Your City Council

Email Mayor Zneimer

Evelyn G. Zneimer was elected to the City Council for District 1 on November 3, 2020. Previously, she was elected as City Clerk in November 2013, re-elected in November 2018 and continued to serve until she was sworn in as Councilmember on December 2, 2020. She is the ninth woman elected to City Council since 1888.

On April 13, 2024, Mayor Zneimer received the distinguished award from Congresswoman Judy Chu, as the 2024 Congressional Woman of the Year in South Pasadena.

Mayor Zneimer holds a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law and graduated with honors. She was elected as the first woman president of her law school graduating class and also was appointed as Managing Editor for the UWLA Law Review giving her a full-ride scholarship during her senior year. As a scholar, she studied at the University of Oxford, England, completing her international studies in Comparative Laws in Human Rights. She also completed her studies in Patent Laws from Marshall School of Law.

In November 2011, she was admitted to practice in the United States Supreme Court and was sworn in by Chief Justice John C. Roberts, Jr.

Mayor Zneimer has been a South Pasadena resident for over 35 years. She served for 7 years as Commissioner for the Natural Resources Commission and 7 years as Commissioner for the Parks and Recreation Commission. She also served in many ad hoc committees and volunteered in civic organizations such as the South Pasadena Educational Foundation, South Pasadena Preservation Foundation, South Pasadena Chinese American Club, San Gabriel Valley Leadership Council for American Cancer Society and South Pasadena Community Gardens. She was instrumental in advocating for open space and in naming of the South Pasadena Arroyo Seco Woodland and Wildlife Park (Nature Park). She drafted the first amendments to the City’s Tree Ordinance, assisted in drafting the application for designation of Tree City USA and assisted in drafting the Community Gardens Bylaws. She is passionate in advocating for the no-smoking regulations within the City.

On October 19, 2019, in a formal military ball, Zneimer was honored and received the Alan K. Steinbrecker Award from the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Armed Forces Committee for her pro bono legal services to veterans and active military personnel.

On June 18, 2019, in Arlington, Virginia, she was awarded a Congressional Medal for her 20 years of loyal and faithful service as California Board Member for the United States Selective Service System. In 2014, she was given a Presidential Coin from President Barack Obama for her service to the US SSS. She was appointed by President Bill Clinton in June 1999 to this post and nominated by California Governor Gray Davis.

In January 2006, Mayor Zneimer was appointed Judge Pro Tem in the California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles and serve in this capacity today. She was also appointed as the Daily Settlement Officer for the Los Angeles Superior Court (Stanley Mosk Courthouse) in the Family Law Division since October 2013.

In June 2006, she received the National Leadership Award from the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and was named as Honorary Chair for the Business Advisory Council for the NRCC.

Mayor Zneimer earned her Bachelor’s Degree from UCLA in Bacteriology and her Master’s Degree in Biology with specialty in Molecular and Behavioral Genetics from California State University, Los Angeles. She is a licensed registered representative having worked at Merrill Lynch Institutional Division in Los Angeles, trading U.S. government securities, bonds and foreign money market instruments for her corporate clients.

She is a member of the League of Women’s Voters, National Women’s Political Caucus, American Bar Association, American Immigration Lawyers Association, Los Angeles County Bar Association, American Civil Liberties Union, California State Bar and The Recording Academy/The Grammys.

Mayor Zneimer owns and manages her law firm in Los Angeles since January 1998 and continues to practice today as state and federal trial attorney in the fields of immigration, family law and criminal defense. She has been published in various federal law books nationwide and was named in the Who’s Who Millenium Edition in her legal profession.

Mayor Zneimer is a Pacific Islander and single mother of two, Daphne and Samuel Zneimer, who grew up in South Pasadena and attended the City’s Blue Ribbon school.

Email Mayor Pro Tem Donovan

Mayor Pro Tem Donovan was born February 22, 1948, in Cambridge, MA. He was raised in Medford, MA, a blue-collar neighborhood north of Boston located on the Mystic River. He was the second oldest of five children and raised in a traditional Irish Catholic family. He was married to Judy (Svec), in 1971 and they recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Together, they have proudly raised five children, (Erin, Sean, Siobhan, Meghan, and Patrick) in South Pasadena. They have twelve grandchildren, and he is a member of Holy Family Church.

Volunteer service has been an integral part of Mayor Pro Tem Donovan’s life. After graduating Arlington Catholic High School in 1965, he attended two years at Northeastern University. After Northeastern University, he was accepted into the VISTA program (Volunteers in Service to America) and was relocated to Los Angeles. He was stationed in Boyle Heights and worked directly with the underserved population. While working for VISTA, Mayor Pro Tem Donovan put himself through Los Angeles Trade Tech College and California State University, Los Angeles where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. He was the first member of his extended family to complete college.

Mayor Pro Tem Donovan spent his career in the Aerospace Industry. He worked as the Vice President of American Aerospace Materials for over 20 years. After his tenure at American Aerospace Materials he started his own company, Donovan Metals and most recently has retired. He spent the majority of his career in sales and upper management, specializing in raw materials and metals distribution within the Aerospace Industry.

Mayor Pro Tem Donovan has lived in South Pasadena for over 40 years. Throughout the years, he has been actively involved in the South Pasadena community including American Youth Sports Organization (AYSO) Commissioner, AYSO board of directors, AYSO coach, South Pasadena Parks and Recreation Commission Chair and Member, South Pasadena High School Bingo Member and various other volunteer involvements within the city.

In his spare time, Mayor Pro Tem Donovan enjoys getting away to his cabin in the San Bernadino National Forest. He has served as President of the South Fork Cabin Association for 15 years where he navigated complex lease negotiations within the National Forest. He enjoys spending time at his cabin to reconnect with family, friends, and nature.

