Russ Melton — experienced, determined, pragmatic, passionate and compassionate.

Elected to Sunnyvale City Council in 2016, and serving as Vice Mayor in 2019, and as the Planning Commission Chairperson before that, Russ Melton has been at the forefront of positive change for the City of Sunnyvale.

Born and raised in Palo Alto, Russ attended Gunn High School before enlisting in the United States Navy. He then attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Santa Clara University where he earned his MBA. Russ learned the importance of serving the community from his father, John, who served for over a decade on the Palo Alto Utilities Advisory Commission, as well as from his time in the Navy.

After receiving his MBA, Russ started his career in high tech and finance, serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for National 1st Credit Union. Prior to that, he served as Senior Finance Manager for National Semiconductor.

From his time in the private sector, Russ brings his expertise and experience to city governance. He is uniquely qualified to deliver on one of his top priorities of efficient delivery of government services. Every tax dollar should be spent in the most productive and efficient way possible.

One of his most passionate issues is the safety of our community. From families to small businesses, Sunnyvale deserves the very best in public safety officers, their training and equipment. Russ has proposed very specific increases in public safety policies which unfortunately have been opposed by the current Mayor.

Russ and his wife Sami have two children who attend public schools in Sunnyvale. Russ previously served on the school district Parent-Student Advisory Group and was President of the School Site Council at his children’s elementary and middle schools. Russ continues to work with the Sunnyvale school districts on safety and security issues for our children.

Russ’s goal, as your next Mayor, is to make Sunnyvale safe, fiscally secure and moving forward.