Director, Ambrose Recreation and Park District
Contra Costa County, California
LAST November 2, Filipino American Mae Cendana Torlakson was elected as Director to the Ambrose Recreation and Park District, joining two others bidding for the three open seats in the district. Cendana Torlakson was the top vote-getter, garnering 1,275 votes or about 23.95% of the total votes cast. She is married to Tom Torlakson, a former senator, who likewise won in the elections, for the post State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
Mae Cendana was born in Manila, Philippines and moved to the US in 1988. Her father is a lawyer and businessman and mother was a high school teacher before she passed away in 1974. She has seven sisters and two brothers, most of them living in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Cendana talked about herself in her website. “I went to high school at St. Paul College of Manila, an all-girls Catholic school. Then I studied at the University of the Philippines, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Tourism.”
“As a young girl, my parents encouraged me to sing and perform on stage. I enjoyed this and became a professional singer and recording artist. I have also worked as a scriptwriter, a clothes designer, a duty free shop supervisor, a property manager and a fashion boutique owner. I am lucky to have traveled to Australia, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, Canada, Mexico, China and Brazil --- meeting people from different walks life and diverse cultures. I love experiencing the varied cultures of the world and learning to speak different languages.”
“I work as the statewide coordinator of the University of California Mathematics, Engineering, Science, Achievement (MESA) program where I help encourage students to build their careers and become leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields,” she said.
Before her election as director, Cendana was an elected Park Board member. Below are some of her accomplishments:
Secured $1.7 million for the improvement of Ambrose Park and pushed for more programs at the recreation center that benefit youth, adults and seniors. She fought for waterfront access and the completion of the long-awaited Bay Point Shoreline Park and worked hard to obtain millions of additional funding for this project.
As the Chair of the Great California Delta Trail, Cendana-Torlakson led in the advocacy for a dedicated bike and walking trail in East Contra Costa County and helped obtain $4.5 million for the construction of this trail – to be started in Bay Point.
She organized the Bay Point Spring Derby (Parade and Festival). For the past three years, this event has brought together local businesses and thousands of our residents to celebrate the diverse cultures of our community.
As the president of the Bay Point Garden Club over the past 5 years, she led in the efforts to create the Ambrose Community Garden and did beautification projects to enhance the community. The garden encourages residents to plant their own produce and share the abundance of the land with neighbors.
A very active health fitness buff, Cendana was the captain of the TEAMO bike team that raised funds for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.She also participated at the American Cancer Society Walk, the Best Buddies Bike Challenge, Kops for Kids Run and the Breath of Life Lung Cancer Walk.
Mae has two children, Tallulah and Yves. After graduating from UC Berkeley and co-hosting a cable show on Filipino-American issues, Tallulah moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting and singing career. She recently opened her own PR consulting business and launched an online fundraising campaign to help typhoon victims in the Philippines. Yves, on the other hand, is a UC Berkeley senior studying Social Welfare. He is also working full time as an Eligibility Specialist at the Contra Costa County Social Welfare Department.
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Midweek Dec 15-17 Sec B p.3)
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