With the start of a new year, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has elected a new chair and welcomes a new representative for District 1. Today’s SoCo Correspondent introduces you to both women and provides a preview of some of the big items expected to come this year. You will also find stories about a major new investment at the airport, the start of construction on a new low-income housing project in Guerneville, and an opportunity to help the County better understand the extent of homelessness in our communities.

If you have a friend or family member who lives in the area – or you know of a former Sonoma County resident who might be interested in receiving these updates – urge them to sign up for the SoCo Correspondent so they can receive it directly, normally on the first and third week of each month.

¿Está interesado en leer sobre lo que hace el Condado de Sonoma dos veces al mes? Este boletín estará disponible en español. Regístrese aquí para suscribirse a nuestro boletín, el SoCo Correspondent.

A standing-room-only crowd witnessed a moment of history Tuesday as Sonoma Valley resident Rebecca Hermosillo became the first Latina to join the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors since the County’s founding in 1850.

The audience rose to its feet and erupted into enthusiastic applause and cheers after Hermosillo was administered the oath of office, first in Spanish by her mother Maria, then in English by her son Ramon.

Hermosillo succeeds retired Supervisor Susan Gorin as the representative for District 1, which covers the Sonoma Valley and a large swath of southeastern Sonoma County. The proud daughter of Mexican immigrants, Hermosillo was born in the Sonoma Valley and grew up on the Leveroni Dairy, where her father was a milker. She credits her family for instilling a work ethic that propelled a single mother to a college degree and a career in the private and public sectors while raising two sons. For the last 12 years she worked in the office of Rep. Mike Thompson, most recently as senior district representative.

“It’s a really exciting day to be here,” Supervisor Hermosillo said. “I know we have a lot of really good work to do, and I’m excited to do that with my District 1 team and my colleagues and the whole County family.”

From left, Supervisors David Rabbitt, James Gore, Lynda Hopkins, Rebecca Hermosillo and Chris Coursey. (Photos by Jak Wonderly)

Supervisor Lynda Hopkins was elected 2025 chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday in a unanimous vote of the five-member body, succeeding the board’s outgoing chair, Supervisor David Rabbitt.

Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo was elected vice chair, and Supervisor James Gore was named chair pro-tem.

Supervisor Hopkins, who represents District 5, was unopposed in her bid for a third term last March. She pledged to uphold the community’s values Tuesday after she was sworn into office by her three children.

“As chair, my biggest goal is to prove that government works,” Supervisor Hopkins said. “This year let’s double down on my favorite phrase, ‘community engagement.’ Let’s make government the best that it can be. Let’s show people that we have their backs and that we will work, not only for them, but with them, to make their communities a better place.”

District 3 Supervisor Chris Coursey, who was elected to a second term last March, was sworn into office Tuesday by two of his three grandchildren.

“Our focus is steady,” Supervisor Coursey said. “We are here to take care of the health and safety of everyone who lives in this county. It doesn't matter where they are from, what language they speak, what god they pray to, who they love, or who they voted for. That is my pledge for the next four years. I make it to you, I make it to my grandsons, and I make it to this community.”

What issues would you like to see the Board of Supervisors tackle in 2025? Share your suggestions tomorrow during a special meeting of the Board of Supervisors in Sebastopol.

At the beginning of each year, Sonoma County supervisors hold an offsite meeting to discuss their agenda priorities for the upcoming year. The public is invited to address the Board of Supervisors during the Friday, Jan. 10 meeting, which will be held at 9 a.m. at Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St.

“This meeting is a chance for our board to align our priorities and lay the groundwork for the coming year,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We want to hear from as many constituents as possible so that the community’s priorities are truly reflected in the work that we do.”

Spanish translation will be available. If a commenter is unable to attend in person, they may email comments for the Board of Supervisors to bos@sonoma-county.org.

It’s an uncomfortable fact: Despite all of the wealth in Sonoma County, many people are struggling to make ends meet.

Approximately 1 in 3 residents receive help with food, medical care and other types of assistance through safety net programs administered by the Sonoma County Human Services Department. The department is dedicated to addressing the root causes of poverty through responsive services that provide innovative, compassionate support.

The numbers in the chart above are more than just data. They represent real people – individuals who are our friends, neighbors, coworkers and fellow community members.

If you need help, or would like to support a local organization that provides safety net services, connect with local resources at 211sonoma.org.

The Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport is undertaking a $5.7 million project to rebuild and expand an aging section of pavement where commercial aircraft are parked, boarded, loaded and refueled.

