Meet Davina

SERVING THE CITY OF BELMONT 

Davina Hurt is a mother of a daughter at UC Davis, city council member, commissioner, attorney, board member, AI/Robotics enthusiast, and environmental advocate. For the City of Belmont, Davina has served as Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council Member and Planning Commissioner. She is now running to continue serving on the Belmont City Council to protect and refine Belmont over the long term. I have been working on building a city of the future, where I am action orientated, visionary, pragmatic, strategic and collaborative. Davina’s experience since 2013 and strong regional partnerships allow her to deal proactively with District 4's challenges and opportunities offering real solutions which will ensure a strong, vibrant, inclusive community for years to come. 

Davina’s priorities for Belmont are focused on:

☑ Delivering essential city services that support a great quality of life for every resident 

☑ Protecting the unique character of Belmont’s neighborhoods 

☑ Deepening the vitality of our community through the creation of housing for all income levels along our transportation corridor 

☑ Revitalization and walkability of a more defined downtown 

☑ Attracting new jobs in the commercial zone east of Highway 101

☑ Partner with local schools to support education

☑ Placemaking with art 

☑ Maintaining great police and fire departments

☑ Investing in our vital infrastructure needs in streets, sidewalks and sewers.

BELMONT FIRST 

Guided by her passion for community justice and accountability, Davina started her service to Belmont through her appointment to the City of Belmont High Speed Rail Committee. Seeing a need to support existing businesses and attract new businesses, Davina accepted another appointment to the Belmont Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors serving on the executive committee. While economic development for city enjoyment is a cornerstone of her platform, early on she also(DELETE) recognized the need to also contribute a fresh, modern vision to the emerging Belmont Village element and thus joined the ad-hoc committee.  

Frustrated by the rigors of her own home construction project in Belmont, Davina was inspired to improve the process and help fellow residents have a better experience. Davina applied and was appointed to the Belmont Planning Commission, eventually serving as Vice-Chair. She worked tirelessly project by project to improve the community, ensure public transparency, efficiency and results.

LEADERSHIP IN SAN MATEO  COUNTY & BEYOND 

First elected to the Belmont City Council in November 2015, Davina’s colleagues unanimously voted to appoint her Mayor in December 2018 for a term. Davina was the first African-American woman to deliver a State of the City address in the City of Belmont. With San Carlos, Redwood City, and West Bay Sanitary Representatives, Davina represents the City of Belmont as a wastewater commissioner for which she is just recently named Vice-Chair. Prior to Silicon Valley Clean Water, she was for 5+ years the representative of the South Bay Waste Management Agency (SBWMA) helping to build their zero emission initiatives and support drafting the largest contract since their inception.   

Davina also serves on multiple regional policy boards. After being appointed by the 20 cities of San Mateo County, she rose to serve as the first two year term Chair of the Bay Area Air Quality Management Board (BAAQMD) by the 9 region’s Supervisors/Councilmembers of the Bay Area. During her term at the BAAQMD, she was requested to interview for state board membership. She was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom and confirmed by the California Senate to bring her local perspective to the California Air Resources Board that sets the climate and clean transportation policy. To further the City of Belmont’s reach and support the county,she also served as immediate past chair of the City/County Association of Government for San Mateo County, where she spearheaded a equity and strategic plan to hold the board accountable for supporting all members of our community. 

EXPERIENCE AND ACTION

After practicing law at firms in the Bay Area, Davina now devotes much of her time to her family and to the community. In addition to her work as a legal consultant, keynote speaker and City Council member, she is involved with many local organizations, and focuses much of her effort in eliminating poverty, climate change, environmental justice, housing affordability, empowering women and youth, human rights/civil rights, placemaking, as well as infrastructure & public transportation.

  • Advisory Council and Former President of the Board of Directors of Samaritan House 

  • Veloz, Public Policy Board of Directors 

  • Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, Board of Directors

  • Santa Clara University Markkula Center of Applied Ethics, Government Ethics board member

  • Immediate Chairperson on the Department of Consumer Affairs California Court Reporters Board for more than a decade.

  • Member of the Charles Houston Bar Association. 

  • Recipient of the Brighter Day Public Leaderships Service Award 

  • Public advisor to the Equity Forward Initiative of Silicon Valley Community Foundation, focused on combating poverty in the San Francisco Bay Area.

  • Yaseen Foundation Civil Liberties Life Achievement Award. 

  • Keynote Speaker, SAMCEDA Thred Talks on Regionalism, 

  • Numerous panels on housing and social equity throughout the county. 

  • One of the founding members of the Downtown Harvest Festival 

  • City of Belmont seed library at the Belmont Public Library. 

BACKGROUND AND EDUCATION

Born in Gary, Indiana and raised in Rockwall, Texas with her parents and two siblings.  Davina is a proud mother of one teen daughter with whom she enjoys traveling, enjoying the local outdoors and the arts.  Davina has been grateful to call Belmont home since 2003.

Davina received degrees from Baylor University and Santa Clara University School of Law with a specialized Certificate in International Public Law. She trained at the University of Strasbourg’s- Rene Cassin International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg. While in law school, Davina fought predatory lending practices and worked in the emerging housing and landlord/tenant department at the Bay Area Legal Aid of San Jose. Davina also accepted a judicial externship for the Honorable Judge James Ware in the United States District Court of the Northern District of California. She received the Witkins Award in Advanced International Law and the Pro Bono Project Award from the Public Interest Coalition. 

Davina graduated from Baylor University in Waco, Texas with a B.A. in History and Political Science with a minor in Biology.

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

Outside of being a mom and public service, Davina enjoys oil painting, writing short stories, future thinking, and spinning vinyl records. Davina’s story is not unlike your story. Her achievements are our achievements. There is a famous singer who asks, "What have you done for me lately?" Davina is the most senior city councilmember with a unique blend of skills that align with continuing this city to thriving and becoming vibrant. Her record of achievements with all of you speaks volumes and could fill a playlist. She is committed to continuing this progress for District 4 and beyond. As a community, we should really feel proud about what we have accomplished together

  • NEW GENERAL PLAN 

  • and FIRST EVER climate action plan

  • STREAMLINED HOMEOWNER DESIGN AND REMODEL REGULATIONS (the fear did not become reality)

  • Min wage increase

  • Affordable housing

  • 1st LGBTQ+ Flag Raising Davina requested as Mayor 

  • Created new parks and updated parks / area equalizer

  • Successful Consolidated our fire services

  • Civil rights resolution (sub-committee who authored)

  • And we have been tackling our mobility issues and infrastructure on our main arterial streets and continue to go through our neighborhoods (MEASURE I)

  • 2 new hotels and new TOT (transient occupancy tax)

  • Public Arts and Twin Pines Master Plan

  • Ralston Corridor Projects

  • the list goes on….