Member Biographies
FPPC Form 801 Filings 2009
Mayor Margaret E. Finlay
 
Accomplishments
- Chairperson for the successful 1998 Measure B School Bond Campaign that is improving aging Duarte Schools
- Over the past 5 years, sales tax revenues increased by $1.5 million or 65%
- Expanded Senior Citizen transportation and more warm meals delivered to household Seniors
- Duarte was
named as a Finalist in the Duarte All-America City Competition
- A partnership with the Feds for an enlarged post office parking lot
- A new city website that provides a comprehensive list of city information and services
- Cablecasting the City Council meetings for better communication
- Crime statistics that have dropped 38%
Education
- B.B.A. in Marketing, 1975, St. Mary’s College , Notre Dame, Indiana
- Master’s in Public Administration, 2000, Cal State Long Beach
- Doctoral work at Claremont Graduate University
- Harvard University - Senior Executives in State and Local Government
Program- 2004
Professorships/Speaker
- Adjunct Professor - Policy Analysis Courses in MPA program at CSU, Long
Beach
- International Speaker on Municipal Government in Melbourne, Australia,
June 2005
- Speaker at different colleges at Azusa Pacific and Fullerton College
Experience
- Los Angeles County LAFCO Commissioner, Elected 2005
- Community Redevelopment Agency (a housing and community development
agency) 15 yrs, Chairperson for 4 yrs.
- Three-term Mayor of Duarte
- League of California Cities, State Board of Directors, 4yrs.
- National League of Cities, Board of Directors, 2 yrs.
- National League of Cities, Small Cities Council Steering Committee,
Chairperson (2000-2001)
- National League of Cities Program Chair, Congress of Cities, December
2005
- Institute for Local Government (research in government), League of
California Cities Board Liaison
- California Contract Cities Association, President (2004-2005)
- California Joint Powers Insurance Authority, Executive Committee, 9yrs.
- San Gabriel Valley Vector Control District, 14yrs, President (2yrs)
- Los Angeles County Sanitation District, Board of Directors &
Personnel Committee, 10 yrs.
- L.A. County Library Commission, Legislative Chair, 8 yrs.
- L.A. County Sheriff’s Liability Trust Fund Board
- State Committee on Ethics in Government
- Planning Commissioner
- Traffic and Safety Commissioner
- Duarte Education Foundation (serving the community education needs for
low-to-moderate income students) President, 8 yrs.
- Royal Oaks PTA (President)
- Volunteer Guide for Tournament of Roses Floats
- Church Youth Leader
Associations/Awards
- Pi Alpha Alpha (National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Aminstration)
- Phi Kappa Phi (National Honor Socitety)
- 4.0 GPA Graduation Award in the MPA Program at CSULB-2000
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Mayor Pro Tem Tzeitel Paras-Caracci
 
Tzeitel Russel M.
Paras was born in 1972. She was named after the eldest daughter in "Fiddler on
the Roof", a Broadway musical. On November 6, 2001, Tzeitel became the first
Duarte High School (DHS) alumni and the youngest woman elected to the Duarte
City Council. Her family moved to Duarte in 1985. Tzeitel (DHS '89) has two
younger brothers: Bertrand Russell (DHS '92) and John Paul George (DHS '96).
In 1989, Tzeitel was named the Los Angeles Times and Pasadena Star News DHS
'Student of the Year'. She served as Mayor Pro Tem during Duarte Student
Government Day and was also a DHS representative to Girl State. She attended
Woodbury University majoring in Marketing and has worked for CIGNA HealthCare,
Pasadena Unified School District and the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. She
is currently working part-time as an Outreach Consultant.
As a public servant,
Tzeitel Paras-Caracci has served as Chair for the Redevelopment Agency in 2004
and Mayor in 2006. She continues to participate in many facets of government
and civic engagement. She has continued to be an active member various
organizations and committees. To name a few, she has served as President for
APAMO (Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials) 2004-2006, Chair of the
CityFutures Panel of Democratic Governance, member of Duarte Education Council
and Duarte Community Service Council, Director of Sanitation District in 2006
and was appointed to serve a two-year term on the Board of Directors of the
National League of Cities and the League of California Cities.
Tzeitel is thankful for
many things, but most of all the difference she can make every day serving the
City of Duarte. This has been her hometown for over 24 years and she loves it.
She welcomes constructive input on the progress of the city.
FUN FACTS: In August 2003, Tzeitel married K.C. Caracci (Route 66
Parade Chair) at Royal Oaks Park in Duarte. In addition to English, Tzeitel also
speaks Tagalog (konti) and Spanish (un poquito). Aside from loving Duarte,
Tzeitel also loves Hello Kitty, watching HGTV and the Food Network, and whenever
she has a spare moment enjoys baking and crafts.
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Councilmember John Fasana
 
