City of Los Altos Welcomes New City Clerk
Los Altos, Calif. — April 10, 2023 — The city of Los Altos welcomes Melissa Thurman as its city clerk. She assumes her position today, Monday, April 10.
As city clerk, Thurman is responsible for facilitating the conduct of business by the Los Altos City Council, and fulfilling legal requirements set forth in the City code and State law. Her role also works closely with City commissions, providing support and guidance to Commission liaisons, and conducting Commission recruitment.
“We are very excited to welcome Melissa to the City. She brings a wide variety of experience to the role, and vast expertise in records management, elections, and technology implementation that will better our service to the City Council, Commissions, and Los Altos community,” said Assistant City Manager Jon Maginot.
Thurman has amassed over a decade of municipal experience, holding positions in the cities of Redwood City, Half Moon Bay, San Bernardino, and most recently with the town of Portola Valley and city of San Bruno. As clerk for Portola Valley and San Bruno, she led multiple technology improvements that streamlined agenda management, and Fair Political Practices Commission filings and trainings.
“I am excited for the opportunity to be the next city clerk for the city of Los Altos and to work alongside the City Council, Los Altos community, and City staff,” said Thurman. “I look forward to leveraging my experience to build on the work already underway that continues promoting more efficient and transparent processes within the City Clerk's Office.”
Thurman holds certifications as a Master Municipal Clerk and a Certified Municipal Clerk. She has served in high-level positions in several professional organizations, including the City Clerks Association of California and the City Clerks Division of the League of California Cities. Thurman is a designated Fellow of the Athenian Dialogue Society, the leadership training arm of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.
Thurman succeeds former Los Altos City Clerk Andrea Chelemengos, who retired in April 2022. Assistant City Clerk Angel Rodriguez has served as the interim city clerk during the transition. The City will be introducing Thurman to the community in the coming weeks.
For more information, contact Sonia Lee at (650) 947-2611 or slee@losaltosca.gov.
