Council Member Francisco Zermeño was first elected to serve on Hayward City Council in 2012. Council Member Zermeño has selflessly served Hayward even going beyond his legislative role since moving to Hayward in 1978. As a Council Member Francisco has been integral in creating a welcoming downtown, supporting diversity, organizing community events, uplifting Hayward Youth, and making Hayward Clean and Green just to name some of his work.

In the last four years, Hayward has prioritized transit-oriented communities so families can live close to jobs and micro-enterprise and improvements grants for small businesses. In 2018, Hayward opened it’s first-in-nation Firehouse Clinic that was an integral part of the recent COVID-19 testing, the first local testing site of its kind in the State. Hayward achieved its first federally-funded Promise Neighborhood.

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In just the last four years, Hayward has made incredible progress and Francisco’s leadership has been instrumental in Hayward successes such as: National Civic League All-America City, New Downtown Public Library and Learning Community Center, Launched a Navigation Center for our Homeless, and the adoption of the Rent Stabilization. Francisco is committed to continuing the work necessary during these critical times and ensuring the completion of the following projects: Fire Station & Regional Fire Training Center, South Hayward Youth & Family Center, and La Vista 50 acre park. 

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For over 40 years, he has worked to make Hayward a better place for his family and yours. As a professor, father, husband, business owner, and city councilmember, Francisco leads to make Hayward a place where businesses can thrive, children can learn, and all families can be healthy and safe. As an educator at Chabot College for over 40 years, he has helped improve educational standards and supported making education accessible for all of our youth. On Hayward City Council, Francisco has worked with the Hayward Youth Commission since 2008.

In addition to his role as an educator, Francisco is a business-minded candidate who has been a leader in Hayward’s business community for several years. In 2004, Francisco founded the Latino Business Roundtable in conjunction with the Hayward Chamber of Commerce to help support people starting or enhancing their businesses. The roundtable group filled a critical need for Hayward businesses to promote and support each other in their growth.
 

Francisco Zermeño was born in Jalisco, Mexico where he grew up. At age 12, he migrated with his family to Salinas, California. He received both his Bachelors and Masters in Spanish and Portuguese from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Francisco first moved to Hayward in 1978 to begin his career as a full-time tenured educator at Chabot College. Zermeño has also been a business owner for many years in Hayward. Francisco is married to Elizabeth Zermeño and they raised three children and are the proud grandparents of five grandkids. They also have a dog and cat.

 

 

Resume:

Education

B.A., Spanish and Portuguese, 1975, UC Santa Bárbara

M.A., Spanish and Portuguese, 1978, UC Santa Bárbara

Occupation Professor of Spanish, Chabot College, Hayward, 1978 +

Elected Office Elected + Hayward City Council, 2008 Hayward City Hall * 777 B Street * Hayward, CA 94541-5007 Current Council Commission/Committee Assignments Airport Development Hayward Youth Commission Association of Bay Area Governments Re Elected + Hayward City Council, 2012

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Community Task Force on the Hayward Public Library, 1996 Hayward Library Commissioner, 1998 Hayward Planning Commission, 1998-2007 Return of the Swallows Festival of Chabot College annual festival, 2000 - St. Rose Foundation Board Member, 2004 - CALDO (Alameda Latino Democratic Organization), co-founder and Vice president, 2004 - Chabot Green Team - 2007 - Greater Hayward Democrats + President (2006-2009) Hayward San Felipe Sister Committee + member Hayward Rotary member, 2013 + Ending Hunger and Homelessness in Hayward Task Force Co Founder, 2012 - Groundbreaking Honorary Committee member, Moreau High School, 2014 Eden Youth & Family Center Board Member, 2014 + Tennyson Community Task Force Co-Founder, 2014 -

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Community Recognition John Pappas Hayward Community Award, 1996 Martin Luther King Jr. Community Award, January 2005 Teacher of the Year, SWCOLT (Southwest Coalition of Language Teachers), 2005 Alameda County Arts Leadership Award, 2007

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Business interests Video Z libros founder and family Owner, Hayward, (1985 + 2010) Terlingua Translation Services - Founder and family coowner (English - French + Spanish), 1991 Latino Business Roundtable + Founder and President, 2004 - Summit Bank, Hayward Advisory Board Member, 2006 - 2008 Hayward Chamber of Commerce + member Alameda County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce + member

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Professional Activities Presenter at CLTA, FLANC, AATSP, SWCOLT (and other non-language) conferences FLANC's Newsletter Editor (1998 - ) Faculty Advisor of MECHA at Chabot College, 1980 - La Alianza de Hayward co-founder and President, 1991 - St. Bede's School Board Member (1992-95) PUENTE Project Mentor, 1982 - CABE of Hayward (California Association of Bilingual Educators) CLEA (Chicano Latino Education Association) of Chabot College co-founder, 1985 Columnist of the Hayward Daily Review newspaper

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(Latino issues, every Wednesday + Oct. 2004 - Jan, 2007)

Published author, Café Chronicles (Floricanto Press, 2007) Co-Founder of Café con leche, monthly newsletter, 2007 Mariachi Fiesta Organizer, 2008 + Education Summit Coorganizer at Chabot College, 2012 - César Estrada Chávez Teach In Coorganizer, March, 2012 - Ending Hunger and Homelessness in Hayward Teach In Coorganizer, 2012 Mexican Independence Coorganizer, September 2013 Neighborhood Meet and Greet, October 2013 Hayward's Birthday Celebration, March, 2014 + Fourth of July Celebration, July 2014 -

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Art and Culture Master Day of the Dead Altar Builder, 1980 - Faculty Adviser to the Ballet Folclórico Mexicano de Carlos Moreno, 1985 - Faculty Adviser to Grupo Tlapalli daznce troupe, 1996- Hayward Arts Council Board Member (1996-2001) Organizer of the Chabot College Mariachi Festival organizer, 2006

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Contributor to Zermeño Annual Scholarship at Chabot College, since 2000, St. Rose Hospital, Chabot College Students, Hayward Area Historical Society, Hayward Arts Council, Hayward Education Foundation, Eden Housing, FESCO, The Kids' Breakfast Club, La Alianza de Hayward, Hayward High School programs, Mariachi Juvenil de Hayward, Rotary Club, Sun Gallery, Ending Hunger and Homelessness in Hayward Task Force, City of Hayward, Tiburcio Vázquez Health Center, H.A.R.D., H.U.S.D., Save the Hayward H Project, Chabot College Puente Project,

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Personal interests avid reader basketballer + weak center of Los Chilones de Hayward + stamp collector Zermeño family history buff amasser of The Amazing Spiderman memorabilia film aficionado culture and community advocate writer a proactive doer eternal optimist.