About Lena

Lena Tam served as President of the Alameda Hospital Board from 2002 to 2006 and helped craft the financial turnaround of that troubled institution. In 2006, she was elected to the Alameda City Council where she has served as Vice Mayor and dealt with the difficult local issues of closing budget gaps, creating environmental sustainable programs, preserving public safety and protection, promoting economic and land use development, and protecting worker safety.

As an Alameda County Planning Commissioner from 2000-2005, Tam helped resolve concerns over traffic, noise, neighborhood preservation and economic development in the County’s unincorporated areas. During her tenure as Chair of the Planning Commission, Alameda County certified its 2005 Housing Element, balancing the interests of economic development, job creation, workforce housing, preservation of open space and historic landmarks.

Tam has received numerous awards for her community work, including Woman of the Year for Assembly District 16, Alameda Business and Professional Women, and from Girls’ Inc. She is a founding board member of the Alameda County Asian Pacific Islander Democratic Caucus. Tam also chaired the Alameda County League of Women Voters from 2002-2004 and remains committed to open government and transparency.

Lena Tam and her family have lived in Alameda for over 42 years. She graduated from the University of California Berkeley with a degree in environmental and civil engineering and from the University of San Francisco with a Masters of Public Administration. She is currently the manager of the Water Resources Planning Department of EBMUD.