Cupertino City Council has voted unanimously to appoint Tina Kapoor as the newest city manager for the city, who joins a host of administrators who have helmed city staff over recent years.
“We’ve come through a tough transition together. And yet, through it all, we have continued delivering for our community with professionalism and purpose,” said Kapoor in a statement. “That resilience is the foundation on which we now move forward and it is why I am so hopeful about our future.”
Kapoor joined the city manager’s office in 2021 then, following the exit of Pamela Wu, served as the acting city manager and was appointed as the interim city manager. After a closed session meeting discussing Kapoor’s appointment, the council voted in Kapoor as part of a consent item on Tuesday. The appointment is effective immediately.
Mayor Liang Chao said she had receive messages from the community lauding Kapoor’s leadership and pointed to Kapoor’s efforts to reinstate “stalled projects” and improve the city’s “internal processes,” such as reinstating hybrid meetings. “She brings a can-do attitude and a collaborative spirit to every challenge, while also demonstrating the backbone to make tough decisions when necessary,” said Chao in an an email. “Her thoughtful leadership has made a meaningful difference in how the city serves its community.”
Kapoor said she looks forward to “strengthening the improvements we’ve started inside the organization” as she officially takes her position.
“I’m grateful for the support I have received since my appointment. It’s meant a lot and has helped me focus on building stronger communication with Council, staff, and the community,” said Kapoor. “I’m looking forward to continuing that work and keeping those relationships open and constructive.”
Prior to joining the city of Cupertino, Kapoor worked at the City of San Jose and the City of Fremont for a combined 20 years, holding positions largely focused on business and economic development.
With the appointment, Kapoor will become the fourth permanent city manager in Cupertino since 2018 – the eighth to helm the city when including temporary city managers – following a long line of resignations and fill-ins that have marked the position that leads city staff in Cupertino.
After City Manager David Brandt retired in 2018, he was followed by two interim city managers before Deborah Feng took the position, only to resign two years later in 2021. She was replaced by Jim Throop, who only lasted six months before abruptly resigning after a six-hour council meeting in the summer of 2022.
Pamela Wu then took the helm in September 2022, serving as city manager for over two-and-a-half years before leaving her post. Her exit came after the city spent over $20,000 on an investigation into Wu, held a series of closed-session meetings evaluating her performance and placed her on leave with little explanation.
On June 6, Wu decided to step down from her post as part of a settlement agreement with the city, which included eight months of severance pay plus other benefits for a total of $311,089. Both the city and Wu agreed not to sue or disparage the other as part of the settlement.
Mayor Chao did not address questions regarding whether city manager retention was a concern, or whether there had been any measures to ensure continuity of city leadership moving forward.