Editor’s Note:  This speech was delivered on September 24 at Wilcox High School. It has been condensed from its original and edited slightly.

Shaping Today. Celebrating Tomorrow
We are now a city of nearly 134,000 residents. We are diverse and dynamic, with a median age of just 34, and nearly half of our residents were born outside the United States. That richness of culture is what fuels our city – its energy and spirit.

Santa Clara is also home to nearly 5,000 businesses, from global innovators to family-owned shops. We are the city where you can live, work, and play.

Some people call us a big city with a small-town feel. I like to say we are one of those rare places where you can bump into your neighbor at the grocery store, cheer on an NFL team at Levi’s Stadium on the weekend, attend community college for FREE, and enjoy a city’s annual clean-up program each spring. That is Santa Clara…and there’s so much more!

Tonight is not just about projects and plans. It’s about people. The real heart of Santa Clara is our residents, neighbors, and business owners, who contribute to the betterment of our community every single day. Thank you!

Santa Clara is not just keeping up with change. We are leading it. We are growing in ways that are innovative and inclusive, economically strong and environmentally sustainable.

Small Town Feel. Big Growth
Even as we grow, we remain a community where people know each other. We are proud of our neighborhoods, our parks, and our cultural festivals that bring us together. Many of our families have called Santa Clara home for generations, walking the same streets, enjoying the same parks, and attending the same schools. Yet, at the same time, more than 50% of our residents come from other countries, bringing with them traditions, languages, and customs that add richness and beauty to our city and our daily lives. It is that blend of deep roots and new perspectives that make Santa Clara so fabulous, a city where nostalgia meets diversity, where the past and present live side by side, and where every resident, no matter where they come from can feel at home.

Dynamic Modern City Built for Business
Coupled with its long-time charm, Santa Clara is a dynamic, modern city built for business, and that did not happen by accident. Decades ago, our city had the vision to invest in the future. We built our own Convention Center when other cities hesitated, giving us a premier venue that continues to host major business, cultural, and sporting events. We created Silicon Valley Power, our own municipal utility, which now provides some of the lowest electric rates in California and fuels the growth of the world’s most innovative companies. We had the foresight to partner in building Levi’s Stadium, a publicly owned facility that has elevated Santa Clara onto the global stage. These bold moves were not just projects; they were commitments to shaping a city that would gain prominence…one that would stand out.

Today, because of that vision, Santa Clara is home to some of the most influential tech companies on earth, and in 2026, the world will once again watch as we host both Super Bowl 60 and the FIFA Men’s World Cup. This is the story of Santa Clara, a city that has always believed in shaping tomorrow while celebrating today.

Shaping Development
One of the most exciting areas of growth is Uptown Santa Clara, which developers are calling the Clara District. Just this year, seven new high-rises opened with nearly 2,000 new dwelling units. And we are ensuring that affordable housing is part of the mix. Since 2022, we have built and opened eight 100 percent affordable projects.

And yes, we all feel bittersweet about California’s Great America. For so many of us, it holds decades of memories. While no applications have been filed for the site’s future, I promise you any decisions will involve the community every step of the way. Until then, let’s keep enjoying the thrills and funnel cakes while we can.

Downtown Santa Clara is also a priority. Every community needs a heart and soul, and a downtown is where people gather, celebrate, and create memories. I know that it has taken far too long to make any significant progress….And, I too, share in the community’s frustration. But I also share in the vision. Although there have yet to be any formal development applications submitted on privately owned land in the Downtown Precise Plan, the City will be ready to invite proposals from developers for the key city-owned blocks near Lafayette, Homestead, and Monroe once we finish the mandated groundwork required by state and local laws. The goal is clear: to finally bring Santa Clara the vibrant, walkable, community-centered downtown it deserves.

We are also proud to see continued investment in our community’s health care. Sutter Health is expanding its Santa Clara campus with new medical offices and services, ensuring that residents have greater access to high-quality care close to home. This growth not only supports the well-being of our community but also brings good jobs and long-term stability to our city.

