Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority names Tessitor chair, Pedroza vice chair

The Foothill Gold Line Construction Authority board re-elected Doug Tessitor chairman and Sam Pedroza vice chairman.

Tessitor previously served as mayor of Glendora, Calif., while Pedroza is the current mayor of Claremont, Calif.

The authority's board is made up of elected and appointed representatives from throughout the Gold Line light-rail extension corridor, including representatives from Los Angeles, Pasadena, Duarte, Glendora, Claremont and Ontario, Calif. Representatives of the governor and the San Bernardino Associated Governments also sit on the board as non-voting members.

In late 2017, the authority is preparing to break ground on the 12.3-mile light-rail extension from Glendora to Montclair, Calif. The majority of funding for the six-station project was approved Nov. 8 by voters as part of the Measure M sales tax increase.

"This is a labor of love for Sam and I," said Tessitor after the board's unanimous vote. "We need to finish what we started and we are in great shape to do just that with the recent passage of Measure M."

In March, the second phase of the Gold Line extension opened. That segment runs from Pasadena to Azusa, Calif.