BY BRADEN CARTWRIGHT
Daily Post Staff Writer
Palo Alto City Council tonight (Jan. 6) picked Ed Lauing as mayor and Vicki Veenker as vice mayor, putting her in line for the top spot next year.
Tonight’s vote was 7-0 with no other nominations after Lauing won 4-3 over Veenker in January 2024.
It’s standard practice for the vice mayor to become mayor, and Lauing is a leader who has shown good judgment, Veenker said after nominating him.
“You are unfailingly polite, prepared and attentive,” Veenker said in front of a packed house at City Hall.
Lauing, 76, was chair in five out of 13 years on the city’s commissions. He lives in the Professorville neighborhood where he raised three kids.
Lauing grew up in Illinois, attended DePauw University and went on to get a master’s from Vanderbilt University. He worked as a bookseller and in publishing, working at Sunset Books in Menlo Park.
Lauing switched to software after deciding he liked the drive and risk-taking spirit of Silicon Valley. He is a managing partner at Equity Search Partners, where he recruits executives for companies.
“To leverage my background and my skills into the mayor’s role would be a phenomenal experience for myself, and I hope for the city,” Lauing said.
Councilman Keith Reckdahl and Councilman George Lu took an oath of office tonight.
Council also thanked outgoing Councilwoman Lydia Kou and Councilman Greg Tanaka, who reached their term limits after eight years.
Past mayors and vice mayors:
2025 Ed Lauing, Vicki Veenker
2024 Greer Stone, Ed Lauing
2023 Lydia Kou, Greer Stone
2022 Pat Burt, Lydia Kou
2021 Tom DuBois, Pat Burt
2020 Adrian Fine, Tom DuBois
2019 Eric Filseth, Adrian Fine
2018 Liz Kniss, Eric Filseth
2017 Greg Scharff, Liz Kniss
2016 Pat Burt, Greg Scharff
2015 Karen Holman, Greg Schmid
2014 Nancy Shepherd, Liz Kniss
2013 Greg Scharff, Nancy Shepherd
2012 Yiaway Yeh, Greg Scharff
2011 Sid Espinosa, Yiaway Yeh
2010 Pat Burt, Sid Espinosa
2009 Peter Drekmeier, Jack Morton
2008 Larry Klein, Peter Drekmeier
2007 Yoriko Kishimoto, Larry Klein
2006 Judy Kleinberg, Yoriko Kishimoto
2005 Jim Burch, Judy Kleinberg
2004 Bern Beecham, Jim Burch
2003 Dena Mossar, Bern Beecham
2002 Vic Ojakian, Dena Mossar
2001 Sandy Eakins, Vic Ojakian
2000 Liz Kniss, Sandy Eakins
1999 Gary Fazzino, Lanie Wheeler
1998 Dick Rosenbaum, Micki Schneider
1997 Joe Huber, Ron Andersen
1996 Lanie Wheeler, Joe Huber
1995 Joe Simitian, Lanie Wheeler
1994 Liz Kniss, Joe Simitian
1993 Jean McCown, Liz Kniss
1992 Gary Fazzino, Jean McCown
1991 Jack Sutorius, Gary Fazzino
1990 Mike Cobb, Gail Woolley
1989 Larry Klein, Betsy Bechtel
1988 Jack Sutorius, Larry Klein
1987 Gail Woolley, Jack Sutorius
1986 Mike Cobb, Gail Woolley
1985 Leland Levy, Mike Cobb
1984 Larry Klein, Leland Levy
1983 Betsy Bechtel, Gary Fazzino
1982 Fred Eyerly, Betsy Bechtel
1980-81 Alan Henderson, Ellen Fletcher
1979-80 Alan Henderson, Byron Sher
1978-79 Scott Carey, Alan Henderson
1977-78 Byron Sher, Frances Brenner
1976-77 Stanley Norton, Roy Clay
1975-76 Stanley Norton, Roy Clay
1974-75 Byron Sher, Alan Henderson
1973-74 Kirke Comstock, Enid Pearson
1972-73 Kirke Comstock, Stanley Norton
1971-72 Kirke Comstock, Stanley Norton
1970-71 Jack R. Wheatley, Frank Gallagher
1969-70 Edward Arnold, Jack R. Wheatley
1968-69 Edward Arnold, Frances Dias
1967-68 Frances Dias, Edward Arnold
1966-67 Frances Dias, William P. Rus
1965-66 Edward Arnold, Robert Debs
Lydia Kou is one of the best consensus builders Palo Alto has ever had, and Greg Tanaka has been a unparalled watchdog of both final costs and contractual details. I will one day say nice things about Patrick Burt when he finds better things to do, and would love to see him as an Assemblymember. Best wishes to Kou and Tanaka wherever they are headed.