[1][2] Mulvale was first elected mayor in 1988, defeating incumbent Bill Perras, after unsuccessfully running against him in 1985.
In February 2002 she was appointed by the Minister of Municipal Affairs, Chris Hodgson to the Central Ontario Smart Growth Panel and its Gridlock Sub-Panel.
In November 2002 Mulvale was asked to sit, as the only actively serving politician in the GTA, on the Steering Committee of the Toronto City Summit Alliance.
Mulvale has been involved with the Association of Municipalities of Ontario since 1990, serving as its president from 2000 to 2004[4] while concurrently Mayor of Oakville.
She was married to Peter Mulvale (deceased 1995) with whom she had two children, David and Robert.