City of Cerritos Holds Mayoral Transition, Installs New Councilmembers
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CERRITOS, CA – March 27, 2025 – Newly elected members of the Cerritos City Council were officially seated and a new Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem selected during a special meeting of the City Council held March 26 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.
The City Council selected Frank Aurelio Yokoyama as Mayor, and Lynda P. Johnson as Mayor Pro Tem. This followed the installation of new Councilmembers Mark E. Pulido, Jennifer Hong, and Sophia M. Tse, whom voters selected in the March 4 Cerritos General Municipal Election.
“I am grateful for the unanimous support and trust of my fellow Councilmembers in this selection, and honored to serve as Mayor of my hometown of Cerritos,” said Yokoyama. “Throughout its history, Cerritos has continually elevated our service to residents and embraced the needs and makeup of our diverse community. As we prepare to celebrate our 69th year as a City, I’m pleased to serve on a Council that will represent many firsts: Cerritos’ first all-Asian-American City Council, including three members of Filipino ethnicity, and the first majority female City Council. I’m proud to serve as the first Japanese-American Mayor of the City of Cerritos. Together, we will serve the diverse needs of all residents and build upon this City’s strong foundation.”
Councilmembers Pulido, Hong and Tse were joined by family and friends as they were officially sworn in. Administering the oath of office for Councilmember Pulido was California State Attorney General Rob Bonta, with the oath for Councilwoman Hong administered by City of San Gabriel Mayor John Wu, and the oath for Councilwoman Tse jointly administered by ABC Unified School District School Board President Ernie Nishii and Deputy Superintendent/Chief Financial Officer Toan Nguyen.
The new Councilmembers succeed outgoing Mayor Naresh Solanki, Mayor Pro Tem Chuong Vo, and Councilmember Bruce W. Barrows. The three were recognized for their nearly 40 years of collective service to Cerritos during a Special Meeting of the City Council on March 19.
2025-2026 Councilmember Biographies
Frank Aurelio Yokoyama
A Cerritos resident since 1976, Frank Aurelio Yokoyama was elected to the Cerritos City Council in 2017 and became Mayor Pro Tem in 2019. He was re-elected to the City Council in 2022 and became Mayor in 2025. Mayor Yokoyama previously served as a Cerritos Planning Commissioner from 2011 to 2013. He has achieved Level I - Leadership in the League of California Cities Mayors & Council Members Leadership Torch Program. Mayor Yokoyama currently serves as President of the National League of Cities Asian Pacific American Municipal Officials, has served on the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Executive Administration Committee since 2020 and is the SCAG Regional Council District 23 Representative. Additionally, Mayor Yokoyama is a Member of the League of California Cities Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, and has served on the Rancho Southeast Realtors Fair Housing, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee since 2023.
Mayor Yokoyama is a local businessman, attorney and a youth sports coach. He graduated from UC Berkeley Business School and Harvard Law School. In honor of his service as a volunteer coach for the City's Youth Sports Leagues, Mayor Yokoyama earned the Merit Award in 2013 for coaching six sports teams, the Commendation Award in 2014 for coaching 10 sports teams and the Mayor's Award in 2020 for coaching 20 sports teams.
Mayor Yokoyama and his wife, Wendy, are parents to daughter Makenna and son Maddox.
Lynda P. Johnson
Mayor Pro Tem Lynda P. Johnson was elected to the City Council in April 2022 and was named Mayor Pro Tem in 2025. She has been a resident of Cerritos since 1971. Mayor Pro Tem Johnson served as a Governing Member of the ABC Unified School District Board of Education from 2011 through 2017.
A 38-year employee of the County of Los Angeles, Mayor Pro Tem Johnson was a Paralegal with the L.A. County District Attorney’s Office for 20 years. She also served as the Field Deputy to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva from 2021 to 2022. Currently, Mayor Pro Tem Johnson serves as the Special Assistant to Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.
Mayor Pro Tem Johnson attended ABC Unified School District schools, including Patricia Nixon Elementary School, Haskell Junior High School and Artesia High School.
Mark E. Pulido
A Cerritos resident since 1973, Councilmember Mark E. Pulido is a two-time former Mayor of Cerritos and former President of the ABC Unified School District Board of Education. Beginning in 2001, he served three terms on the Board of Education, including Board President from 2007-2008. He was first elected to the Cerritos City Council in 2011, and served until 2020. During that period, Councilmember Pulido was re-elected in 2015 and served as Mayor in 2014-2015 and 2018-2019. After sitting out due to term limits, Councilmember Pulido was elected to the City Council again in 2025.
Councilmember Pulido worked nearly three decades in local, state and federal government, as Assembly Consultant to the California Speaker, State Senate District Director, and most recently as District Chief of Staff to Congressman Alan Lowenthal (Ret.). California Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. appointed Pulido to serve on the California Volunteers Commission from 2013 to 2017, the Board of Directors of the California Science Center and Exposition Park from 2017 to 2019, and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission from 2017 to 2019.
Councilmember Pulido graduated with honors from Whitney High School in Cerritos, and he and his wife Gloria raised their family in the City.
Jennifer Hong
A Cerritos resident since 1984, Councilmember Jennifer Hong was elected to the City Council in 2025. Councilmember Hong previously served the City as a former Member of the Parks and Recreation Commission, former Chair and Member of the Planning Commission, and former Chair and Member of the Let Freedom Ring Committee.
Councilmember Hong is a businesswoman and entrepreneur, launching a successful garment business in 1990, and she continues to remain active in the global apparel industry. Councilmember Hong’s community involvement also includes a long-term membership with the Women’s Club of Artesia-Cerritos, the 2024-2025 President of the Soroptimist International Club of Artesia-Cerritos, and former Vice Chair of the I-Chinese American Political Action Committee.
Councilmember Hong and her husband, William Palmer, have two adult sons.
Sophia M. Tse
Councilmember Sophia M. Tse was elected to the Cerritos City Council in 2025. A resident of Cerritos since 1983, Councilmember Tse began her elected service career with the ABC Unified School District Board of Education in 2007, and was re-elected four times. During that span, she served three terms as Board of Education President.
Councilmember Tse is a business owner and teaches in the Nursing Program at Compton College. She previously taught at California State University’s Long Beach and Dominguez Hills campuses, the University of California, Los Angeles, and was a long-time employee at St. Francis Medical Center. Councilmember Tse holds numerous instructor licenses, including Basic Life Support, Advanced Pediatric Life Support, and for the Neonatal Resuscitation Program. Councilmember Tse’s volunteer service includes former President of the Whitney High School Chinese PTA, Member of the Chinese American Elected Officials Organization, and Member of the Asian Pacific Islander School Board Association. At Compton College, she has served on By-Law, Enrollment Management and Academic Senate committees. Additionally, Councilmember Tse has served with the American Red Cross, Soroptimist International Club, and Optimist Club of Cerritos, and has volunteered in Neighborhood Watch and as a community instructor for basic life support and parenting classes.
Councilmember Tse and her husband, Nie Long Tse, are the parents to three children, Susan, Gary, and Gabriel.