City of Saratoga City Council Councilmember Yan Zhao

The election year of 2022—when Yan Zhao successfully ran for her second term on the Saratoga City Council—was a busy one for the city. The council was busy with its Housing Element, trying to plan for 1,700 new housing units to be built between 2023 and 2031—an issue causing record turnout at council meetings. And also on the November ballot was Measure C, which instituted term limits for councilmembers. 

A veteran in the semiconductor industry and a Saratoga resident since 1998, Zhao also has a long resume of volunteer positions, including Saratoga Planning Commissioner, Saratoga Madronia Cemetery District Board of Trustees member, board member and treasurer of the Saratoga Elementary PTA and volunteer referee for the American Youth Soccer Organization. Zhao also served nine years on the Commission on the Status of Women in the County of Santa Clara.

First elected: 2018

Alma maters: UC Berkeley (bachelor’s degree, electrical engineering and computer science); Santa Clara University (master’s degree, electrical engineering)

Notable quotes: “I feel humbled and really honored to receive the support from our residents. I want to thank [voters] for their trust and confidence in me. There’s going to be a lot of work ahead of us… It’s going to be another busy four years. I’m thrilled and honored with every single vote. I knocked on more than 4,000 doors. It’s really gratifying to get the results.” (Source: Mercury News, Nov. 8, 2022)

“I’ve been so proud of Saratoga residents this year—helping neighbors in need, supporting small businesses and navigating these challenging times. After all we have seen this year, I have never been more confident in Saratoga’s resilience, and I look forward to working with our outstanding residents to continue building and strengthening our community.” (Source: East Bay Times, Dec. 30, 2020)