NVIDIA and AI Leadership
Santa Clara is at the epicenter of the AI revolution. At the heart of it is Nvidia, headquartered right here. Nvidia has become the global leader in AI, now owning more than 90 percent of the GPU chip market. Their existing 35-acre campus includes Endeavor and Voyager, and now they are moving forward with the Starbase Project. They have also acquired four office buildings and a 13-acre site across from their campus.

And right here in Santa Clara, Nvidia has launched a groundbreaking partnership with OPENAI…a deal worth up to 100 billion dollars. They’ll be building new computing systems powered by Nvidia chips, putting Santa Clara at the center of the global AI revolution and creating opportunities for innovation and growth in our community.

Data Center Capital
Santa Clara was the birthplace of the very first data center. And who was the first tenant? It was a small company you may have heard of, called Google. From those humble beginnings, Google grew into a global giant, and Santa Clara grew into the leading hub of data centers in the Western United States. Today, we have more than 55 data centers, the largest cluster on the West Coast, and they contribute tens of millions of dollars each year to our General Fund.

Silicon Valley Power
Behind all this innovation is our own Silicon Valley Power. SVP is the unsung hero of our economy. With rates 59% lower than PG&E for residents and 43% lower for industry, SVP gives us a rare and powerful advantage. Among other publicly owned utilities in California, SVP has the lowest rates. And as a bonus, SVP provides millions of dollars of utility tax revenue to our general fund each year to keep our city financially strong.

SVP is doubling electric load capacity from 700 megawatts today to 1,300 megawatts over the next decade. This includes 459 million dollars in projects, from rebuilding and expanding receiving stations to securing new transmission lines. That is what it takes to power the future and to keep business growing here instead of expanding somewhere else. And it’s what it takes to keep our community confident that Santa Clara can deliver the infrastructure of tomorrow.

Public Safety
One of the reasons Santa Clara is such a desirable place to live is because it’s safe….and that’s no accident. Our Police Department is known throughout the region for proactive, community-focused policing. Criminals know that if they come here, they will likely get caught.

This past year, we launched the BRAVE program in our schools, a new initiative that builds on the success of the former DARE program. BRAVE stands for Building Resistance, Awareness, Values, and Education. It’s in partnership with the Santa Clara Unified School District, and it’s about giving our students the tools to resist substance abuse, make positive choices, and strengthen their bond with officers who serve as mentors as well as protectors.

Our Fire department is equally extraordinary. They respond to more than 11K calls every year, nearly 80% of them medical-related, and they consistently earn a 98% satisfaction rate from the people they help. That means when you or your loved one dials 911, you can count on receiving world-class service delivered with professionalism and compassion.

Safe Streets and Transit
A safe community begins with safe streets. Our Vision Zero strategy, with a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries is designed to include everything from redesigning intersections, improving lighting, to expanding education programs that keep drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians aware and responsible.

We are also expanding travel choices. In partnership with Cupertino, we launched SV Hopper, a clean-energy on-demand shuttle, now serving half the city with plans to expand citywide in 2026. And we continue working with VTA to bring BART to Santa Clara, a project that will reshape regional transit for generations.

Fiscal Strength
Our fiscal house is strong. The nearly 1.2-billion-dollar budget we recently approved funds day-to-day operations without reducing services. We retained 12 grant-funded firefighter positions, unfroze police positions, and restored our budget stabilization reserve to 25% of expenditures.

2026: A Destination City
In 2026, the world will watch Santa Clara like never before. For the first time in history, one city will host both the Super Bowl and the FIFA Men’s World Cup in the same year. That city is Santa Clara.

Where the Mission Meets the Moment
This slogan bridges Santa Clara’s proud identity as “The Mission City” with the excitement of hosting landmark global events. In a City with such incredible diversity – diversity of culture, of businesses local and global, of talents and exceptionalism … the slogan asks us all “What is your mission in this moment?”

Santa Clara’s story is one of innovation, inclusion, and pride. We are shaping tomorrow while celebrating today—and it is all made possible by the people who call this city home. Thank you.