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Former Dublin mayor and longtime community leader Janet Lockhart died early last week after battling a long-term illness. She was 78.
Lockhart’s tenure on the Dublin City Council began with her appointment in 1996, where she served for five years. In 2001, Lockhart — who served as vice mayor at the time — was appointed mayor to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of the then-mayor Guy Houston, who stepped down to run for the State Assembly.
She was later elected to the position and continued to serve as mayor from 2003 to 2007 for a total of 11 years on the council.
Prior to her time on the City Council, Lockhart served as a member of the Dublin Historical Preservation Association, now known as the Dublin Historical Society, and also served as chair of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce which, according to Houston, was one of the main reasons she decided to run for a seat on the council.
“Some chairs of the chamber perform their duties as a ceremonial figurehead,” Houston said in a statement to the Pleasanton Weekly. “Janet was different, she had ideas and worked hard to promote Dublin business. It was very noticeable; I knew that her leadership would be valuable on the City Council.”
During her tenure, Lockhart oversaw significant growth and development in the city including projects such as the Hacienda Crossings, the West Dublin–Pleasanton BART Station, the Dublin Ranch development and the opening of the Dublin Senior Center, according to a Feb. 4 press release from the city.
Houston said Lockhart also pushed for the adoption of the city’s inclusionary housing ordinance, which sets housing aside for low-income residents.
“She supported the city through a period of planned growth in housing, retail and public infrastructure that helped shape Dublin into a more economically vibrant community,” the Dublin press release stated.
But for Houston, one of Lockhart’s greatest achievements for the city was when she advocated for the acquisition of land and construction of the Dublin Historical Center and Park.
“It was the old Romley’s Shopping Center, and I wanted to redevelop it into an office complex,” Houston said. “Janet made a strong case to make it a historical attraction and amenity, and that’s what happened. If not for Janet Lockhart, we would not have the historical park today.”
Apart from her time on city government, Lockhart remained deeply involved in the community and, in particular, in the educational world. According to Houston, Lockhart served as the executive director of the Dublin Partners in Education and helped create enrichment programs for high school students in the Tri-Valley.
“Always an active supporter of schools, she helped foster the growth of Dublin Partners in Education and partnered with the school district in cost-sharing initiatives,” Houston said.
Most notably, she was an avid supporter of initiatives such as the School of Imagination & Happy Talkers, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that primarily supports early childhood education for kids of all abilities.
According to the school’s website, Lockhart was “instrumental in helping to bring the school into their current facility, working with city officials and the land developers to carve out the space and provide for the construction of the new school”.
“Janet was so much more than a supporter — she was one of the founding believers in what the School of Imagination & Happy Talkers could become,” the school stated in a Facebook post Feb. 4. “Her vision, courage, and determination turned a dream into a real home for our children. We will forever be grateful.”
Lockhart’s late husband, Steven Lockhart, who died in December at age 78 in Colorado where the couple had relocated, also served as the first board chair for the School of Imagination and was similarly involved in many Dublin’s commissions, boards and other organizations.
“The Lockharts were a team,” Houston said. “They were an important part of the Dublin and Tri-Valley community.”
In honor of her service to the city she called home for so many years, Dublin lowered its flags to half-staff from Feb. 4 to Feb. 9 at the Dublin Civic Center and Dublin Police Services.
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