Rodney Tanaka is a lifelong resident of Gardena. He grew up in the city. Attended school locally and loves to let everyone know that he is a proud Gardena High Mohican. Rodney chose Gardena to raise his family and seek employment. He worked for the Gardena Police Department for 31 years and proudly retired as a Lieutenant. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Law Enforcement from Long Beach State University. A Masters of Divinity (MDiv) in Pastoral/Marriage and Family Counseling at BIOLA University and attended Graduate School at Talbot School of Theology. Rodney is a Licensed Pastor through Gardena Valley Baptist Church and ministered on skid row at Union Rescue Mission for 12 years. He has been a member of several civic organizations, like the Kiwana’s, Gardena Carson YMCA, Gardena Elks and Sister City and was an Honoree on the Cities Wall of Fame, just to name a few.
Rodney has served on the City Council since 2017 and has been Mayor Pro-Tem in 2019 and currently holds that position. Tanaka has already made leadership commitments to the City by accepting assignments to represent the City Council and citizens of Gardena as a delegate to the League of California Cities – Los Angeles County Division, to the South Bay Regional Public Communications Authority (currently the Chair of the Board), to the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) and sits on 4 subcommittees while being considered for second vice chair, He also represents Gardena as a board member on the Inglewood Fire Training Facility Authority Commission and as a alternate delegate to the Independent Cities Association (ICA), and the California Cities Gaming Authority.
