Chuck Della Sala was born in Monterey on September 2, 1955, one of five children of Charles Sr. and Monterey native Rose Marie (Bruno) Della Sala. He was raised in the Del Monte Grove and Old Town neighborhoods of Monterey and attended public schools, graduating from Monterey High School in 1973 and from Santa Clara University with a bachelor's degree in business in 1977. Chuck is the Managing Realtor of the family business.
Prior to his service on the City Council, he served as chairman of the City of Monterey Planning Commission. He is past president of the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce and a recipient of the Chamber 's Littlefield Award. He served as president of Monterey Pony Baseball/Softball for 5 years and helped to secure funding for the improvements we enjoy today at Jack's Park. Chuck was elected to the Monterey City Council in 2002, elected Mayor in 2008 and re-elected to mayor in 2010 and 2012. In 2008 Mayor Della Sala received the distinguished Alumni Award from Monterey Peninsula College for noteworthy achievement in the fields of business, public policy and community service.
Mayor Della Sala served as Monterey's representative to the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) With TAMC he played a key role in reducing traffic congestion at Highway 68 and Ragsdale Drive. He has been an instrumental leader in the beautification of Monterey through his advocacy of Window-on-the Bay Park. In February 2012 he was elected as the first president of the Monterey Peninsula Regional Water Authority by all Monterey Peninsula Mayors and served as president until July 2014.
Under Mayor Della Sala's leadership, the Monterey City Council developed a shared vision for the future of Monterey as follows: Monterey is committed to be a model city for its quality of life driven by responsiveness of local government, historical and cultural preservation, mobility opportunities emphasizing pedestrians over vehicles, economic sustainability, a strong sense of place and good stewardship of the natural environment.
During the mayor's tenure, Monterey acquired and added a parcel to the beautiful waterfront park, adopted a Green Building Ordinance that is good for the environment and good for business, and delivered a balanced budget year after year. He established a blue-ribbon committee for the revitalization of downtown Monterey which contributed greatly to the vision of Monterey and the Monterey Conference Center. Working with Monterey hoteliers, the Monterey City Council agreed to impose a conference center facilities fee that visitors pay, to raise $32 million to fund the revitalization of the center. Planning for a state-of-the art conference center is now underway. In November 2014, Measure P passed with 74% of the votes cast in favor of a 1 percent sales tax increase for a period of 4 years to fund improvements to Monterey streets, sidewalks and storm drains. Mayor Della Sala played an instrumental role in the success of the passage of Measure P. He believes that all that has been accomplished was done by outstanding citizens, a terrific staff and City Council working together for the greater good of our community.
Chuck has learned the value of teamwork and consensus building and has applied these qualities and skills in business, in community service activities and in community government activities.
Mayor Della Sala and his wife, Sandy, have two adult children. He often says
"I make a living as a businessman, I make my life by giving back to my hometown."