Form Name:
Unique ID:
Boards and Commissions Applicat ion
1405486985
Applicant Information
Name
Are you a Sunnyvale resident?
How long have you lived in
Sunnyvale?
Marian Chen
Yes
20 years
""'"""""' 11/22/25
---0,; 4/16/26
oy. ___ M.._H _
Marian Chen
Description Area Residence Notice:Unless otherwise noted , your principal place of residence must be in Sunnyvale . You must live in Sunnyvale at the time of appo intment and at all times during serv ice on a board or comm ission.
Current Main Residence
Email
Phone
Are you currently a registered Yes
voter in Sunnyvale?
When was the last time you
voted? Month/Year
11/2025
Have you ever served on a City of No
Sunnyvale board or commission?
Have you attended a meeting of No
the City Council, or a board or
commission?
Have you attended meetings of No
the board(s) or commission(s) for
which you are applying?
Board or Commission Selection
First Choice
Apply for another board or
commission?!
Second Choice
Apply for another board or
commission?2
Planning Comm ission (R)
Yes
Parks and Recreat ion Comm ission (R)
Yes
Third Choice Personnel Board (R)
Apply for another board or
commission?3
Yes
Fourth Choice Board of Library Trustees (R)
Apply for another board or
commission?4
Yes
Fifth Choice Heritage Preservation Commission (R)
Applicant Qualifications
What motivated you to apply for
this board or commission?
I have lived in Sunnyvale for twenty years but have not interacted much with the city I live in. I would like to change that and get involved. I would like to better understand how the city works and do my part to help.
What skills or attributes can you
bring to this board or
commission?
I have worked in multinational corporations for thirty years in administration, sales, audit, finance and accounting. I have managed cross functional teams and projects.
The primary role of a board or
commission member is to provide
advice to City Council on policy
issues that are within the scope
of the board or commission. What
steps would you take to
effectively exercise this specific
board or commission role?
I would first get familiar with the charters of the board or commission, listen attentively, educate myself of all relevant contexts. Then I will thoroughly understand the issues that require my input, collaborate with other members to make sure I have the entire picture before offering my input.
Education – List college degrees,
majors and any relevant training
or experience that demonstrates
your ability to effectively serve
on this board or commission.
Fluent in English and Chinese in reading, writing and speaking Certified Public Accountant (inactive)
University of San Francisco, bachelor of science in business administration;
University of California, Berkeley, HAAS School of Management, MBA
Currently hold Senior Director of Finance role at a semiconductor company
Describe your involvement in
community activities, volunteer
and civic organizations.
I have a ten year old Child. In the last ten years, my community involvement has been related to her activities at her school or dance studio. Before having my child, I volunteered as a youth mentor with Friends For Youth, as an ER waiting room assistant at El Camino Hospital, team interpreter and patient relations assistant for Interplast ( aka Resurge).
Marian Chen
Description Area The City has a Code of Ethics and Conduct for Elected and Appointed Officials and an Attendance Policy (7.2.19), 2 G (II) that appointed members are required to follow.
Do you have any concerns related
to the above code and policy?
No
Are you willing to accept a
temporary appointment for the
remainder of an unexpired term?
Yes
Board or Commission-Specific Questions
Board of Library Trustees
Community demographics and
technology are constantly
changing. What do you think are
the principal issues the
Sunnyvale Public Library may be
addressing over the next few
years?
Sunnyvale is the center of the silicon valley and the center of the world's cutting edge technology industries. Sunnyvale's city library should play a proactive role in providing education and access to such technologies to its residents.
Our main library's infrastructure
is aging, with ongoing
maintenance issues. The 2024
library bond measure, intended
to solve those issues, failed.
What solutions do you suggest?
I need to better understand the specific ongoing maintenance issues and relevant cost and all available alternatives before offering my thoughts.
Heritage Preservation Commission
Describe how you have engaged
with local history and heritage
within Sunnyvale?
I have not engaged in the past.
What historical features or
structures in our community do
you think are at risk? What
course can the City take to
preserve them?
The story telling of our history. My child goes to a school in Sunnyvale, but there is no story telling about Sunnyvale in local schools. I think that should change. I think the city should host field trips for local schools.
What factors would influence
your recommendation to preserve
a particular building or site?
Safety, culture or architecture or artistic significance, and cost.
Park and Recreation Commission
Marian Chen
Community demographics are
constantly changing. What do
you think are the principal issues
the commission may be
addressing over the next two
years?