The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved the plan to rebuild Apron C, which is located on the west side of the main terminal. The apron was built in the early 1960s, when the airport offered a fraction of the flights it does today, and currently has space to park four commercial jets. Roughly a third of the apron was rehabilitated in 2015, but the remaining pavement has deteriorated as commercial airline traffic increased.

The project, which is funded by the Federal Aviation Administration, will rebuild the apron and expand it to serve six airplanes. The project is estimated to begin in the summer of 2026 and expected to be completed by the end of that year.

“This is an important and much-needed investment in safety upgrades,” said Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “I applaud the County’s public infrastructure team for being proactive in securing federal grant funding to address the matter in a cost-effective way.”

The Board of Supervisors authorized the Sonoma County Public Infrastructure Department to execute a $5.1 million agreement with Granite Construction, a Watsonville-based construction company, to rebuild Apron C at the airport. The Board also authorized up to $580,000 in contracts with C&S Technical Resources and Mead & Hunt for construction management and engineering services on the project.

This is part of an ongoing series of profiles highlighting public servants across a variety of departments at the County of Sonoma.

Name: Janet Arana

Title: Senior account clerk, the Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office

Years with County: 3

Personal side: I was born and raised in Healdsburg, the youngest of three first-generation American children. I have an almost 2-year-old daughter, Rosanna, who basically runs my life now (I wouldn’t have it any other way!).

What do you do? I work in the Revenue Accounting Division, which is responsible for billing, collecting and processing property taxes for the County.

My role is to help taxpayers understand what their property taxes are, as well as collect their payments. Surprisingly, there are a lot of people who don’t know or understand property taxes and why home and business owners have to pay them. I explain how and why we collect property taxes and help them prepare for their property tax bills after they purchase a home.

What gives you fulfillment? Most of my work is serving the public, whether it’s over the phone or in the office. What puts a smile on my face is when the customer thanks me for my “excellent customer service.” I can then see that I’m doing my part to help the community understand property taxes.

What is one of the biggest misconceptions about the Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office? The biggest misconception is that we are mean people who are out to get everyone for their money just to pay our salaries. That is the farthest thing from the truth. Nearly half of every dollar paid in property taxes goes to fund local schools. Just over a quarter goes to fund County programs, and the rest is split up almost equally among cities, special districts (which provide services like fire protection, water, sewage treatment, health care and pest abatement) and redevelopment programs (which reduce blight in our communities). Many of these taxes have been approved by voters who have chosen to fund programs they want in their communities.



Passions outside of work? My greatest passion would be spending time and creating new memories with my husband and our daughter. We really enjoy road trips, and I love traveling to Mexico to visit my family as well as my husband’s family in beautiful Mazatlán.

Every year on a single morning in January, teams of volunteers fan out across Sonoma County to count every homeless person they can find.

The annual Point-in-Time Count provides crucial data that are used to obtain funding and inform decisions on local programs that address homelessness. Volunteers are needed this year for the 2025 Point-in-Time Count, which will take place Jan. 31 from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. Participants will form teams of friends and family members to conduct a visual tally of people experiencing homelessness, meeting at a central deployment center before walking or driving their assigned routes.

Last year, volunteers identified 2,522 people experiencing homelessness in Sonoma County, an increase of 11 percent from 2023.

A long-held plan to create affordable housing in the lower Russian River area finally got underway last month when construction crews razed the old George’s Hideaway tavern outside Guerneville along Highway 116.

The County purchased the property in 2022 and transferred it on Dec. 4 to Burbank Housing, which is building 21 units of permanent supportive housing on the site. 

“I have made it a top priority to provide solutions for residents of the west county who are impacted by homelessness,” said District 5 Supervisor Lynda Hopkins, who represents west Sonoma County. “George’s Hideaway is a big step in the right direction.”

The housing development is expected to open late next fall. It will serve households with annual incomes up to 30 percent of the area median income for Sonoma County, classified as "extremely low-income" households. A one-person household would have to make $29,050 or less to qualify.

The development will include a “navigation center” operated by West County Community Services to help residents, their neighbors and people experiencing homelessness access employment, health care and other support services.

Miranda gets a hug from District Attorney Carla Rodriguez.

It’s safe to say that Miranda is the most-loved employee in the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office. For the last nine years, the soulful black Labrador Retriever has served as a calming presence for crime victims, witnesses and Hall of Justice employees alike in need of comfort and solace.

Miranda was the first-ever Court Facility Comfort Dog in the District Attorney’s Office. A graduate of Paws As Loving Support Assistance Dogs, she joined the office in 2015 and spent her younger years accompanying victims to the witness stand. Placing her head in their laps or laying at their feet, Miranda provided an emotional connection that gave many the composure and courage to testify in court. In later years, she spent most of her time greeting victims and witnesses in the District Attorney’s Office.

