Milpitas Appoints Jennifer Yamaguma as Public Information Officer
Milpitas, Calif. — Jennifer Yamaguma has been named public information officer for the City of Milpitas by City
Manager Julie Edmonds-Mares. As the principal Milpitas communications professional, Yamaguma will lead the
city’s efforts to ensure the effective and open flow of public information with the community, news media,
employees, and strategic partners. Jennifer will be joining Milpitas on October 17, 2018.
Yamaguma comes to Milpitas from the City of Santa Clara where she has served as assistant to the city manager,
community relations manager, acting city clerk, and assistant city clerk over the past 11 years.
“Throughout her career in a variety of roles, Jennifer has demonstrated a strong commitment to open
government and transparency, and an outstanding sensitivity to the needs of stakeholders,” said Edmonds-
Mares. “With this new position in our city organization, I’m confident she’ll extend what we’ve already done to
build trust with the people of our community that is so essential to our ability to address complex quality of life
issues.”
As the citywide public information officer reporting to the city manager and assistant city manager, Yamaguma
will be responsible for the development, implementation, and direction of Milpitas strategic communications, as
well as for its tactical and proactive community and employee communications.
She will also lead a citywide team to manage the city’s multimedia technologies, publications, web content
management, visual communications, social media, and emergency communications, as well as provide
guidance to the City Council and the City’s departments.
“I’m honored and eager to be able to create a comprehensive communications program for Milpitas from
almost the ground up,” said Yamaguma. “I’m excited by the opportunity to work in an organization that is clearly
dedicated to public service and open government.”
Yamaguma has worked in the public sector for over 18 years and holds a bachelor’s degree in business
administration from Menlo College and a master’s of public administration from Golden Gate University. She is a
member of the California Association of Public Information Officials, a statewide professional organization of
government communicators.
About the City of Milpitas
Located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay, Milpitas is a progressive community that is an integral part of
Silicon Valley. As a full-service city of about 400 full-time employees with water utility, sewer utility, police and
fire services, Milpitas serves a diverse population of nearly 80,000. The city has an annual $191 million operating
budget and a $315 million capital improvements budget.
Milpitas is the eighth-fastest growing city in the United States according to the US Census, and the second-
fastest in California. It has the third-highest job growth among the 515 qualifying cities rated by Wallet Hub. The
homeownership rate is close to 70%, and the Milpitas housing market remains relatively affordable in Santa
Clara County. Milpitas is often called the “Crossroads of Silicon Valley” with most of its 14 square miles situated
between two major freeways (I-880 and I-680), Route 237, and a County expressway. In June 2018, Livability
Magazine ranked Milpitas fifth by out of more than 2,000 American cities for “Best Cities for STEM Workers.”
