Alameda CountyCandidate for Supervisor, District 3

Lena Tam was elected to the Alameda City Council, serving as vice-mayor from 2006-2014. She also served on the Alameda County Planning Commission and was elected as President of the Alameda Healthcare District, which governs Alameda Hospital. She has served on the Board of the American Association of University Women, League of Women Voters, Friends of the Park, the Alameda Hospital Foundation, and the Alameda County Asian Pacific Democratic Caucus.

Lena is a licensed civil and environmental engineer and works for the East Bay Municipal Utility District as the Manager of Water Resources Planning. She manages a team of engineers, scientists and administrative staff to ensure a safe and reliable water supply for 1.4 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Her team addresses issues such as climate change, urban water management plan, safety of dam and long term water supply planning and computer modeling.

Lena earned her Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from U.C. Berkeley and her Master in Public Administration of the University of San Francisco.

Some of Lena Tam’s major accomplishments during her term on the City Council include: 

• Initiating one of the Bay Area's largest renewable energy projects — a landfill gas-to-energy station that will produce 12 megawatts of power at a constant rate — enough renewable energy to power some 11,900 average-sized homes in the two cities. Alameda owns and operates a municipal power company which purchases 85 percent of its power from renewable energy resources.
• Passing a “Green Building” ordinances and bans on Styrofoam products for the City of Alameda.
• Diverting 75 percent of all waste generated in Alameda from landfills before 2010.   Alameda partners with Alameda County Industries and local businesses to exceed the goal of recycling paper and green waste products.
• Directing aggressive policies on the clean up of Alameda Point (formerly Naval Air Station Alameda), comprising 2800 acres, 1/3 of the city's area.  This conversion of a former military base is being developed as an important source of new businesses, jobs, housing, recreational facilities, community and cultural services.

o   Establishing general plans to devote a significant portion of Alameda to parks, shoreline, marinas and beaches.

As your Supervisor, I will work to protect our communities from the effects of climate change and reduce lung-damaging air pollution. I will support healthcare services, including our community clinics. At a time when many, especially in the Asian-American community, are afraid to walk in the streets, I will provide the resources needed to keep us safe. And most importantly, I will work to build more affordable housing and strengthen programs that help our unhoused neighbors get back on their feet.

As a resident of District 3 for over 50 years, I will make Alameda County healthier, safer, and more resilient.

I have focused my career on serving residents. As the Vice-Mayor of the City of Alameda, I secured housing for low-income seniors and established Alameda’s Open Government Commission to bring transparency to the city. As the elected President of the City of Alameda Health Care District, I succeeded in keeping Alameda Hospital open with emergency services. I approved 2,400 new transit-oriented housing units as Chair of the Alameda County Planning Commission while preserving open space in unincorporated areas. As the Water Resources Planning Manager at East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), I develop the East Bay’s climate resilience and emergency action plans.