As a current Mayor Pro Tem, he has had the opportunity to serve as Council Liaison to the Finance Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and Youth Commission. Councilmember Donovan also serves on the Ad Hoc Committees for Cal Trans Properties Implementation, S.P. Recreation Leased Properties Agreements, Athens Waste Agreement, Meridian Village Garage Agreement and L.A. County Sanitation District Alternate Director.

Mayor Pro Tem Donovan genuinely loves South Pasadena and is honored to be elected by his constituents to serve his community.

Email Councilmember Primuth

**Bio Pending**

Email Councilmember Cacciotti

Councilmember Cacciotti was first elected to the City Council in 2001 and was re-elected in 2005 and then re-elected again in 2009, 2013, and 2017. He was chosen by his fellow Councilmembers to serve as Mayor during the 2003-2004, 2007-2008, 2011-2013, 2016-2017, and 2021-2022 mayoral terms. He also served as Mayor Pro Tem for the 2015-16 term.

Councilmember Cacciotti has been a deputy attorney general with the State of California Department of Justice for nearly 20 years from 2001-2020. Previously, he was a deputy state attorney with the California Department of Transportation for 10 years from 1991-2001, and prior to that he served as an attorney for the speaker pro tem of the California State Assembly. Councilmember Cacciotti taught high school in Miami, Florida, and coached the men's high school and college soccer teams at Monsignor Pace High School and Biscayne College (St. Thomas University), respectively. Councilmember Cacciotti received his B.A. degree in Religious Studies and Secondary Education and his Master's Degree in Sports Administration from Biscayne College (St. Thomas University), before becoming an attorney. He possesses a United States Soccer Federation National “B” license and has been active as a soccer coach at the youth levels for more than 40 years.

Councilmember Cacciotti is the City's representative on the Gold Line Foothill Construction Authority JPA and alternate on the San Gabriel Council of Governments (where he has served as an alternate or Board member since 2003). He also serves on the South Coast Air Quality Management District representing the 34 eastern cities of LA County since 2008 and on the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy as an advisory board member since 2001. In 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2015 and 2018 he visited China as part of education programs for elected officials, promoted environmental, particularly clean-air initiatives, and established relationships between South Pasadena and several Chinese cities.

Over the past few years, Councilmember Cacciotti has been actively involved in raising awareness of environmental issues. He instituted AQMD Electric Lawn Mower Exchange and Leaf Blower Exchange programs in the city. In addition, he was responsible for the City’s adoption of a low-emission vehicle (LEV) purchase policy in 2005, which was subsequently adopted by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments. In 2006, South Pasadena won a Clean Air Award from AQMD in the category of Model Community Achievement. In July, 2014, through his efforts, the city held its fifth-annual Clean Air Car Show with the added Green-Living Expo in March 2017, through his initiative, the cities of South Pasadena, San Marino, Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale, Azusa, and the County of Los Angeles, held the "626 Golden Streets Event," the longest "Open Streets" event in the United States, covering approximately 20 miles from South Pasadena to Azusa.

In early 2015, through Councilmember Cacciotti's initiative, the City's Garfield Park became the first municipal park in the United States to be maintained entirely by gas free, electric commercial lawn equipment. Soon thereafter, in September 2016, the entire city became the first municipality in the U.S. to be AGZA certified - meaning all city-owned properties were maintained entirely by advanced non-polluting, commercial electric lawn equipment.

Email Councilmember Braun

Janet Braun, a 25-year resident of South Pasadena, was elected to City Council in November 2022. Prior to her election, Janet served on the South Pasadena Planning Commission for six years and the Public Safety Commission, including terms as Chair of both. She is a past president of Women Involved in South Pasadena Political Advocacy (WISPPA) and a member of the Executive Board of Women in Leadership Vital Voices.

Janet’s professional experience spans over 25 years in corporate law and business operations. She began her career as a corporate associate at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles before moving to in-house counsel positions for various organizations, including Santa Fe International and NeXstar Pharmaceuticals. Janet has also worked for several start-up companies. Most recently she was the Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel for HBT Labs, a generic pharmaceuticals company focused on injectable medicines, for which she played a lead role in the successful sale of the company in 2022.

Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Janet moved to Los Angeles after graduating from Ohio State University, where she earned both a BS in Industrial and Systems Engineering and a JD degree. Janet is a member of the Ohio State College of Engineering Time and Change campaign committee and Buckeye Engineering Women in Executive Leadership (BEWEL). In 2021, Janet received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Ohio State College of Engineering for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She recently joined the College of Law National Advisory Board at Ohio State.

An advocate for youth, Janet was very active with the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), including serving as the Regional Commissioner for South Pasadena’s Region 214 and on the Region Board for several years. She was appointed the Area Director for AYSO’s West San Gabriel Valley and was elected to the AYSO National Board. Janet volunteered her legal skills to the AYSO Legal Commission for over ten years. In South Pasadena, Janet coached youth soccer for fifteen years, including five years as a coach of South Pasadena’s VIP special needs team. She received the AYSO President’s Award in 2017 and was named to the AYSO Region 214 Hall of Fame.

Janet is an avid scouting enthusiast and was a girl scout leader for 10 years, a cub scout den leader, boy scout troop committee chair and advancement chair. She served on the Board of Directors of the Boy Scouts of America Greater Los Angeles Area Council, including as Vice President of Marketing and Membership. Both of Janet’s sons are Eagle Scouts, and her daughter earned the Girl Scout Gold Award. Janet has also been a member of the Boards of Trustees of Flintridge Preparatory School and the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House.

Janet’s raised her three adult children in South Pasadena.