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.

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• 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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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).

She attended schools in Los Angeles, viz. Saint Francis of Assisi Parish School, Dayton Heights Elementary, and Virgil Junior High. A CSF Scholar, Tzeitel received 11 scholarships and/or awards when she graduated from Duarte High School.

In 1989, she was named the Los Angeles Times and Pasadena Star News DHS 'Student of the Year'. Tzeitel obtained her BSBA in Marketing from Woodbury University.Tzeitel served as Mayor Pro Tem during Duarte Student Government Day and was also a DHS representative to Girl State.

Tzeitel helped organize presidential campaign rallies held at Century City Hotel and other locations in her capacity as the San Gabriel Valley's Youth Coordinator for a major political party in the 1988 U.S. presidential election.

In August 2003, Tzeitel was married to K.C. Caracci at Royal Oaks Park in Duarte. She works as a Lead Teacher/Outreach Coordinator for Pasadena YMCA, coordinating family activities and volunteer programs, creating program curriculum, and writing grant applications.

As a public servant, Tzeitel Paras serves as a Member of the Duarte City Council. She has served as a Chairperson for the Redevelopment Agency and is currently the President for APAMO (Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials), a National League of Cities Constituency Group.

In addition to English, Tzeitel also speaks Tagalog (konti) and Spanish (un poquito). She welcomes constructive input for the positive progress of the city.

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Mayor Lois Gaston, a Duarte resident for 37 years, was first elected to the Duarte City Council in 2003 and became Mayor on November 28, 2006. Ms. Gaston is the first African American female to hold this position in Duarte’s 50-year history. She also served as Mayor Pro Tem from 2005-2006, and is a Delegate-at-Large for California Contract Cities Board of Directors and Executive Board. In her capacity, she also serves as either the Council Delegate or alternate for numerous organizations including California Contract Cities, the Gold Line Phase II JPA, the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG), and the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). Gaston states her one-year Mayor’s term will be built around the City’s 50th Golden Anniversary and encourages all Duarteans to take an active part

Community Service

• Commissioner - Planning, Economic Development, Community Service  - 10 years

• Event Manager – Buena Vista Pavilion Rose Float Viewing since 1996

• Vice President & Special Events Chairperson – 
  Duarte Education Foundation, responsible for coordinating All Schools Talent Shows and Spring musicals

• Delegate-At-Large - California Contract Cities Board of Directors & Executive Board since 2003

• Director - Foothill Unity Center since 1999

• Founding President - Duarte Community Coordinating Council & original member of Duarte’s Route 66 Parade Committee

• Member - Duarte Mediation Team committed to the prevention of gang violence

• Former Director & Executive Board Secretary - 
  Citrus College Foundation

• Former State Recruitment Coordinator – 
  AARP, California

• Historian, Scholarship & Youth Advisor – 
  Second Baptist Church of Monrovia

City Council Accomplishments since 2003

Completed Projects

• La-Z-Boy/IHOP Shopping Plaza just south of 210 Freeway on Mountain Avenue

• Andres Duarte Terrace, an 80 unit senior housing facility

• Emergency Preparedness & Disaster Survival Resources Fair

• Acquired 329 acres of wilderness land preserved for open space

• Lena Valenzuela Park on Mountain Avenue south of Duarte Road

• Rim Road Slope Rehabilitation, a project primarily funded by FEMA.

Projects In Progress

• General Plan Update

• Attalla Ranch - 15 single family homes with 23 acres of permanent open space

• Duarte Garden - 17 town homes on Huntington Drive across from City Hall

• Huntington Court - a 51 single family homes to be located east of Mt. Olive

• Maryvale Day Care Center

• Duarte Town Center Concept Plan

• Best Buy Development on Central Avenue and Mountain Avenue - a 45,000 retail project that will add some jobs and increase annual sales tax revenues by approximately $500,000.

• Encanto Nature Walk - the first designated Emerald Necklace project on the 17-mile recreational loop built on the San Gabriel River.

• Gold Line II Mass Transit

• Andres Duarte Terrace - an 80 unit senior housing facility

• Mountain Avenue/Duarte Road Intersection Realignment

Additional Information

Mayor Gaston graduated from the Monrovia-Arcadia-Duarte (MAD) High School in 1953.  From there she attended Mt. San Antonio College and launched her 32-year telecommunications career with AT&T.  In 1989, she retired from AT&T as a District Manager of Human Resources. She has used her corporate experience to organize teams of volunteers and fund raise for non-profits whose programs have improved the quality of life in the local area.

Next to her family and friends, Mayor Gaston is most proud of the Duarte City Council’s positive, collaborative team spirit. This, plus city staff resourcefulness, input and participation from many of Duarte’s 22,000 residents, combined with local business owners and community partners are the reasons behind the City’s continued progress.

Mayor Gaston has four sons Harold Carter Sr., a retired firefighter; TK Carter, an actor/writer; Bruce Carter, attorney; and Vincent Gaston, a LAUSD Mentor Coach; three of which attended and completed local Duarte Schools.  She also has eight grandchildren ranging in age from 27 to eight years old.  

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