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Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci
Carol Dutra-Vernaci is in her third term as Union City Mayor. She made history on December 11, 2012 when she was sworn in as the first woman mayor of Union City. Being elected mayor capped more than two decades of volunteering and public service.
She is a third generation Union City resident; growing up in Decoto and now living in Alvarado. She is a graduate of James Logan High School, Class of 1972, and alumna of California State University Hayward with a degree in Psychology and Taxation education.
Mayor Carol continues to serve as a member and Past-President of several local nonprofits in the fields of education, health care, youth activities, animal welfare, and the Lions Club of Union City, as well as the Chamber of Commerce.
Mayor Carol’s city service started in 1988 and includes: member of the original Redevelopment Advisory Committee representing businesses, Planning Commissioner, then in 1997 was elected to the city council where she served for thirteen years.
Carol brings more than thirty years of business experience to the role of mayor. As an Enrolled Agent, she has owned and operated her income tax business in Union City since 1986.
As councilmember, she served on the county Housing Authority and the League of California Cities Policy Committees and is a Past-President of the Leagues East Bay Division. Carol went through C.E.R.T. (Community Emergency Response Training) and advocated for residents to prepare for earthquakes. She was the city C.E.R.T. Coordinator for two years before being elected mayor. As mayor, Carol heads the city Disaster Council.
As councilmember, Carol was a member of the Union City team that won the “All-America City” title by the National Civic League. As Mayor, she had the slogan used for the competition; “Many Hands, One Heart” put up in the City Hall lobby.
As mayor, she has and continues to represent Union City and the region on local, county, state, and national organizations in the areas of Economic Development, Communications, Energy, Housing and Transportation.. Carol is known region wide as a major advocate for improvements in the Dumbarton Corridor and specifically for Dumbarton Rail. She has developed strong relationships on all levels. As a “connector” she has always maintained a focus on strengthening the local community and using her relationships on all levels for the betterment of Union City.
As a participant in the Mayors Institute on City Design, she engaged with leading design and development experts to work on critical planning and design challenges facing Union City. Carol is one of 40 Mayors selected from around the country participating in the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative’s U.S. Cities Recovery Leadership Program. She and the other Mayors are exploring approaches and actions to emerging challenges created by the COVID-19 crisis including crisis budgeting and fiscal recovery and working towards a recovery that is socially, racially, and economically equitable.