Get out there and visit the parks and venues in the city on different days and at different hours, observe first hand how communities are using them, and what is missing. A few years ago, Las Palmas park tennis center stopped offering private lessons citing mandates from the city. The reality is that the courts were empty at 3:30 P.M. on week days. Instead of banning private lessons altogether, the city should have done better research and provided a more comprehensive approach.
How could we improve our parks
and recreation infrastructure and
programming to better serve our
diverse community?
Thoroughly analyze each community's demographics and talk to people.
Personnel Board
I hold a public office or
employment
Yes
I am a candidate for another
public office or position.
No
I am a former City employee. No
I have a spouse, household
member or designated relative
(your or your spouse’s parent,
stepparent, grandparent, child,
sister, brother, niece, nephew,
uncle or aunt) employed by the
City of Sunnyvale in a position
with the right to hear a
disciplinary matter before the
Personnel Board.
No
Describe your experience and
responsibilities in the
administration of employee
discipline.
I have managed teams of various sizes. The biggest team I directly managed has five direct reports and thirteen extended team members. Our role in finance and accounting requires us to have zero error discipline. Finance and accounting are also supporting functions in a corporation, so we also need to provide high quality of customer service. We manage hundreds of millions of corporate revenue from contracts to orders ,billings to collections, accounting and reporting, ...My team needs to maintain high level of focus and precision throughout these processes all the time. Leading by example, transparency, accountability and communication are key to ensuring such discipline.
Marian Chen
Describe your experience and
responsibilities in the
administration of employee
grievances.
Open door and open ear policy. Listen attentively, offer fair feedback and resolution if needed.
Planning Commission
Sunnyvale has limited vacant
land for new development. This
could increase pressure for
redevelopment of existing
developed areas. How can
Planning respond to this
situation?
What kind of city do we want to have? What's our objective? What do we want to be known for? What's already adequately available in neighboring cities and does not need to be duplicated? What can be jointly developed with other cities? Smart Station benefits other cities, any other projects can follow the same model?
Planning Commissioners are
often asked to consider social,
economic and environmental
issues when reviewing proposals.
How do we achieve a balanced
community?
We need to take a look at what we are lacking and what we are doing right in each specific area. What are our realities today, what do we want our community to be like ten twenty years from now? Be factual, be specific, I don't think there is any broad stoke approach.
What do you see as the greatest
land use challenges facing the
City? How do you propose
addressing them?
Greatest land use challenge is the lack of it. Renovate / repurpose existing land and buildings.
Description Area View the Housing Element
Have you read the Housing
Element?
No
Fair Political Practices Commission Statement of Economic Interests Description Area If you are appointed to the Arts Commission, Heritage Preservation Commission, Housing and Human Services
Commission or the Planning Commission, you must electronically file the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700), which will be a public
record.Statement of Economic Interests - Form 700Understanding of Filing RequirementI understand and agree that if I’m appointed to the Arts Commission, Heritage Preservation Commission, Housing and Human Services Commission or Planning
Commission I must electronically file the Fair Political Practices Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700). This form reports my economic interests and those of my spouse or domestic partner, if applicable. I understand this will be a public record.
Marian Chen
Radio Button Yes
Demographic Information
Your age 55-64
Your gender Female
Description Area LGBTQIA+ Identity (LGBTQIA+ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and the “+” is an all-inclusive way to include additional terms used to describe one’s gender, romantic, and sexual identities for those who do not identify with heterosexuality or the gender binary.)
LGBTQIA+ Identity No, I am not part of the LGBTQIA+ community Race or Ethnicity (select all that
apply)
Asian
Do you speak a language other
than English?
Yes
Which languages? Chinese
Household Income Over $500,000
Residence - Are you a Homeowner
Do you live in a Single Family Home
Do you have any other identities*
you would like to share with us?
My Chinese first name is Meng
Your Agreement
Description Area IMPORTANT NOTICE – READ BEFORE SIGNING:By selecting both “Yes” and “Submit Form” below I am adding my digital signature to this application. I am also agreeing with the following statements:All statements I have made on this application are true and correct.I authorize the City of Sunnyvale (City) to investigate the accuracy of this information.I release the City from all claims and liabilities arising from such investigation.I acknowledge that any false statement on this application will be grounds for the City to deny my appointment. A false statement discovered later, will be grounds to dismiss me from my appointment at any time.I acknowledge that any false statement on this application could lead to criminal charges. Charges could fall under California Penal Code, Section 115 or other applicable law.
Marian Chen
I agree Yes
Your full name Marian Meng Chen
Date Nov 22, 2025
Marian Chen