For the first time in the 104-year history of the City of Manteca two women will be serving concurrently on the Planning Commission.

Judith Blumhorst and Celeste Fiore were appointed by the Manteca City Council on Tuesday.

The council also appointed David Mendoza as an alternate member. He will serve as a voting commission member whenever there is a regular commissioner unable to attend a meeting.

Having a woman on the Planning Commission per se is a rarity for Manteca. In the past 40 years there has only been one woman to serve on the Planning Commission, Charlene Carroll.

She might even be the only woman to ever have served but there are no records prior to the 1980s that can be readily researched.

The two women picked — as well as a number of the other hopefuls seeking appointment — are highly qualified.

Blumhorst will serve a term that ends on Dec. 31, 2024. Fiore and Mendoza will swerve through Dec. 31, 2022.

Going forward planning commission members will be tied into the terms of service of district elected council members. The first two races are this November. Two more commission positions are tied into council members picked by voters during the 2024 election cycle.

The fifth commission member is appointed by the mayor whose position is up for grabs this November.

Commission terms are for four years. The terms of the three appointments on Tuesday are shorter as they are completing existing  terms left vacant when members resigned.

Blumhorst noted she and her husband — like many city residents — moved to Manteca as it is the affordable housing alternative for the Bay Area.

Her extensive experience includes a stint as a paralegal assistant at the Massachusetts Legal Aid Society with her practice in housing and consumer law, assessor and supervisor of a managed affordable housing tax program, as well as work as a business and economic forecaster for the American Petroleum Industry as well as Data Resources Inc. among other jobs.

Fiore is a transportation planner for the Santa Clara Valley. Her military service includes top secret clearance with the Air Force and was stationed in Berlin as a Russian linguist.

Mendoza is a civil engineer currently working on residential and commercial projects throughout the valley. Prior to retiring in July of 2021 he worked 38 years for Caltrans and San Joaquin County and has experience in planning, traffic, and design related issues.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com