Rod Diridon, Sr.
| Rod Diridon, Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 8, 1939 |
| Residence | Saratoga, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | San Jose State University |
| Occupation | engineer |
| Known for | Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, California High-Speed Rail Authority |
Rod Diridon, Sr. is a former member of the Saratoga City Council, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and the California High-Speed Rail Authority.
Diridon is an Italian-American who was first elected as the youngest-ever member of the Saratoga City Council in 1972.[1] He was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 1974, and served as a member of the Board from 1975-1995.[2][3] In 2000, Diridon was appointed to the California High Speed Rail Authority by Governor Gray Davis, and was then re-appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. After serving for ten years, he was not re-appointed in 2010.[4] In 1976, he chaired the campaign for the first successful half-cent sales tax for a transit district in California, has subsequently come to be known as "the father of VTA light rail," and is now the emeritus executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute.[5]
San Jose's Diridon Station was renamed for Rod Diridon at the time of its 1994 restoration.[6]
In 1980, he was the Democratic candidate for California's 12th State Senate district.
Electoral history
| California's 12th District state Senate Special Election, June 3, 1980[7] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Republican | Dan O'Keefe | 82,523 | 52.72 | |
| Democratic | Rod Diridon | 55,374 | 35.38 | |
| Libertarian | Bill White | 18,625 | 11.90 | |
| Total votes | 156,522 | 100.0 | ||
| Voter turnout | % | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
References
- ↑ Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, "Congratulatory Proclamation" (June 1st, 2002 - retrieved on September 12th, 2011).
- ↑ Santa Cruz Sentinel, "High-speed rail holds economic, environmental promise," by Rod Diridon, Sr. (October 12th, 2008 - retrieved on September 12th, 2011).
- ↑ Join California, "Rod Diridon" (retrieved on September 12th, 2011).
- ↑ San Jose Mercury News, "Longtime San Jose transportation leader Rod Diridon Sr. leaves high speed rail authority board," by Tracy Seipel (December 31st, 2010 - retrieved on September 12th, 2011).
- ↑ Mineta Transportation Institute, "Faculty" (retrieved on September 12th, 2011).
- ↑ San Jose Mercury News, "BART backers pop open champagne, celebrate vision for San Jose's Grand Central Station," by Gary Richards (November 21st, 2008 - retrieved on September 12th, 2011).
- ↑ Our Campaigns, "CA State Senate 12" (retrieved on September 8th, 2011).