Rod Diridon

Rod Diridon, Sr.
Born	February 8, 1939 Yreka, California
Residence	Santa Clara, California
Nationality	American
Alma mater	San Jose State University
Occupation	Retired elected official, non-profit leader
Known for	Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, California High-Speed Rail Authority
Spouse(s)	Dr. Gloria C. Duffy

Rod Diridon, Sr. (born February 8, 1939) is an American former politician. He is known as a former member of the Saratoga City Council, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, and the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board, among other roles. After he chaired the campaign for the first successful half-cent sales tax for a transit district in California in the 1970s, he became known as "the father of modern transit service" in Silicon Valley. He is now the emeritus executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute.

Rod Diridon, Sr. was born on February 8, 1939 in Yreka, California. He graduated from San Jose State University.

Diridon is an Italian-American who was first elected as the youngest-ever member of the Saratoga City Council in 1972. He was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 1974, served as a member of the Board from 1975 until 1995, and served six times as its chair.

In 1976, he chaired the campaign for the first successful half-cent sales tax for a transit district in California, and subsequently came to be known as "the father of modern transit service," in Silicon Valley. He is now the emeritus executive director of the Mineta Transportation Institute.

...
Wikipedia