The newly reorganized Cerritos City Council, from left: Councilmember Jennifer Hong, Mayor Pro Tem Mark E. Pulido, Mayor Lynda P. Johnson, Councilmember Frank Aurelio Yokoyama, and Councilmember Sophia M. Tse
Council names Mark E. Pulido, the city’s first Filipino American mayor, as mayor pro tem
CERRITOS, Calif. — The Cerritos City Council on Wednesday, April 8, selected Lynda P. Johnson as mayor, marking the first time a Filipina has held the city’s highest office following its annual reorganization meeting.
Johnson will serve a one-year term as presiding officer of the five-member council, which also appointed Mark E. Pulido, who previously served as the city’s first Filipino American mayor, as mayor pro tem.
The council includes Johnson, Pulido, Jennifer Hong, Sophia M. Tse and Frank Aurelio Yokoyama.
Under Cerritos’ council-manager system, the mayor is selected from among councilmembers and serves in a rotating capacity, presiding over meetings and representing the city in official functions.
Johnson’s appointment follows a milestone noted by the city in 2025, when Cerritos described its council as the city’s first all-Asian American City Council and its first majority-female governing body.
In remarks released by the city, Johnson said she was “grateful for the opportunity to serve as the first Filipina Mayor” of her hometown.
A mayor shaped by local roots and public service
Johnson’s appointment reflects a long-standing connection to Cerritos and decades of public service within Los Angeles County.
A resident since 1971, she attended Patricia Nixon Elementary School, Haskell Junior High School and Artesia High School.
Johnson is of Filipino American heritage.
Her professional career spans 39 years with Los Angeles County, including 20 years as a paralegal in the District Attorney’s Office. She later served as a field deputy to Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva from 2021 to 2022.
She previously served on the ABC Unified School District Board of Education from 2011 to 2017 and was elected to the Cerritos City Council in 2022.
Johnson currently serves as a special assistant to Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.
Pulido returns to leadership role
Mayor Pro Tem Mark E. Pulido brings decades of experience across local, state and federal government.
Pulido, who is Filipino American, was first elected to the Cerritos City Council in 2011 and served as mayor in 2014 and 2018. He is recognized in prior reporting as the city’s first Filipino American mayor.
He is a former president of the ABC Unified School District Board of Education.
His public service includes roles as an Assembly consultant, a California State Senate district director and chief of staff to former U.S. Representative Alan Lowenthal.
Pulido is also a candidate for California’s 67th Assembly District in the June 2, 2026 primary.
Yokoyama concludes term
Outgoing Mayor Frank Aurelio Yokoyama concluded his term after a period focused on public safety initiatives and civic engagement.
Yokoyama, whose father is Japanese American and whose mother is Filipina American, reflects the multicultural composition of Cerritos.
He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley’s business program and Harvard Law School and is an attorney and businessman.
City communications, including “From the Mayor’s Desk” updates issued during his tenure, referenced the expansion of automated license plate recognition systems and the introduction of a municipal drone program to support law enforcement operations.
He also supported civic initiatives such as the L.E.A.D. Cerritos leadership academy and the City Celebrations Committee, which coordinates events including the Festival of Friendship and UbeFest.
In city-issued communications near the end of his term, Yokoyama emphasized an approach to governance centered on listening, staying informed and acting in what he described as the best interests of the community.
A city at 70
Incorporated on April 24, 1956 as Dairy Valley and renamed Cerritos in 1967, the city has grown into a suburban community of about 50,000 residents.
As it approaches its 70th anniversary, Cerritos continues to balance long-term fiscal planning with maintaining public services and community amenities.
The city’s fiscal year 2025–2026 General Fund includes projected revenue of approximately $101.5 million, with sales tax as its largest revenue source. Retail activity, including the Cerritos Auto Square, plays an important role in supporting municipal finances.
Civic institutions such as the Cerritos Library and the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts remain central to community life.
Leadership transition
Cerritos’ annual reorganization reflects a governance structure in which leadership rotates among elected officials rather than being directly elected citywide.
The newly configured leadership team will oversee policy direction, budget planning and city programs for the 2026–2027 term.
Johnson’s appointment represents a milestone in the city’s evolving civic leadership, while Pulido’s continued role reflects the longstanding presence of Filipino American leadership in Cerritos governance.
Your article missed several facts and you deleted my comment. I see what kind of site this is. This is America and we have free speech. The public has the right to know Lynda P Johnson is being recalled by the residents of Cerritos.