The Portola Valley Town Council members appointed Maryann Derwin as mayor and Craig Hughes as vice mayor during a meeting over Zoom last week.

Council members chose Derwin to be the town's new mayor, and Hughes to serve as vice mayor, for 2021 during the Dec. 9 meeting.

Council member John Richards nominated Derwin, whose term ends in 2022, while outgoing Mayor Jeff Aalfs nominated Hughes.

Derwin was elected to the council in 2005. She grew up in Mendocino County and moved to Portola Valley in 1992 for the "good schools and the bucolic rural ambiance."

Hughes, whose term also ends in 2022, was elected to the council in 2013. Hughes is chief technical officer for Cognoa, a startup that uses machine learning and diagnostic data collected on more than 10,000 children to form the basis for an algorithm to analyze a child's behavior using information provided by the child's parents.

Council members and residents also bid Ann Wengert adieu after 13 years on the council. Derwin said she might cry when describing Wengert's contributions to the town. As a woman, Wengert helped diversify the once all-male council, Derwin said.

Aalfs and challenger Sarah Wernikoff, a Portola Valley School District volunteer with a background in web-based product management, were elected to the council in November, beating retired family physician Mary Hufty and technologist Angela Hey, who sits on the town's Bicycle, Pedestrian and Traffic Safety Committee.

View a video of the meeting here.