City Clerk Zizette Mullins, a Burbank resident of more than 40 years, shares her history with the city for her Burbank City Council candidate profile. Mullins has held the position of city clerk for a decade, previously owned her own Burbank business, and is a 2013 graduate of Burbank Leadership, a local nonprofit that offers preparation to emerging leaders. As she visited Castaway in her adolescent years, Mullins “fell in love with [her] home,” she says, and she continues to enjoy the “small-town charm” of the area to this day.
How long have you been a Burbank resident? What first brought you to the city?
I moved to Burbank over 40 years ago. When I was a teenager, my family often went to the Castaway restaurant. I so enjoyed the drive to the restaurant through the beautiful neighborhoods. Even then I recognized the feeling of community and the energy that makes Burbank such an inviting city. I fell in love with my home when I first moved here, and that feeling has grown every year.
What do you enjoy most about Burbank?
There are many things that make Burbank special for me. Our city has retained its small-town charm but also offers everything much larger cities have – excellent public service, fine dining, entertainment, a widely recognized film and television industry and a culturally diverse population, to name just a few. I also feel that Burbank is a very safe community with an excellent school system, making it a great place to raise a family.
Where is your go-to place to have a good time in Burbank?
Burbank has many great restaurants and venues to enjoy, which makes it difficult to pick just one place. However, my family and I always feel at home at Tequilas restaurant. I love the outdoor atmosphere accompanied by the delicious food.
Tell us a little bit about your background leading up to your candidacy.
I was born in Cairo, Egypt, immigrated with my family to the United States in 1977 when I was 13 years old, and attended Hollywood High School. As a student, I enjoyed playing volleyball, acted in local theater and enjoyed summers at the beach listening to the best hits of the 1980s. After graduating high school, I worked for Wells Fargo as a customer service representative before becoming an employee of the City of Glendale Water and Power Department.
Climbing within the department and city, I served in roles in the Finance Department, Economic Development Department, and the Glendale City Manager’s Office. Respected by my peers, I was elected president of the Glendale City Employees Association, where I managed employee grievances and bargained compensation and benefits on behalf of over 1,500 city employees. As a union leader, I believed in maintaining amicable relationships with all I worked with and delivered for the members without creating adversarial relationships with the city’s management team.
While working for the City of Glendale, my sister and I opened Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Burbank, where I had lived since 1982. As a small business owner, I learned how to juggle even more responsibilities, from customer service to payroll. Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory was a fixture in downtown Burbank for nearly a decade, bringing smiles and sweet treats to all generations of Burbankians.
In June 2012, after the retirement of the Burbank City Clerk, Margarita Campos, I applied and was unanimously appointed by the Burbank City Council to be city clerk and would later win a full term when I was elected by voters in 2013. I was subsequently re-elected to a second term in 2017.
As city clerk, I expanded the mission and work of the City Clerk’s Office. Beyond the maintenance of city records and administration of municipal elections, I partnered with the Burbank Unified School District to launch voter registration initiatives targeted at high school students, increasing the youth voter registration rate in the city. Additionally, I launched the passport services program at the Clerk’s Office, which has led to the generation of over $2.8 million in new revenue for the city’s general fund.
I am a proud mother of two graduates of Burbank schools and a stepmother to one. I am married to Mike, and we live in Magnolia Park with our dog, Zoe. My children are grown, and I am also a proud grandmother to five incredible grandchildren.
What is a fun fact about yourself that you’d like to share?
I love spending my spare time with my family, especially my five grandchildren. I also love to travel and see the world; my favorite city is Paris. I fell in love with it as soon as I landed.
Note: Some answers have been edited for clarity. All answers are provided by candidates and do not denote verification on behalf of myBurbank.