Last month, Miranda retired from the Victims Service Division at the age of 10 (or 67 in dog years). She helped train her two successors: Darla, a black Lab who joined the District Attorney’s Office in 2022, and Lucy, a yellow Lab who was certified to work with the public in June. Miranda, who continues to live with her handler, Deputy District Attorney Jessalee Mills, was honored on Jan. 7 by the Board of Supervisors with a gold resolution for her years of compassionate service.

“Miranda has empowered and offered unwavering support to crime victims when they needed it the most,” District Attorney Carla Rodriquez said. “She paved the way for other comfort dogs to be trained and placed in Sonoma County for the benefit of survivors and their loved ones.”

Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit will open its second station in Petaluma tomorrow, the latest expansion of the 45-mile rail system.

SMART officials will gather at noon Friday, Jan. 10, to celebrate the opening of the new Petaluma North station, located at 320 Corona Road. The grand opening of SMART’s Petaluma North train station marks an exciting milestone for our regional transit system, said District 2 Supervisor David Rabbitt, who represents the Petaluma area and serves on the SMART board of directors and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

“As Petaluma’s second station, it expands transportation options, improves mobility with new segments of the SMART pathway, and strengthens regional connections,” Supervisor Rabbitt said. “With the Downtown Petaluma Station already the busiest in the system, we expect this new station to further enhance opportunities for residents, students, workers, and visitors, underscoring SMART’s commitment to a sustainable and connected transportation future."

The Petaluma North station is the 13th opened by SMART, which currently runs trains daily between Larkspur and the Airport Business Center north of Santa Rosa. The Windsor station is slated to open this spring. and future stations are planned in Healdsburg and Cloverdale.

The Independent Office of Law Enforcement Review and Outreach has partnered with Sonoma State University to survey the public’s views on “community-oriented policing,” a philosophy where law enforcement agencies and the people they serve work together as partners to solve problems and keep communities safe.

A goal of the survey is to determine whether the public and the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office have similar perceptions about the use of community-oriented policing strategies. It is overseen by SSU professor Emily Asencio, chair of the university’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies.

“The goal is to get data on how the community feels the Sheriff’s Office is doing with community-oriented policing, how the sheriffs think they are doing, and then assess if there are any gaps," Asencio said.

If gaps are identified, a third party will be asked to suggest ways to help close them, Asencio said.

Prior research suggests community policing is an effective way to prevent crime and defuse tensions between law enforcement and the communities they serve. SSU has been collecting data from the Sheriff’s Office about its policies, practices and attitudes related to community policing and is now collecting data from the public about its perceptions of community policing practices.

The anonymous survey has approximately 20 questions and will take about 15 minutes to complete.

Johannes Hoevertsz, director of Sonoma County Public Infrastructure, right, speaks with County Communications Manager Paul Gullixson during a new episode of SoCo Chat.

We use them every day – roads, bridges, the local airport and other County-owned properties. Listen to the County’s weekly podcast, SoCo Chat, for an update on the work to repair local roads after recent storms and the major projects that are planned in the new year. The latest episode features an interview with Johannes Hoevertsz, director of Sonoma County Public Infrastructure.

Subscribe to SoCo Chat on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube, and check out our growing library of episodes in both English and Spanish (Descubre nuestra creciente selección de episodios en inglés y español). Recent guests and topics of discussion have included:

• There’s a County program that can help you pay for a host of improvements to your home or business – things like a new roof and windows, a solar energy system, and much more. Terri Somers, manager of the Sonoma County Energy Independence Program, explains how it works.
• District 1 Supervisor Susan Gorin, who represented nearly 98,000 residents of the Sonoma Valley and a large swath of southeastern Sonoma County, stepped down last month after nearly three decades of public service. She recently sat down with SoCo Chat to look back at the many highs – and a few lows – of her time in office.
• This year, the County expanded a program that sends teams of mental health professionals to help people in crisis, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Wendy Tappon, who oversees the Mobile Support Team program, explains how it works – and how you can get help for yourself or someone in need. 

The County currently has nearly 50 job openings posted on its website. How can you improve your chances of landing one?

Sign up for the next Start Here! class, which provides an overview of the County of Sonoma’s job application, examination and selection processes. The two-hour virtual class will be held Feb. 4 at 10 a.m.

The free class is intended for the public, whether you are looking for a new position now or planning for a future employment opportunity. Participants will learn how to submit a thorough application, best practices for the interview and examination, and much more.

