Cheryl Brothers is Fountain Valley’s new mayor; Michael Vo becomes mayor pro tem

Cheryl Brothers was sworn in as Fountain Valley’s new mayor Tuesday, assuming the role previously filled by her colleague, Steve Nagel.

“I was asked today what my platform was and my answer was ‘level,’ ” Brothers said, “to keep the city moving forward on a level and keep improving as best we can although it’s already great.”

Brothers served on the council from 2002 to 2010 before returning in 2012. She previously served as mayor in 2015.

“I look forward to the coming year,” Brothers said.

Before Brothers officially took the gavel, an emotional Nagel took time during Tuesday’s council meeting to thank his current and former peers.

“I want to express my thanks to city employees who keep our city safe, clean and running smoothly,” Nagel said. “Fountain Valley is a truly nice place to live, work and play — as well as serve.”

Nagel, a retired fire marshal who worked in the Fountain Valley Fire Department for 28 years, has been on the council since 2008 and is entering the last year of his current term.

Councilman Michael Vo ascended to Brothers’ former position of mayor pro tem. Vo has been on the council since 2010 and previously served as mayor pro tem in 2017 and as mayor in 2013 and 2018. He was the first Vietnamese-American council member to hold that office.

Both the mayor and mayor pro tem appointments last for one year.

Miss Fountain Valley introduced

The newest Miss Fountain Valley, Maaikee Pronda, was introduced during Tuesday’s council meeting.

Pronda, who was crowned Sunday at Golden West College, thanked the city for its support of the scholarship competition.

Nagel praised the contestants, saying the “competition was unbelievably close.”

Pronda is a graduate of Fountain Valley High School and UC Irvine, according to her biography. She was previously crowned Miss Garden Grove and Miss Desert Southland and was a state finalist for the 2019 Miss California competition.

The Miss Fountain Valley competition is open to single women between the ages of 18 and 25 without children who live, work or attend college in Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach or Costa Mesa.

The title is a preliminary to Miss America and includes a $5,000 scholarship award.

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