Rotary and Climate Change

Rod Diridon, Sr. - Rotary and Climate Change

 After returning from Vietnam, Diridon became a management systems analyst at Lockheed Missile and Space Corporation in Sunnyvale, California. He founded the Decision Research Institute in 1969, which did statistical research, needs assessments, and organizational consulting for public agencies and candidates for public office.

Diridon was first elected as the youngest-ever member of the Saratoga City Council in 1973. He was elected to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in 1974, representing the Fourth Supervisorial District. He served five terms as a member of the Board from 1975 until 1995, and he served six times as its chair. During his service on the Board, Diridon chaired several San Francisco Bay Area regional government agencies, including the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD).

He served as chair of the California High Speed Rail Authority from 2001-2003. He currently chairs the advisory board of the United States High Speed Rail Association, and he chairs the National Heritage Area Project for Santa Clara County, California.