We adjourn tonight’s meeting in memory of one of the founding members of the City of Santa Clarita and a beloved friend – Jan Heidt.
Jan Heidt was a former naval officer, business owner, councilmember and mayor of Santa Clarita.
She was born in Saginaw, Michigan on January 27, 1939.
She graduated from Michigan State University in 1961 with a degree in Psychology.
After college, Jan became a Navy officer, serving two years as a Communications Officer at the Navy Communication Center in the Pentagon.
During her time there, she provided classified message service to the Chief of Naval Operations and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
She was on duty during the historic Cuban Missile Crisis as well as the Kennedy assassination.
Jan also served as a personnel officer at the Naval Communications Unit in Naples, Italy as well as a recruiter in Los Angeles and Washington D.C.
It was in Los Angeles that she met her husband Gerald, better known as Jerry, at a real estate event where he was also working.
Jan and Jerry married in 1968 and moved to the San Fernando Valley.
A few years later, they would then move to the Santa Clarita Valley where she would take on a crucial role in creating our cityhood.
During the late 70s, Jan became a member of the Declining Enrollment Task Force with the Sulphur Springs School District helping create surveys, and then joined the District Council, where she helped identify goals and objectives of the community.
During this time, Jan also co-founded the “Dump the Dump” Task Force in 1978, which implemented a plan that was successful in preventing two toxic waste dumps from being located in the Santa Clarita Valley.
She was also a Hazardous Waste Chairperson on the PTA Council where she co-authored a resolution that was adopted by the National and California State Parent Teacher Association in 1979.
In 1984, Jan co-founded the Santa Clarita Valley Hazardous Waste Committee which developed a partnership between the community, government and businesses.
It was also in the early 80s when Jan integrated herself into the business community, opening her beloved bookstore – One for the Books in 1982.
Just years later, Jan became the spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Homeowners Coalition where she spoke on behalf of homeowner associations, providing assistance and testimony before Los Angeles County regarding growth, planning and infrastructure.
During this time, she actively sought to bring local government to Santa Clarita.
Jan helped create the City Incorporation Committee, and when Santa Clarita officially became a City in 1987, she was elected as one of the first City Council members and elected as the City’s second Mayor.
While on the City Council, Jan was integral to the creation of a City-wide recycling program, the Oak Tree Preservation ordinance and the opposition of the proposed Elsmere Canyon landfill.
She also helped organize a Gulf military personnel flag recognition event.
Another one of her passions was local transportation – she pushed for better transit options here in Santa Clarita.
For years, Jan sat on multiple rail and transportation commissions, always fighting to bring more environmentally friendly transportation opportunities to residents, including Metrolink.
Her work, along with the entire City Council resulted in the addition of three Metrolink stations in the City in the span of 10 years, with the Newhall Station being named after Jan in 2000.
She served diligently on the City Council until 2000, serving 13 years altogether.
Jan served as the Mayor of Santa Clarita, in 1989, 1993 and 1998.
Her accomplishments and the instrumental role she played in creating the foundation for the Santa Clarita we know today will be forever remembered.
Jan Hedit passed away on November 20, at the age of 84.
Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband Jerry, their son Matthew, their daughter Robin and four grandchildren, Anna, Ariel, Anika and Detrik.
We will always owe a debt of gratitude to Jan for her work and dedication to Santa Clarita and the vision she created for our community.
She will be greatly missed.