Omar Ahmad (politician)
Omar Ahmad | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of San Carlos, California | |
| In office November 2010 – May 10, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Randy Royce |
| Succeeded by | Andy Klein |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 25, 1964 Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | May 10, 2011 (aged 46) San Carlos, California, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Florida |
| Profession | Internet entrepreneur former C.T.O. of Napster |
Omar Ahmad (June 25, 1964 – May 10, 2011) was an American business executive and politician who served as a chief technology officer of Napster.[1] In 2007, he was elected to the city council of San Carlos, California. He served as Mayor of San Carlos from November 2010 until his death in 2011.[2][3]
Biography
Omar Ahmad was born to immigrant parents from Pakistan in Ohio.[2] His parents, Iftikhar and Nadira Ahmad,[3] became American citizens on July 4, 1976.[2] The family moved to Palatka, Florida, where Ahmad was raised.[2] He pursued a bachelor's degree in materials science engineering at the University of Florida.[2]
In 1991, Ahmad ran unsuccessfully as a candidate for the Gainesville City Commission.[2] He soon left Gainesville, Florida, to take a position with the Discovery Channel in suburban Washington D.C.[2]
Internet entrepreneur
Ahmad spent five years working at the Discovery Channel before moving to Silicon Valley, California in 1998 during the height of the dot-com bubble.[1] His early ventures included positions at the now defunct @Home Network, GrandCentral (which is now Google Voice) and Netscape.[1]
Ahmad then joined Napster as chief technical officer (C.T.O.).[1] As Napster's C.T.O., Ahmad was responsible for shutting down the file sharing site after a series of court rulings against the company.[1]
He went on to establish several other Dot-com companies and Internet startups. He co-founded and served as C.T.O. of TrustedID Inc., a defunct identity theft protection company, and Logictier.[1] His most recent venture was the launch of SynCH Energy Corp, a company whose goal is to convert greenhouse gases released from sewage treatment plants into fuel for automobiles.[1][3]
Philanthropy
Ahmad's philanthropic causes included the National Youth Science Foundation. He served as the executive director of American Muslims Intent on Learning and Activism (AMILA).[1][3] Ahmad was also a contributor and speaker at TED during its conferences.[1]
Political career
Ahmad was elected to the city council of San Carlos, California, in 2007.[4] He was chosen as Mayor of San Carlos by the city council in November 2010, serving in that office until his death in 2011.[4]
Ahmad is credited with helping to eliminate San Carlos' $3.5 million budget deficit in 2010.[3] At the time of Ahmad's death, the city had a $400,000 budget surplus in May 2011, ending eleven years of cuts and deficits.[3]
In addition to elected office, Ahmad served as the vice chairman of the board of directors for Caltrain, the commuter rail in the San Francisco Bay area, and a board member of SamTrans.[3][5][6]
Death
Omar Ahmad suffered a heart attack at his home in San Carlos, California, on the morning of May 10, 2011.[3] He was taken to Sequoia Hospital, in Redwood City, California, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the age of 46.[3] He was survived by his parents, Dr. Iftikhar and Nadira Ahmad, and two sisters, Leah Berry and Fataima Warner.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Amanullah, Shahed (May 11, 2011). "Serving the Public While Riding a Segway". Huffington Post. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g Swirko, Cindy (May 13, 2011). "Past City Commission candidate Ahmad dies". The Gainesville Sun. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kwong, Jessica (May 11, 2011). "Omar Ahmad, mayor of San Carlos, dies at 46". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ a b "San Carlos Mayor dies of heart attack". Bay City News. May 10, 2011. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
- ^ Eslinger, Bonnie (May 10, 2011). "Community stunned by sudden death of San Carlos mayor". The Mercury News. Retrieved July 2, 2023.
- ^ Samuels, Diana (September 27, 2010). "Caltrain installs new suicide prevention signs". The Mercury News. Retrieved July 9, 2023.
External links
- OmarAhmad.com at the Wayback Machine (archived May 9, 2011)
- Omar Ahmad at TED