The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors Tuesday unanimously elected George Shirakawa as its new president, replacing Dave Cortese.

Shirakawa will discuss his ideas for the year at his State of the County address on Jan. 24.

In a statement, Shirakawa said, "I am pleased to have the support of my colleagues on the Board of Supervisors and look forward to working with the county administration, staff and community to tackle the challenges facing us in 2012."

Shirakawa was elected to the board in 2008 to represent District 2 of Santa Clara County, which is comprised entirely of the central, southern and eastern parts of San Jose.  As Chair of the County’s Public Safety and Justice Committee, President Shirakawa has led the Re-Entry Network Initiative and oversees the state-mandated realignment of the county’s justice system to ensure public safety is maintained and improved.  He has been recognized nationally for his leadership on the county’s groundbreaking civil detainer policy.

He served as vice president of the board last year.

The grandson of a decorated World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veteran, Shirakawa enlisted in the U.S. Army, where he reached the rank of sergeant. He has four children and three grandchildren.

—Bay City News Service contributed to this report