Cypress : Council Chooses Age as New Mayor

Cecilia L. Age, a 43-year-old businesswoman, is the city’s new mayor.

By unanimous vote of fellow council members, Age was elected to the post Monday night. She succeeds outgoing Mayor Richard Partin and will serve in the post for a year.

While the new council was united in electing Age as mayor, it split in designating the new mayor pro tem, who serves as council leader when the mayor is absent. Councilman Walter K. Bowman, who won the post by a 3-2 vote, succeeds Councilwoman Joyce C. Nicholson.

Two newcomers on the council, Mary Ann Jones and Tom Carroll, voted against Bowman’s nomination. Jones had urged the council to instead elect Carroll to the post. Carroll said his selection as mayor pro tem would show “the Old Guard’s willingness to accept new people on the City Council.”

But Councilwoman Gail H. Kerry, who nominated Bowman, contended that the city would profit from having a veteran incumbent such as Bowman in the position. Bowman received the backing of Kerry and Age, in addition to his own vote.

Age, who has lived in the city for 10 years, was first elected to the council in 1988 and served a term as mayor in 1990. A native of Whittier, she earned her bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Cal State Fullerton.