Photo: Mayor Solanki with his wife, Priti

The City Council has named businessman Naresh Solanki mayor of Southern California City of Cerritos.

The council, which names a mayor and mayor pro tem each year from the five-person council, chose Solanki at the April 18 council meeting.

Solanki had been the mayor pro tem while Mark Pulido held the reigns of mayor for the past year.

Solanki was elected to the Cerritos City Council in 2015. He became mayor pro tem in 2016 and 2018.

A Cerritos resident since 1988, Solanki previously served as a Cerritos Planning Commissioner from 2007 to 2015.

He is a member of the City Council's Budget/Finance, Performing Arts, Personnel and Business and Industry committees.

He serves as the council's delegate to the Gateway Cities Council of Governments, Gateway Cities Council of Governments-91/605/405 Corridor Cities Committee and SELACO Workforce Development Board-Policy Board.

Solanki is the alternate delegate to the California Contract Cities Association, Sanitation Districts 2, 3, 18 and 19/Waste Management and Southeast Water Coalition Joint Powers Authority.

Additionally, Solanki is a member of the Cerritos Optimist Club and the Cerritos Regional Chamber of Commerce.

He is involved with and supports local chapters of the Lions Club and Rotary Club as well as Blind Start of America. He owns and is the CEO/president of a chain of retail grocery supermarkets located throughout Southern California. 

Mayor Solanki and his wife, Priti, have two sons, Mehul and Jay.