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From left, Vice Mayor Drew Combs, newly elected council member Jennifer Wise, outgoing council member Jen Wolosin, Mayor Cecilia Taylor, outgoing council member Maria Doerr, newly elected council member Jeff Schmidt and council member Betsy Nash pose for a photo after the Dec. 10 City Council reorganization meeting. Courtesy Judi Herren. 
New Menlo Park City Council members Jennifer Wise and Jeff Schmidt are sworn in on Dec. 10. Courtesy city of Menlo Park. 
Outgoing council members Jen Wolosin and Maria Doerr pose with the resolutions honoring them for their service to Menlo Park. Courtesy Judi Herren.
At a special meeting on Dec. 10, the Menlo Park City Council welcomed its newly elected council members — Jeff Schmidt representing District 3 and Jennifer Wise representing District 5 — with a ceremony and reception in a packed room at the Belle Haven Community Campus.
The council also celebrated the service of departing council members Jen Wolosin from District 3, and Maria Doerr from District 5 with resolutions presented to each outgoing member.
Cecilia Taylor was recognized for her contributions as mayor in 2024. Residents and fellow council members lauded Taylor for her work to get the Belle Haven Community Campus project across the finish line, and her efforts to uplift the Belle Haven community.
Taylor handed over the reins to Drew Combs, who was unanimously voted in as the city’s new mayor for the 2025 term. Betsy Nash was unanimously chosen to serve as vice mayor.
Combs, who represents the District 2 neighborhoods of the Willows, Suburban Park, Lorelei Manor and Flood Triangle, was first elected to the council in 2018, and was reelected in 2022. His current term ends in 2026. He previously held the role of mayor in 2021.
Prior to being elected to the council, Combs served on Menlo Park’s planning commission and bike commission. He also serves as chair of the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority.
Betsy Nash represents District 4, which covers much of central Menlo Park, downtown and the Allied Arts neighborhood. She was first elected in 2018 and was reelected in 2022. She previously served as the city’s mayor in 2022.
The next Menlo Park City Council meeting, with the newly reorganized council, will take place on Dec. 17.
Editor’s note: a previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the next city council meeting would be on Jan. 14, 2025.
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