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Santa Clara council names Edward Souza to Parks and Recreation Commission; Monique Havicote designated alternate
Summary
After interviewing four candidates, the City Council appointed Edward (Ed) Souza to a full Parks and Recreation Commission term ending June 30, 2029, and placed Monique Havicote on the eligibility list as alternate; the council voted unanimously.
The Santa Clara City Council appointed Edward (Ed) Souza to the Parks and Recreation Commission for a full term ending June 30, 2029, and named Monique Havicote as the alternate eligible for appointment if a vacancy occurs. The council voted unanimously after interviewing four candidates in a special meeting.
Souza, a lifelong Santa Clara resident who described a 30-year career in parks and recreation management for Santa Clara County, told the council he has experience in park operations, fiscal management and volunteer programs. “I bring a wealth of knowledge to the city with information and a background in park maintenance, park operations, fiscal, and diversity,” Souza said during his interview.
Monique Havicote described experience using local parks, community events and programs and said she would like to expand adult education and volunteer-driven community garden efforts. Candidate David Curtis emphasized youth sports, field use and community events as priorities; candidate Anurag Dixit (transcript spelling varied) emphasized data-driven evaluation of sites and standardization across parks.
Council members used a two-round process to identify finalists: each member named a top two candidates, producing a tie between Souza and Havicote; subsequent roll calls selected Souza. Council members discussed applicants’ experience with community gardens, the International Swim Center master plan and youth programming during interviews. Several applicants urged continuing oversight of swim-center renovations; Souza and others noted available bond funding for pool rehabilitation.
The council made a single motion that included both the appointment of Souza to the commission and placement of Havicote on the eligibility list as alternate; the motion passed unanimously. The clerk recorded the appointments as effective immediately, with terms through June 30, 2029. No additional conditions or follow-up tasks were adopted at the meeting.
The interviews and voting process were conducted as part of a special meeting the council held to fill commission seats; the city clerk had noted that one previously listed applicant (Asim Vaid) did not participate.
