What makes your city special to businesses and residents?
Cypress is the best-kept secret in Orange County! Our convenient North Orange County location provides easy access to the ports, LAX, and L.A. and OC business hubs.
Like Cypress residents, our businesses enjoy the region’s big city amenities from a true hometown—Cypress is a safe, attractive community with great schools.
What advantages does your city offer businesses that other cities don’t?
I hear three things from Cypress’ business community: our infrastructure is first class; they feel safe; and city hall is their partner. Cypress embraces our business community, and we make sure they know that their success is our success.
What are things that aren’t well known about your city that should be?
We boast the kind of corporate who’s who—Rolls-Royce, United Healthcare, Speedo, ECOS, Yamaha—typically found in bigger cities that lack our hometown charm and customer service. We’re home to California’s second-best public high school, Oxford Academy; and Cypress College, which is California’s top community college.
If an outsider asks you for the most popular places for business executives to meet for a meal, what are your choices?
One of my favorite places to meet for a meal is Dominic’s Ristorante Italiano. With an incredible menu, Dominic’s is an idea place for a business meeting or meal with friends. They are family-owned and very involved in our city.
What’s a fun thing to do in your city?
I love Cypress’ community events. They’re a great way to meet the people who make Cypress such a special place.
What makes you the most proud about your city?
We have come a long way since our days as Dairy City. I’m most proud of the myriad of ways our business community, service organizations and residents work together to better the community.
What’s the best thing you’ve done as Mayor?
My mayoral theme revolves around Cypress’ heart for service. My focus has been encouraging and highlighting the positive impact of service. By recognizing businesses and individuals who serve the community, I hope to inspire others to embrace opportunities to serve.
What is the biggest issue to resolve to make your city more business friendly?
I’m proud to admit this is a hard question to answer. Cypress prides itself on being business friendly. As a smaller community, we make it easy to navigate city hall and work with the City Council. We proactively engage with business leaders to discuss their challenges and brainstorm opportunities for city support.
Mitsubishi Motors is leaving for Tennessee. What do you tell executives who worry about the business climate in your city and California?
Mitsubishi Motors has been a great part of Cypress for 25 years and there’s no doubt Tennessee’s gain is California’s loss. They reached out to me before announcing the move and spoke glowingly of their time in Cypress. Cypress is committed to ensuring our local business climate is safe, affordable, and nurturing. We’re proud to highlight California’s strengths—an educated workforce, vibrant technology sector, the world’s fifth-largest economy—while advocating a balanced approach to regulation, growth, and opportunities for businesses and residents.
