City of Sunnyvale City Council Councilmember Mason Fong

Mason Fong was elected to his first term as a Sunnyvale councilmember in 2018. On Nov. 14, 2021, he resigned from his position when he was appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom to serve as the governor’s deputy director of external affairs for northern California. “I’m very much looking forward to elevating my public service to a large portion of the state [and] to be able to serve the community and see how to translate what their priorities are into action,” Fong told the Mercury News.

Day job: Legislative director for San Jose Councilmember Matt Mahan (as of January 2021, per LinkedIn). Prior to that, he was director of public policy communications for the Silicon Valley Organization.

Alma mater: UC San Diego (bachelor’s degree, urban studies and planning with a minor in political science); De Anza College

Other offices held: Sunnyvale Library Board trustee (2017-18)

Notable quote: “I really wanted to figure out how we’re doing housing now, but how do we alter that approach. ... . [M]aybe I could provide a different perspective,” Fong told San Jose Spotlight, “a different direction to staff to get the needle moved a little bit toward the right direction.”