Richard Adler, San Ramon’s newest council member, was officially appointed to city council after taking the oath of office on Jan. 14 at the city council meeting. Adler was elected to the District 2 seat, representing southern San Ramon, after Mark Armstrong’s appointment to the position of mayor in November.
Armstrong’s recent appointment created a vacant seat on San Ramon’s legislative body, as he previously held the District 2 council member seat.
“I was aware that Mark Armstrong was running for Mayor. Probably about a year before he ran, he reached out [to me]. I knew that if he won that the position would be open, and they would have to fill it,” Richard Adler spoke.
Adler admitted that the city took longer than he anticipated to begin the application process. Yet, Adler realized: “It gave me an opportunity to get ready for the interview and study up on the different parts of the city.”
City Council opted for a direct appointment of a candidate rather than a special election. An appointment was the quickest and least expensive option. Adler was one of four candidates selected for an interview; the formal interviews occurred at the City Council’s Special Meeting on January 10.
Adler discussed his participation in courses offered by the city such as Government 101, the Community Planning Academy, the San Ramon Community Academy, and the Leadership San Ramon Valley class. In addition to this, Adler has served on the Senior Citizen Advisory Committee for two years; first as a regular member, then as the chair towards the end of his first term.
“[This] showed that I was serious about serving my city,” Adler noted.
Along with his experience in local government, Adler enjoys serving his community. Adler took upon the role of president of his local Rotary chapter— a non-profit organization committed to various outlets of community service —last year. He mentioned that his Rotary club is helping the Wheelchair Foundation this year, specifically with donations so the organization can continue providing wheelchairs to people across the world.
“He truly believes in giving back to the community,” Scott Gerbert, a member of the Diablo Valley San Ramon Rotary Club, said.
Adler commented on his community service too: “[While it] isn’t specifically a city job, it’s serving the city with community service.”
Through this position, Adler has developed strong relationships with members of the community dedicated to community service.
“He is a really caring and compassionate person. [Yet,] he hasn’t held a position like this, and I think he will be tested by his constituents who will ask things of him that he’s not fully aware of,” Gerbert said.
Adler also discussed his fondness for art.
“I’m an artist and that wasn’t my career, but I love art. I wrote a children’s book and I did all my own illustrations. [Also,] I’ve had one of my paintings in an art gallery.”
Furthermore, Adler addressed his priorities for the year. He named the mantation of San Ramon’s parks, attracting business and retail, and citizen’s safety as some of his largest priorities for his tenure as a city council member.
“A lot of it is making sure we provide cost-effective services,” Adler mentioned.
When asked about what he looks forward to during his time as a council member, Adler responded: “I look forward to doing good things for the city and working with my fellow council members.”