Contact us at careers@sonoma-county.org to register for the Feb. 4 class or sign up for our mailing list to be notified of future classes.

Get involved with local government

Make a difference in Sonoma County! Local government thrives when passionate individuals like you step up to serve. There are countless opportunities for you to get involved and play a crucial role in shaping the future of our beloved Sonoma County. Check out the current vacancies:



• Child Care Planning Council of Sonoma County: Advocating for comprehensive child care planning and coordination throughout our county.
• Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County: Collaborating with low-income families to achieve economic and social stability.
• Emergency Medical Care Council: Enhancing emergency medical care, overseeing and maintaining the system and coordinating long-term planning for public education and injury prevention.
• Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Advisory Board: Promoting the health and well-being of families, children and adolescents in our community.
• Task Force on Integrated Waste Management: Developing goals, policies and procedures to guide the development of the Siting Element of the county-wide integrated waste management plan.

Your involvement can make a significant impact. Take the first step and explore how you can contribute to a brighter future for Sonoma County.

Volunteer opportunities

Make a difference in your community. Find out how you can give back here.

Employment opportunities

Take your next career step with the County of Sonoma. Explore employment opportunities here.

(stories may require subscriptions)



• Volunteers sought to help with annual homeless count in Sonoma County (Jan. 8)
• Sonoma County firefighters and aid workers rally to help Los Angeles in its time of need (Jan. 8)
• Rebecca Hermosillo sworn in as Sonoma County supervisor, making history as board’s first Latina member (Jan. 7)
• North Bay activists, politicians celebrate Biden’s offshore drilling ban (Jan. 6)
• Creative Sonoma: empowering the community through the arts (Jan. 4)
• Sonoma and Napa counties are stemming wildfire- and pandemic-era population declines (Jan. 1)
• Sonoma County roads projects totaled $72.7 million in 2024 (Dec. 31)
• SSU launches survey on Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office community engagement efforts (Dec. 30)
• Local health officials address bird flu threat: Avoid raw dairy products and get your seasonal flu shot (Dec. 26)
• Susan Gorin retires after nearly 30 years in public office (Dec. 25)
• Former George’s Hideaway tavern in Guerneville torn down to make way for housing project for low-income and formerly homeless people (Dec. 23)
• As Highway 101 widening nears end, focus shifts to transit (Dec. 23)
• Sonoma County Regional Parks receives $550K grant for bike trail project in Schellville (Dec. 23)
• A new lifeline: Santa Rosa mental health crisis team expanding to 24/7 (Dec. 23)
• Somber memorial held for 62 people who died while homeless in Sonoma County this past year (Dec. 20)
• Sonoma County airport on approach for another record passenger year in 2024 (Dec. 20)
• Sonoma County creates solutions to homeless crisis (Dec. 19)
• Sonoma County shares lessons learned from 2017 Tubbs Fire (Dec. 19)
• North Bay law enforcement seeks to reassure communities amid threats and fears of a national immigration crackdown (Dec. 19)
• Sonoma County must suspend non-emergency well drilling under court order (Dec. 18)

Upcoming events

Jan. 9             Lower Russian River Municipal Advisory Council

Jan. 9             Coast Municipal Advisory Council

Jan. 9             Commission on the Status of Women

Jan. 10           Board of Supervisors annual priority setting workshop

Jan. 14           Board of Supervisors

Jan. 15           Aging & Disability Commission

Jan. 16           Coast Municipal Advisory Council

Jan. 16           Dry Creek Valley Citizens Advisory Council

Jan. 16           Homeless Coalition quarterly membership meeting

Jan. 16           Fish and Wildlife Commission

Jan. 20           Martin Luther King Jr. Day (most County offices closed)

Jan. 22           Homeless Coalition Board

Jan. 28           Human Rights Commission

Jan. 30           2025 Economic Perspective conference

Getting outside and enjoying the county

Jan. 10           Parks After Dark: Glow In The Dark – Sonoma Valley Regional Park

Jan. 11           Tidepool Adventures – Pinnacle Gulch Coastal Access Trail

Jan. 12           Sunday Sunset Stroll – Helen Putnam Regional Park

View and sign up for the county's SoCo Chat podcast

Interested in what's going on at the County of Sonoma?

Sign up for the SoCo Correspondent here.

¿Está interesado en leer sobre lo que hace el Condado de Sonoma cada mes? Regístrese aquí para suscribirse a nuestro boletín, el SoCo Correspondent.

A publication of the County Administrator’s Office – Communications Staff