Holly Andreatta becomes Lincoln mayor

Alyssa Silhi officially ended her term as Lincoln mayor at the Dec. 14 City Council meeting and swore in Vice-Mayor Holly Andreatta as the new Lincoln mayor. Andreatta and Silhi make up the third and fourth women in Lincoln history to serve as mayor. "We are proud to be part of a substantial group of women that were elected in 2018 across Placer County," Andreatta said. "I feel that we have brought new perspectives to the Lincoln City Council and have accomplished good things for Lincoln working with our colleagues on the council." Reflecting on her term as mayor, Silhi said that it's been a "beautiful journey." Silhi said her favorite memory as mayor was at the Dec. 4 tree lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Hometown Christmas downtown event. "Seeing the thousands who showed up to celebrate together was deeply impactful to me," Silhi said. "It was a reminder of why I sacrificed my family life to do this. It felt like we had nearly come full circle and it was emotional." Andreatta's previous experience as vice mayor poses a benefit as she steps into her new role as mayor. "Having had the opportunity to fill in for Mayor Silhi on occasion, plus participating in many council meetings the last three years, I'm familiar with the mechanics of running a meeting," Andreatta said. Andreatta said that Silhi taught her to be more analytical. "Everyone has different ways to process information and she (Silhi) is very good at breaking things down in a very precise analytical manner," Andreatta said. "I've learned to think about issues facing the city in different ways, which is beneficial when we are working through difficult situations." Andreatta's goals as mayor include working with Lincoln's new City Manager Sean Scully and helping him settle into his new role. Andreatta wants Scully's aid in increasing public safety by hiring more staff for the Lincoln Fire Department. Other goals include beginning a plan for airport expansion and profitability, improving the "historic" downtown Lincoln, starting the process for a General Plan update and building trust through public engagement. "Having the chance to serve as mayor just gives me more opportunity to help guide our city in a positive and healthy way," Andreatta said. "I love this town and having the honor to serve as mayor is humbling and thrilling." After serving and working together for the last three years on the council, Silhi is looking forward to watching Andreatta assume the position of mayor during their fourth year of their four-year terms. "She has a wonderful enthusiasm for serving her community, and that will be an asset as she leads the city over the next year," Silhi said of Andreatta. Not only does Lincoln have women serving these important city positions, but according to Silhi, It's the first time that South Placer cities all had women at the lead. Last year, both mayors of Roseville and Rocklin were also women. "While I don't believe gender is a factor in how well a person can lead, it did feel significant and consequential to have the mayor and vice-mayor be women, and working women with families at home at that," Silhi said. "Our daughters are watching - my daughter is watching - and I believe it's impactful for them to see them (women), as RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) famously said, '(Women) belong in all places where decisions are being made.'"