PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg City Council unanimously appointed Vice Mayor Dionne Adams on Monday as the city’s new mayor, handing the gavel to a councilmember who has served on the dais since 2022.
Councilmember Angelica Lopez was also unanimously selected to serve as vice mayor.
Adams said she was “deeply humbled and profoundly grateful” to be given the opportunity to serve as the mayor in the city she grew up in.
“Pittsburg is my home. It’s the community that shaped me, that raised me, that prayed for me, and taught me the value of service. I am standing here as a daughter of this city, a child who was raised by its schools, its neighborhoods, its churches, and its people,” said Adams. “Tonight is not simply a moment of ceremony for me, it’s a homecoming.”
Adams said her goal as the next mayor is to make Pittsburg a place where everyone feels “seen, valued and supported,” help families and businesses thrive, keep neighborhoods safe, ensure children are inspired by their leaders, and have a city government that is “responsive, transparent and accountable.”
Other key priorities include increasing opportunities for youth and working families, addressing housing stability with the county, improving city services, and fostering spaces for culture and community.
According to the city, Adams has been part of various bodies, including Community and Economic Development, Life Enrichment, and Infrastructure and Transportation subcommittees, working with the community, city staff, and local leaders to support residents’ well-being.
Adams has also represented Pittsburg on several regional and state boards, such as the Bay Area Air District Board of Directors; Tri-Delta Transit Board, where she serves as vice chair; and the Association of Bay Area Governments board, helping to shape policies on clean air, equity and social justice, transportation, economic development, and regional planning, said the city.
Succeeding Adams’ role is Lopez, a fellow Pittsburg native who said she is looking forward to serving the community in her new position.
“I am excited to work alongside the new mayor, honor her and respect her (and) the rest of my councilmembers because they do put the work in to make Pittsburg better, and that’s what it is all about,” said Lopez, who has been a councilmember since 2022.
Outgoing Mayor Jelani Killings thanked his fellow councilmembers for the various accomplishments and progress the city has made over the year.
“I’m always proud of the work that we accomplish as a team. This is really a team effort. Although we have this opportunity to serve as mayor, we know this is ‘Team Pittsburg,’” said Killings. “Without the full council, with all the staff that we work with, and definitely, all of our community partners, none of this can happen. So just tremendously blessed to be able to serve and looking forward to the continued progress here in the city.”