John was elected to the Duarte City Council
in November 1987 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, and 2003. He has promoted
Duarte's interests in transportation, community services, and environmental
protection.
Experience
0,
1997 and 2003.
Served as Chair of Duarte's Community
Redevelopment Agency.
Chairs the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments Transportation Committee.
Serves as Duarte's representative to the Foothill Transit
Board.
John has represented 30 San Gabriel Valley cities as a Director to the Los
Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) since its inception.
John
served as MTA Board Chair during the 2001-2002 fiscal
year and currently is a member of the Executive Management and Audit
Committee and the Construction Committee.
Represented the League of California Cities in the development of ballot
language and support by cities of the 1992 Los Angeles County Park and
Recreation Act, which passed with over 60% of the vote and included funding for
the Duarte Teen Center.
John has worked 2 5 years with
Southern California Edison.
A graduate of Whittier College, John and his wife,
Kris, have lived in Duarte since 1985 .
Their three children are graduates of Duarte High School.
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Councilmember Lois Gaston
Lois Gaston President of California Contract Cities Association Article
Long before she was elected to the
Duarte City Council, Lois Gaston had already established a legacy of volunteer
service to the community working to advance the educational opportunities of
young people, provide assistance to senior citizens and the needy, and serving a
decade on various city commissions.
Currently in her second term on the Duarte City Council, having first been
elected in 2003, Gaston continues to serve in multiple ways the community that
she has called home for 40 years.
Gaston served as Mayor Pro-Tem in 2005-2006. On November 28, 2006 she was
elected mayor, the first African American female to hold that position in the
City’s 50-year history.
In March 2009, Assemblyman Anthony Portantino honored Gaston for her service to
community by naming her the 44th Assembly District “Woman of the Year”.
“It gives me great pleasure to nominate an exemplary public servant,” said
Portantino. “Lois Gaston has never stopped asking what she can do for her
community, as her record in public service and volunteerism clearly
demonstrates. She has led the Duarte City Council with a positive, collaborative
team spirit that solicits input from many of Duarte’s 22,000 residents, local
business owners and community partners on how to move the City forward.”
In May 2009, Gaston will be installed as president of the California Contract
Cities Association, a collection of 67 member cities representing 10 million
residents that contract with another public agency or private company for
municipal services.
In her capacity on the City Council, she has also served as either the Council
delegate or alternate for other organizations including the Gold Line Phase II
JPA, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and the Southern California
Association of Governments.
Prior to being elected to the City Council, she served on three City commissions
over a period of 10 years: The Planning Commission, Economic Development
Commission and Community Service Commission. She served two terms on the board
of directors of Citrus College Foundation and one term as executive board
secretary. She also formerly served as State Recruitment Coordinator for AARP in
California.
She has served on the board of directors of the Foothill Unity Center since
1998. The nonprofit organization provides families in need with food, clothing
and other critical support. Other continuing volunteer activities include the
Duarte Education Foundation where she serves as vice president and special
events chairperson, responsible for coordinating the All Schools Talent Show and
Spring musicals. She is also founding president and active member of the Duarte
Community Coordinating Council, a member of the Duarte Mediation Team, whose
members are committed to the prevention of gang violence, and historian,
scholarship & youth advisor for Second Baptist Church of Monrovia.
Gaston enjoyed a 32-year career with AT&T before retiring in 1989 as a District
Manager of Human Resources. She is mother of four grown sons and a grandmother
of eight.
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Councilmember Phillip R. Reyes
 Personal/Professional:
Resident of Duarte 30 years. Married to Angie for 32 years. Three Children:
Phillip, Gabriel, and Alexis. Two Granddaughters: Emily & Gia.
Real
estate licensed broker and realtor since 1978. Partner in Phil Reyes Real Estate
Brokerage Co with Angie Reyes. Past President of the Monrovia/ Duarte
Association of Realtors. California Association of Realtors State Director.
Past and Present Community Involvement
- Elected in1989-1993 to the Duarte Board of Education. Served as
President in 1992. Elected to Duarte City Council in 1993. Mayor 1996, 2002
and 2008.
- Past Chairman of Redevelopment Agency. Former Economic Development
Commissioner.
- 1992-1993 President of Duarte Chamber of Commerce. Member since 1981.
- 1996 Member of the California State Dept. of Education, Diversity
Committee.
- 1997-Present Co-Chair of the Los Angeles –Taiwan Taipei County
Friendship Committee. Organized visit to China for Duarte High School
Chamber Ensemble and City Delegation 2001, 2005 and 2007.
- San Gabriel Valley Boy Scouts District Chair.
- League of California Cities, National League of Cities (NLC), National
Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO), Hispanic Elected Local
Officials (HELO), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Elks,
and Kiwanis.
- Organized and sponsored citizenship development through educational
workshops with NALEO.
- Immaculate Conception Church and Fiesta, Santa Teresita Hospital / St.
Josephs Chapel, and Knights of Columbus.
- Past Vice-President of Duarte Hawks Junior All American Football.
- LULAC Fireworks Chair for last 16 years, raised hundreds of thousands of
dollars and distributed to various youth organizations, programs, food for
those less fortunate, scouting, church youth groups, sports programs,
cultural dance, and our local schools.
- Organized the City of Duarte Cinco De Mayo Celebration 1992-1995.
- Neighborhood Watch Block Captain.
- Youth mentor, Duarte High School La Vida Nueva advisor, empowered youth
through leadership development.
- Promoted citizenship participation through various voter registration
campaigns in partnership with Southwest Voter Education Registration
Project.
- Created collaboration with Mexican American Legal Defense and
Educational Fund (MALDEF), in order to provide parent leadership
development.
Accomplishments
-
Spearheaded development of Duarte Teen
Center. Advocated for the City of Duarte student internship program, and
expansion of teen and senior citizen services.
-
Duarte Chamber of Commerce Business Person
of the Year 1992.
-
Helped initiate DAMAGE program (gang
prevention), and explorer program at Duarte High School. Worked to
create deterrents, which resulted in the reduction of crime citywide.
-
Advocated and introduced study for the
development of freeway sound walls.
-
Started citywide diversity program.
-
In various capacities has worked with
youth, distributed over $230,000 in scholarships, transportation cost
for field trips, promoting education, cultural awareness, and diversity.
-
Created rebate/grant program for local
businesses.
-
-
Initiated and assisted in the creation of
Duarte Youth Boxing Program.
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