In a unanimous vote on November 18th, the Cupertino City Council appointed Tina Kapoor as City Manager. Kapoor, who had been serving as interim city manager, assumed her new role the next day, bringing stability after a period marked by nine appointments since 2018.
She was named interim city manager in May after her predecessor, Pamela Wu, was placed on leave and later resigned. Councilmember Sheila Mohan remarked that Cupertino was fortunate to have Kapoor ready to step in when Wu left, praising her leadership for ensuring a smooth transition during a typically challenging period. Over her six-month tenure, Councilmembers noted her ability to deliver high-quality municipal services, advance City Council priorities, and create a culture of teamwork and accountability among staff members.
Regarding her appointment, Mayor Liang Chao said, “Many residents have had an opportunity to work with Tina, and she has proved to be very responsive to residents’ concerns and will take action to address issues. [She] has served the city well.”
As city manager, Kapoor will oversee the City Clerk’s Office, Legislative Affairs, and Communications departments, guide the city’s economic development efforts, manage an annual operating budget of $134 million, and lead more than 200 municipal employees.
With 25 years of public administration experience, she brings extensive expertise to the position. Before joining Cupertino in 2021 as economic development manager, she spent over a decade supporting major revitalization efforts and business attraction strategies in the city governments of San José and Fremont. Kapoor’s track record in Silicon Valley speaks for itself: in 2015, she was named a Woman of Influence by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, recognized for her quick advancement within the City of San José.
As she steps into the role, Kapoor says she looks forward to strengthening community trust, maintaining constructive relationships with the Council, and advancing the initiatives she started in the interim.