Newport Beach City Council unanimously elected Nancy Gardner as its newest mayor during Tuesday’s meeting.
Gardner thanks the council for voting her in as mayor and referred to a quote by Oliver Cromwell, “He who stops being better, stops being good.”
“I think you can apply this to a city as well,” Gardner explained. “You can see how hard we work to continue to be better and hopefully we’ll continue this through this year and that way to continue to be good.”
“You did a marvelous job,” Gardner said about former mayor Mike Henn. “I’ve watched, as mayor pro tem, the kind of energy and dedication you brought to this role… I am very happy to have been your mayor pro tem and I can only hope to be a shadow of your wonderful accomplishments.”
Henn was presented with a plaque from the city adorned with his gavel. He reflected on the past year and thanked his family, the city council, city staff and the public. Several of the other council members thank Henn for his time as mayor and noted some of his accomplishments.
Henn thanked the council members right back.
“I think we make a great team,” Henn said.
“I wish you complete success as our mayor,” Henn told Gardner during the meeting. “I have no doubt you will be a great mayor, you will stand in no one’s shadow and I look forward to contributing in every way I can to your success and to the betterment of our city over the next year.”
Gardner was born and raised in Newport Beach. She has served on the council, for district 6 covering Corona del Mar and Newport Coast, since 2006.
Gardner has been active with environmental issues, specifically water quality, and is on the Coastal/Bay Water Quality Citizens Advisory Committee. She has also served on several other committees and boards.
Gardner graduated from Newport Harbor High School and receive her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Southern California and her master of arts degree from University of California, Irvine.
“You’re going to provide outstanding leadership to the city,” Curry told Gardner.
Councilman Keith Curry was unanimously elected as Mayor Pro Tem.
