Irvine City Council Appoints a Number of New Commissioners

With the start of a new term for three members of the Irvine City Council, the Council approved a number of appointees to Irvine commisions and committee’s on Jan 10, 2023. The appointments were made by Mayor Farrah Khan and council members Larry Agran and Kathleen Treseder as the three were sworn in for their terms in December, respectively.
Members of city commissions and committees are political appointees serving at the pleasure of the council member that appointed them. They can be removed for any reason, at any time. The list below is subject to change.
New Appointments
Agran appointed Irvine resident Don Geller to the finance commission, and one seat remains to be filled by Treseder. The Finance Commission advises the city council on city expenditures and funding of local activities and programs.
Commissioner (2022) | Appointed By | Commissioner (2023) | Appointed By |
Ajay Mohan | Tammy Kim | No Change | |
Shareen Young | Mike Carroll | No Change | |
Dale Cheema | Farrah Khan | No Change | |
Lauren Johnson-Norris | Larry Agran | Don Geller | Larry Agran |
John Park | Anthony Kuo | Vacant | Kathleen Treseder |
Treseder appointed 2022 Mayoral candidate Branda Lin to the Planning Commission, which advises the council on the Irvine Master Plan and approves applications for land development.
Commissioner (2022) | Appointed By | Commissioner (2023) | Appointed By |
Jong Limb | Tammy Kim | No Change | |
Jeff Pierson | Mike Carroll | No Change | |
Stephen Huang | Farrah Khan | No Change | |
Mary Ann Gaido | Larry Agran | No Change | |
Christine Knowland | Anthony Kuo | Branda Lin | Kathleen Treseder |
Mayor Khan appointed Irvine resident Robert Ruiz for the Transportation Commission, while Agran nominated UCI physics Professor Kev Abazajian. Treseder appointed IVC Urban Planning student Youssef Kaddeche to the commission.
Commissioner (2022) | Appointed By | Commissioner (2023) | Appointed By |
Ken Montgomery | Tammy Kim | No Change | |
Sidney Wu | Mike Carroll | No Change | |
Scott Hansen | Farrah Khan | Robert Ruiz | Farrah Khan |
Marty Reiner | Larry Agran | Kevork Abazajian | Larry Agran |
Shilpa Patel | Anthony Kuo | Youssef Kaddeche | Kathleen Treseder |
One seat remains to be filled by Treseder on the Community Services Commission, which advises the council on Irvine recreational resources and cultural services.
Commissioner (2022) | Appointed By | Commissioner (2023) | Appointed By |
Naz Hamid | Tammy Kim | No Change | |
Kevin Trussell | Mike Carroll | No Change | |
Soha Vazirnia | Farrah Khan | No Change | |
Jing Sun | Larry Agran | No Change | |
Dick Owens | Anthony Kuo | Kelly Rodgers | Kathleen Treseder |
For the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Committee created in 2021, Treseder appointed UCI management Ph.D. student Taryn Williams. The committee focuses on city hate crimes, ensuring diversity in hiring practices, and advancing Irvine’s diversity campaign through DEI spotlight events.
Commissioner (2022) | Appointed By | Commissioner (2023) | Appointed By |
Yulan Chung | Tammy Kim | No Change | |
Mike Chen | Mike Carroll | No Change | |
Amil Aaron | Farrah Khan | No Change | |
Noha Nour | Larry Agran | No Change | |
Mary Anne Foo | At Large | No Change | |
Betty Martinez Franco | At Large | No Change | |
VACANT | Taryn Williams | Kathleen Treseder |
Two appointments were made to the city’s largest committee, the Green Ribbon Environmental Committee (GREC). Treseder appointed Ayn Crucian, a policy manager at the Climate Action Campaign. Mary Ann Gaido was appointed to GREC as a planning commission representative. Mayor Khan and Councilmember Treseder also serve on the Green Ribbon Environmental Committee.
Commissioner (2022) | Appointed By | Commissioner (2023) | Appointed By |
Steven Allison | Tammy Kim | No Change | |
Rajat Khurana | Mike Carroll | No Change | |
Senait Forthsal | Farrah Khan | No Change | |
Kevork Abazajian | Larry Agran | No Change | |
William Von Blasingame | Anthony Kuo | Ayn Craciun | Kathleen Treseder |
Farrah Khan | Appointed by Council | No Change | |
Tammy Kim | Appointed by Council | No Change | |
Kathleen Treseder | At Large | Vacant | |
Oladele Ogunseitan | At Large | No Change | |
Christina Knowland | Planning Commission Appointee | Mary Ann Gaido | Planning Commission
Appointee Alternate |
Matthew Chang | Student at Large | No Change | |
Katherine Chang | Student at Large | No Change |
These Irvine commissions and committees meet periodically and are open to public participation and public comments. To participate, or to find more information click HERE HERE
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