About The Mountain View Historical Association

Founded in 1954, the Mountain View Historical Association is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history of Mountain View, California.

The goals of The Mountain View Historical Association are:

To gather and preserve historical data relative to the early settlement and development of the area in and around the present City of Mountain View
To collect, record, edit and publish a history of the pioneering activities of this area;
To preserve historic objects and places; and,
To cooperate with other organizations in the Santa Clara Valley on projects related to regional and Mountain View history.

Association meetings are open to the General public.

The MVHA holds quarterly general membership meetings/events, typically on the first Sunday of February, May, August, and November in the afternoon at the historic Adobe Building at 157 Moffett Boulevard in Mountain View. Quarterly meetings are free to members. Visit our event page for more information on our upcoming meetings/events. The MVHA Board of Directors generally meets on the first Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. (no board meetings in January, April, July and October). Most meetings are held via Zoom. Interested and prospective members are welcome to attend, for details email: info@mountainviewhistorical.org.

Association Officers & Board Members (2023–24)

The MVHA is governed by an 11-member Board of Directors elected or appointed every two years. The positions of President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary are elected by members at the Association’s annual fall meeting on even-numbered years. Along with the most recent Past President, these five positions serve as the MVHA’s Executive Committee. The rest of the Board is composed of appointed Standing Committee Chairs (Historical Data, Membership, Newsletter, Ways & Means), two Directors-at-large, and non-voting members serving as chairs of special committees (e.g. Publicity Chair). The association welcomes individuals interested in board positions to contact us to learn more about volunteering!

Pamela Baird

President

Pamela Baird has been a resident of Mountain View since 1998. She has enjoyed the challenges and rewards of being a business owner for over thirty-five years. Six years ago she reduced the scope of the business, which has allowed more time to do other things. Pamela has served on the Human Relations Commission and the Environmental Planning Commission. Travel, arts of all kinds, exercise, and volunteering are important segments of her daily life. Researching women’s suffrage efforts in Mountain View has been a fun diversion during the current COVID-19 times.

Robert Cox

Vice President

Robert was a project lead, Intel Compilers and Languages, Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA, but retired in October 2024 to devote himself to community activities. He holds a PhD in Systems Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. Robert served on the Mountain View Planning Commission from 2013-2020. Since 2023 Robert has continued his service to our city as an appointed member of the Rental Housing Committee. He the Chair of the Old Mountain View Neighborhood Association and served as Vice Chair from 2011 to 2024. He is also a member of the Steering Committee of Livable Mountain View. Robert writes two genealogy columns for the MVHA Newsletter and organizes the Neighborhood Social Outreach for MVHA.

Jamil Shaikh

Secretary

Jamil has been a lifetime member of the Association since 2002. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering and has an extensive experience working in many facets of the electronic industry. He says, that knowing the history of a place gives one a sense of belonging to the community.

Nick Perry

Former President

Nick has volunteered on the MVHA Board of Directors since 2011, serving as Newsletter Editor (2011-15), Vice President (2016-18), and President (2018-20). He currently serves as Past President and volunteers as the Association’s graphic designer and social media manager. Nick has a passion for the history of the built environment and holds a Master of City Planning and Bachelor’s in Urban Studies from UC Berkeley. A native of Mountain View, he has written two books on his hometown’s history. In 2020, after twelve years working as an urban designer for the San Francisco Planning Department, Nick joined the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority where he is managing the creation of a master plan for conserved lands in Coyote Valley.

Lisa Roquero Garcia

Membership Committee Chair

Lisa grew up in Mountain View and is a graduate of Los Altos High School and the University of California, Berkeley. Lisa spent most of her life in Mountain View, where she raised her two children, both graduates of Mountain View High School. Garcia was a founding member of Mesa de la Comunidad, a nonprofit group that provided translation services to Latino families during the debates over closing down a school in the district in the early 2000s. She stays connected to the Mountain View community through her volunteer work for the MVHA.

David Salinero

Historical Data Committee Chair

David is a native of Mountain View, where he attended Landels Elementary, Graham Junior High, and Mountain View High School (Castro campus). His ancestors immigrated to the SF Bay Area in the early 1900s, and his family has lived in Mountain View since 1928. David’s interest in history and photography was inspired by his relatives and teachers. After graduating from San Jose State University, David had a 45-year career as a software professional in Silicon Valley.

IdaRose Sylvester

Board Member-at-Large—Strategic Planning

IdaRose has lived in Mountain View for over 20 years, and is fascinated by the rapid change the city has gone through, and the commitment to community the city has. She holds an MBA, and previously ran her own consulting firm, and now runs her nonprofit, Appetite for Good. She chairs Mountain View’s Human Relations Commission, and is involved in several civic organizations helping protect and define the city’s future. She loves studying the past to see what lessons we can bring to the future.

John Cortez

Newsletter Committee Chair

John Cortez is a longtime Mountain View resident and alumni of Mountain View High School. In addition to supporting the MVHA he is also a member and past Jr. president of Redwood Parlor #66 Native Sons of the Golden West. He is a strong supporter of History and has attended the San Francisco History Expo on their behalf.

Carol Donahue

Board Member-at-Large—Community Outreach

As the child of immigrants, Carol learned the value of preserving family and community history by hearing about her parents’ journeys from outsiders to English speaking US citizens. Maya Angelou’s statement “If you don’t know where you’ve come from, you don’t know where you’re going” inspires Carol to share family lore with kinsfolk.

Carol moved from Chicago proper to Mountain View in 2014 to be near family. She has worked in communications, editing, event management and administration in corporate and nonprofit settings. Prior to relocating, she enjoyed Chicago’s live theater and art museums. She served as a Business Volunteer for the Arts through the Arts and Business Council where she joined teams of consultants to advise startup performance companies. Carol is past chair and current member of Mountain View’s Performing Arts Committee.

She is happy to have moved from one of the most diverse cities in the USA to Mountain View which has a long history of diversity throughout its agricultural to tech history. She is learning and sharing stories of those who built Mountain View and looks forward to witnessing where the community goes from here.

Anthea Chung

Treasurer

Anthea joins the Mountain View Historical Association as Treasurer, bringing over 20 years of experience in finance and accounting as a CPA. She grew up in Hong Kong and has been proud to call Mountain View home since 2000, where she and her husband raised two children who both graduated from Mountain View High School. Anthea values giving back to the community she has been part of for so many years and is excited to help steward the Association’s finances in support of its mission. In her free time, she loves traveling and discovering new places and cultures.

Melanie Kaye

Visual Communications

Melanie is a retired art director, graphic designer, and a longtime resident of Mountain View. She studied design at University of Cincinnati and went on to a career in advertising, followed by several years as a design instructor at Mission College in Santa Clara. Retirement has allowed her the time to research and share local history. She is co-author of Palmita Park, The First 100 Years, chronicling the history of a 1920s housing development in Old Mountain View. She strongly believes there is value in building a better future on the foundation of smart historic preservation.

Your Name Here

Future Board Member

The MVHA welcomes interested individuals to join our Board of Directors! Current vacancies include special committees appointed directly by our President. In the past, these special committees have included Programs, Memorials & Remembrances, Hospitality and Donations. If you have interest/experience in any of these areas, contact us today! If you are interested in learning more about volunteering on our board, email us at info@mountainviewhistorical.org or leave us a voicemail at (650) 903-6890.