Irvine Loses One of Our City’s Heroes
This past week, the City of Irvine lost one of our most beloved leaders, Mary Ann Gaido, who passed away on September 6th after a valiant battle with cancer.
Since Irvine’s incorporation in 1971, Mary Ann had a hand in just about every good thing that has made our community the wonderful City it is today. Over a span of six decades, she served a total of 20 years as an Irvine Planning Commissioner. She was elected twice to the City Council. Most recently, she served as Councilmember Larry Agran’s Planning Commissioner and trusted advisor. (The two were close friends and colleagues for more than 40 years.)
Through her decades-long service to our City, Mary Ann’s leadership was key in transforming Irvine into America’s leading planned community. A fierce advocate for master-planning, Mary Ann was instrumental in shaping Irvine’s General Plan, creating our amazing Open Space Preserve, and establishing thousands of attractive affordable housing units. She never shied away from standing up to land developers for the better interests of Irvine residents.
