Speakers
Mayor Heather Fargo
Sacramento, CA
Biography:
Mayor Heather Fargo was born in Oakland, CA and grew up in the Central Valley. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Planning and Management from the University of California, Davis in 1975. In 1981, she earned a Certificate of Completion from the Revenue Sources Management School in Boulder, Colorado. Mayor Fargo went on to complete the State and Local Government Executive Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1991. First elected to the City Council in 1989, representing District One, she was re-elected to a second term in 1994, and a third term in 1998. She was elected to a four-year term as Mayor in November 2000 and was re-elected to a second term in March 2004 beginning in November of 2004. Mayor Fargo has always played an active role in protecting the environment. She was a founding member and the first secretary of the Sacramento Tree Foundation, which is an important voice in Sacramento’s environmental community. In addition, she served as a board member of the Environmental Council of Sacramento from 1983-1989. Both as a member of the City Council and now as Mayor, Heather Fargo continues to be an advocate of after-school programs for students throughout the City and has been instrumental in bringing the Boys and Girls Club to several underserved areas of the city. In an attempt to coordinate the efforts of leaders of the educational community, Mayor Fargo established the Mayor’s Commission on Sacramento Youth and she continue to sponsor the annual Mayor’s Summer Reading Camps for local elementary students in addition to serving as Co-Chair of the Healthy Kids Healthy Future Commission. Mayor Fargo currently serves as Chair of the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) Board of Directors, as well as on the boards of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG), Sacramento Area Commerce and Trade Organization, Waterfront Advisory Committee, the regional collaborative Mayor’s and Board Chair Forum, the Crocker Art Museum, the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, and in addition, she is the current Second Vice President of the League of California Cities and represents the City as a member of the Advisory Board for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. She is an especially strong advocate for downtown and waterfront development, parks and open spaces, libraries, community participation and environmental protection. Mayor Fargo is an avid gardener, growing award winning tomatoes, and loves to frequent the Farmers Market of Sacramento.