Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

With a BS Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines, Diliman in 1982, and having worked in the architectural and civil engineering industry for ten years, Myrna de Vera believed that she could contribute to the planning of the City of Hercules when she applied for the position.

The Hercules City Council appointed Myrna de Vera as a planning commissioner on April 2005, and reappointed her on April 2007. She was voted by her fellow commissioners as Vice-Chairperson on April 2006, moved up to the position of Chairperson the year after, and is currently serving her second term as the Chairperson.

As a planning commissioner, de Vera, along with the four other members of the commission, acts in an advisory capacity to the City Council regarding land use issues and planned city developments. The planning commission adopts and carries out zoning and subdivision regulations, conducts environmental review of projects, prepares and adopts a general plan, studies applications for design review, subdivisions, variances, and conditional use permits.

Aside from serving as a chairperson, Myrna de Vera is also a member of the Design Review Subcommittee, a body that studies the architectural designs of new buildings or renovations before the project is brought to the planning commission for a public hearing. She also serves in the Ad-Hoc Committee for the New Town Center project.

During her almost four years in the Hercules Planning Commission, de Vera has been involved in approving various projects in their conceptual to final stages of planning, such as the Sycamore Downtown project, a mixed-use development with retail and commercial uses and affordable residential apartments; and Hilltown, a Tuscany-inspired mixed use development envisioned to be built along a hilly terrain by Interstate 80.

The commission is currently reviewing the environmental impact report of the New Town Center, a pedestrian-oriented, mixed-use development that will include retail, entertainment, office, and urban-density residential uses and the new and expanded Transit Center combining a regional bus station. The commission will also be studying plans for the Waterfront development, a 42-acre site planned to include residential, office, retail, and live-work units. At the Waterfront, an Intermodal Transit Center will combine three modes of public transportation: ferry, rail, and bus.

Myrna de Vera says she tries to emulate her sister, Lorna Dietz, and her late father, Jose Lardizabal, by being actively involved in the community. She also serves as the Treasurer of the Fil-Ams of Hercules, and is a member of the Filipina Women’s Network and NAFAA (National Federation of Filipino American Associations). She is a member of both the Pastoral Council and the Fundraising Advisory Board of St. Patrick Catholic Church, in Rodeo.

A licensed insurance agent for the past sixteen years, Myrna helps her husband, Manuel de Vera, manage his Allstate Insurance agency in San Francisco. Manuel and Myrna live in Hercules with their three sons: Mark, a student of the University of San Francisco, and twins, Christian and Emmanuel, students of De La Salle High School in Concord. For her past time, she unwinds with Bikram yoga and dabbles in writing fiction. You can contact Myrna de Vera at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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( Published on January 16, 2009 in Asian Journal Northern California p. B1 )