Requiesce in pace Mary Ann Gaido

With great sadness, I learned of the passing of Mary Anne Gaido last night.  A former city council member, planning commissioner and member of the Irvine Land Trust, Gaido’s work in Irvine has shaped the city’s growth over decades.  She is one of the few public officials I’ve met over the years who placed community service over politics.  And she was one of the nicest people you could ever know. To count her as a friend meant so much to so many people.

Here’s the official annoucement from the City of Irvine:

Planning Commissioner and former Irvine City Councilmember Mary Ann Gaido passed away Wednesday, September 6, following a courageous battle with cancer. Mary Ann was a dedicated public servant, community advocate, and cherished friend to many.

A long-time resident of Turtle Rock, Commissioner Gaido was first appointed to the Planning Commission just after Irvine’s incorporation in 1971. She was a member of the City’s first Transportation Commission from 1974 to 1976, serving as chair from 1974-75. She served two terms on the Irvine City Council, from 1976 to 1984. She returned to the Planning Commission in the mid-1980s, and since that time, served a total of 20 years on the commission.

Under her thoughtful leadership, Irvine experienced many significant accomplishments, including:

• Approving the City’s first General Plan, a comprehensive, long-range vision of Irvine’s future development and preservation.
• Acquiring 10,000 acres of open space and protecting parks through her efforts to purchase Bommer Canyon from the Irvine Company.
• Increasing affordable housing.
• Establishing the University Community Park Skateboard Run, the first skate park in Irvine.

This year, Mary Ann received the Ralph Kennedy Award for her decades of work in Irvine and throughout Orange County to increase affordable housing and advocate for those most in need.

Commissioner Gaido worked as a housing specialist for the Orange County Human Relations Commission. She was a founding member of several boards, including Jamboree Housing, the Kennedy Commission of Orange County, the Orange County Community Housing Corporation, and the Orange County Affordable Housing Clearinghouse.

Mary Ann was a lifetime member of the Orange Coast League of Women Voters and devoted time to social justice work with the Interfaith Community in Orange County.

In addition, she worked as Vice President of Government Relations at St. Joseph Health System.

The City of Irvine is grateful for the vision, dedication, and leadership Mary Ann provided throughout more than four decades of public service to the City and its residents.

Watch the ICTV feature(link is external), highlighting Mary Ann Gaido for her instrumental work in the creation of Irvine’s Open Space Initiative.

Mary Ann ran for Mayor in 2016, and Republicans in town came after her.  Former Irvine Mayor and Council member Beth Krom sized up the attacks on Mary Ann in this social media post:

“Running a campaign of lies and smears against Mary Ann Gaido it’s like running a campaign of lies and smears against Mother Theresa. Seriously. This woman’s integrity is beyond reproach and she has been the most consistent public official and planning commissioner when it comes to putting the quality of life of Irvine residents first.”

Despite Gaido’s battle with Cancer, which she kept very private, Irvine Council member Larry Agran appointed Gaido to the Planning Commission in February of this year.

From Agran’s announcement:

Commissioner Mary Ann Gaido was first appointed to the Planning Commission just after Irvine’s incorporation. Since then, she has served on the Commission for a total of 20 years and served two terms as a City Councilmember (1976-1984).

The Planning Commission is responsible for implementing the City’s General Plan and Zoning Code through the review and approval of discretionary applications for land development. These decisions are final unless appealed to the City Council. Though changes to either the City’s General Plan or Zoning Code are made by the City Council, the Planning Commission makes recommendations and otherwise advises the Council in that process.

Mary Ann will supply the Commission with a depth of experience and perspective that has, to date, served Irvine very very well. Let’s keep it up.

In April, Gaido was awarded a prestigious Ralph Kennedy Award for her work to increase affordable housing options in Irvine.  Here’s that announcement:

Congratulations to our own Mary Ann Gaido for receiving the prestigious Ralph Kennedy Award for her unwavering dedication to increasing affordable housing in Orange County. She was presented this award on April 27th at the Affordable Housing Award dinner. This award was presented to Mary Ann by the Kennedy Commission in collaboration with the Affordable Housing Clearinghouse and OCCHC/SteppingUp at the 2023 Affordable Housing Awards.

We also want to congratulate Mary Ann for being a Life Member of the League of Women Voters. Mary Ann first joined the League in 1972 where she met Irvine’s newly elected member of the Irvine City Council, Gabrielle Pryor, who was also a League member. Because of their meeting, Gabby recommended that Mary Ann be appointed to the Irvine planning Commission in 1973–the year Irvine adopted its first General Plan. In 1972, Mary Ann also became one of our first Observers taking on the very difficult task of Observing at the Board of Supervisors. She continued doing this for many years. At the same time, she also joined the League Housing committee. This committee studied and recommended actions to the State League on policy and legislation committee. She was also on the Land Use Committee when Irvine was considering putting 50,000 homes along the Irvine Coast!

Thank you Mary Ann for your dedication to the League – and to the Orange County community!

From Beth Krom:

“Mary Ann Gaido was a mentor and friend. Her impact in the City of Irvine cannot be overstated, but the legacy she deserves our eternal gratitude for the leading role she played in Irvine’s open space preservation movement. She was a trailblazer, serving on the Irvine City Council when the vision for our city was being shaped. She held onto that vision and did everything she could to protect it, all the while displaying her irrepressible optimism and respectful, inclusive leadership style. The cancer defeated her body, but nothing can take the beauty of her soul and spirit which will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.”

Mary Ann leaves a gaping hole in the City of Irvine and in Orange County.  I will miss our phone calls and her wonderful sense of humor.