Mayor David Sander was elected to the first City Council when the city incorporated in 2003 and reelected in November 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020. He served as Mayor in 2007, 2012, 2016, 2020 and 2024 and as Vice Mayor in 2006, 2011, 2019 and 2023.

Contact

Phone: 916.851.8700
Email: dsander@cityofranchocordova.org
Address: 2729 Prospect Park Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

Represents the City

Nationally

  • National Civic League - Past Board Chairman
  • National Academy of Public Administration - Fellow
  • National League of Cities - President
  • National League of Cities Board of Directors and Executive Committee
  • National League of Cities Transportation and Infrastructure Steering Committee - Past Chair
  • National League of Cities First Tier Suburbs Steering Committee and General Committee - Past Chair
  • National League of Cities - Leadership Fellow

Statewide

  • League of California Cities - Board of Directors
  • League of California Cities Sacramento Valley Division - Past President
  • League of California Cities Revenue & Taxation Policy Committee - Committee Member & Past Chair

Regionally

  • Sacramento Placerville Transportation Corridor JPA - Board Member
  • Greater Sacramento Economic Council
  • Capital Southeast Connector - Board Member & Past Chair
  • Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) - Board Member & Past Chair
  • Sacramento Regional Sanitation Board - Board Member

City Council Subcommittees

  • Growing Strong Neighborhoods Subcommittee, Founder
  • Folsom Cordova Unified School District 2x2*

*2x2: One or two Council members are appointed by the Mayor (therefore, not constituting a quorum) to meet with one or two board members from a partner agency for the purpose of building relationships and holding general discussions regarding projects of mutual interest.

Locally

  • Rancho Cordova Athletic Association - Founder & President
  • Cordova Community Council - Board Member & Chair

About

David has been active in many community, state and national endeavors. He currently serves as Founder/President of the Rancho Cordova Athletic Association, and on the Board of the Sacramento Children's Museum, Sacramento and NextEd's CRANE CEO Oversight Panel.

Boards and Committees

David is a founder and past chair of the Rancho Cordova 4th of July Committee and an active member and Past President of the Board of the Cordova Community Council, and a past Board Member of the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce, past chair and board member of Regional Transit, Paratransit, the Friends of the Sacramento Library Board, the Cordova Community Planning Advisory Council (CORPAC), Sacramento County Airports Master Plan Commission, and the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department's Citizen's Advisory Panel.

Awards

David has been recognized with several awards, including being named to the prestigious National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) in 2012. Previously, he was named as the Sacramento Region's Elected Official of the Year (2006). In 2002, he was named "Volunteer of Year" by both the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce and the Cordova Community Council.

He has been a delegate to the National Summit on Retirement Savings at the White House and was a member of the California State Franchise Tax Board's Technical Advisory Committee. In 2001-02, he co-chaired a successful ballot measure (Rancho Cordova Kids First) that funded $49 million in school improvements in the city.

Work Experience and Education

David is the Principal and Founder of Sander and Associates, a scientific consulting/development firm that specializes in medical and scientific projects.

He received a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from Tulane University and did undergraduate work in physics, math, biology and chemistry at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO. After his doctoral work and before moving to Rancho Cordova, David was appointed and served two years as a Congressional Science Fellow, working for a senior member of the House of Representatives in Washington DC on matters involving health and science policy.

Family

David and his wife, Dr. Margaret Parsons, a dermatologist, have lived in Rancho Cordova since the 1990's. They have one young son.