Foster City Hires Sofia Mangalam as Community Development Director

For immediate release: February 6, 2023

Contact: City Manager's Office, (650) 286-3220, manager@fostercity.org

The City of Foster City is excited to announce that Sofia Mangalam has been appointed as the City’s Community Development Director. Starting Monday, February 6, she will fill the position that has been vacant since Marlene Subhashini was promoted to Assistant City Manager in November 2022.  

Ms. Mangalam returns in her new position to Foster City, where she worked as Planning Manager before taking on a role as Planning Director for the Town of Los Altos Hills in 2021. In all, Ms. Mangalam has more than 16 years of experience in Land Use Planning in both public and private sectors. As the Planning Director for the Town of Los Altos Hills, Ms. Mangalam managed the Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Division and undertook significant projects, including the Housing Element update, building code updates, Climate Action Plan implementation, and other policy updates. Beyond her time in Foster City and Los Altos Hills, she worked for the City of Newark, New York City Department of Transportation, New York City Department of City Planning, and several architectural Firms.

“We are absolutely thrilled that Sofia Mangalam will be returning to Foster City and joining our team as Community Development Director,” said City Manager Stefan Chatwin. “Her depth of knowledge, experience and familiarity this community will make her a tremendous asset as we continue to thoughtfully plan and shape the future of Foster City.” 

Ms. Mangalam holds a leadership certificate from the Leadership Academy of Alameda County, MS in Urban Design from Edinburgh College of Art, and BA in architecture from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University in Delhi, India. 

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