Town of Los Altos Hills Town Council Councilmember Kavita Tankha

The top vote-getter in the November 2018 election for Los Altos Hills Town Council got her start in local politics as a member of the town’s Planning Commission. A resident in Los Altos Hills for more than 15 yeas, she emphasizes the importance of philanthropy and community engagement. In a Q&A with Los Altos Online, Tankha identified the most important issue facing the town: “We’re fortunate to live in the foothills, and preserving the vision of the founders is the biggest challenge we face today. We can achieve this by staying true to our core values, applying our town ordinances strictly and following our General Plan.”

First elected: November 2018

Day job: Attorney

Alma maters: Northwestern University School of Law (master’s degree); Delhi University (bachelor’s degrees, arts and law)

Other positions held: Los Altos Hills Planning Commission, El Camino Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, Girls Learn International Board of Directors, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art Board of Directors.

Notable quote: After casting the sole negative vote against the second phase of a proposed Town Hall expansion, Tankha said, “I feel that while there is an acknowledgment of the need to create more staff space and some additional room for Parks and Rec activities, this project does not address any of those needs. But what it does is it comes at a very hefty price tag.”