Milpitas makes Dagupan City an official sister city

Delegation from the Philippines comes for 2-day visit.

Philippines sister city

A delegation from Dagupan City in the Philippines visited Milpitas last month to officially mark the continuation of their sister city relationship. On Nov. 27, representatives from both cities signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to solidify their commitment to collaboration and cultural exchange.

Visiting dignitaries included Dagupan City Mayor Belen Fernandez; city councilmembers Michael Fernandez, Dennis Canto and Jeslito Seen; several members of Dagupan City’s executive team; student council leaders; and local representatives from the Dagupan City Association of Northern California.

Milpitas hosted the delegation from Dagupan for two days. The itinerary included Milpitas city facility tours, information sessions led by the city’s department directors and student interactions at Milpitas High School.

New HR director

Milpitas City Manager Ned Thomas has appointed Kelli Parmley as human resources director, effective Jan. 8, 2024. Parmley served as assistant director in San Jose’s Human Resources Department for the past 6½ years.

Parmley joins the team with more than 25 years of combined professional experience in higher education, state and local government and the not-for-profit sector. For San Jose, Parmley helped the HR department improve its culture, leading to better employee retention. She also led strategic engagement with educational institutions and other organizations to promote San Jose government careers.

In Milpitas, Parmley said, “My focus will be on advocating for our dedicated employees, implementing progressive HR strategies and championing an inclusive culture that values diversity and equity, fosters innovation and encourages collaboration across departments.”