishimoto represents the cities of Cupertino, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Palo Alto, Stanford, Sunnyvale and a small portion of Santa Cruz County.  The Open Space District is a public agency, specifically a California Special District, governed by a board of directors representing seven wards who can serve unlimited, four year terms. Its mission is to preserve land as open space, protect and restore the natural environment and provide opportunities for public enjoyment and education.

Kishimoto holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from Stanford University, and brings leadership skills and experience as a former mayor and city council member for the City of Palo Alto. She has also served on the boards of Hidden Villa, Valley Transportation Authority and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. She is a published author, wife and mother with a lifelong love for the outdoors.