Yan Zhao is the current Mayor of Saratoga. She was first elected to the Saratoga City Council in 2018 and served as Mayor in 2021. Prior to her council position, Yan served on the Saratoga Madronia Cemetery District Board of Trustees for four years, including a term as Chair in 2018. Additionally, she spent eight years on the Saratoga Planning Commission, one of which she served as Chair.
Yan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Santa Clara University. With over 23 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, Yan has worked in various roles, including Analog IC design engineering, technical marketing, business development, and sales.
Since moving to Saratoga in 1998 with her husband and their three children, Yan has been deeply involved in the community. All three of her children attended Saratoga public schools. Yan has volunteered extensively, serving as a Board Member and Treasurer of the Saratoga Elementary PTA, Student Art Chair for the Saratoga Rotary Art Show, and a volunteer Referee for the American Youth Soccer Organization. She has also volunteered for the Saratoga Historical Foundation, the annual Fourth of July Celebration, and Hakone Garden’s Lunar New Year celebration.
Yan’s commitment to community extends beyond Saratoga. She has served nine years on the Commission on the Status of Women in the County of Santa Clara. Yan is also a member of the League of Women Voters and the Saratoga Rotary.
She also serves on the League of California Cities’ Revenue and Taxation policy committee, Saratoga Council Finance Committee, Santa Clara County Housing and Community Development Advisory Committee, Santa Clara County Library District Board of Directors, West Valley Mayors and City Managers Association, and West Valley Sanitation District Board of Directors.