Quick Take
Kim De Serpa believes her 14 years on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board of trustees and her job as a clinical social worker and hospital leader give her insights the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors needs. She says she has more than 30 years of experience, an understanding of budget and a deep concern for people.
Editor’s note: Lookout editors wanted to give you a chance to hear from candidates directly. But we also did not want them to simply repeat their campaign slogans. So we asked them a single question: “How will you provide the sort of leadership our community needs and how are you prepared to meet the moment as it arises?”
We gave them 500 words to answer. We hope their answers will provide one more outlet of information as you decide who to vote for on March 5.
Both Joe Simitian and Sam Farr separately told me the toughest elected office they ever held was school board trustee. If this is true, I am certainly the most well-prepared candidate in the race for District 2.
My 14 years on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District board of trustees has taught me about governance and making a difference. I represent Area 1, but in my heart and in my leadership, I represent all students and families in the school district. I have presided over a $330 million budget, made decisions always putting students at the center, made choices to support arts, music, sports programs and counseling. I’ve also partnered with Emeril Lagasse, Edward James Olmos and Salman Khan to bring specialized programs to our students, awarded millions in outside grants to fund innovation and attracted a talented and excellent superintendent.
I turned our district around by improving literacy rates by more than 50% and providing a lifetime of opportunities to vulnerable children and their families. PVUSD educates half of the county’s children, which makes these accomplishments particularly meaningful.
An important and little-known part of the job of a county supervisor is constituency casework. As a clinical social worker and leader in the hospital, I know all medical cases have urgency. I pledge to work on constituent issues with this same degree of commitment to resolve problems efficiently and quickly. I deeply understand how programs work or don’t for people trying to access important services and will aim to improve these for our community.
My leadership style stems from my optimism and an “anything is possible” attitude. I demand excellence in myself and excellence in the leaders and staff around me.
In many situations in my adult life and on the job, like most people, I have been confronted with barriers and issues that seem insurmountable. Instead of complaining about what can’t be done, I have always rolled up my sleeves and found solutions to complex problems. This has had a direct effect on the quality of people’s lives in our community.
I intend to do the same in my role as supervisor.
I am confident, mature, kind and professional, with 30 years of experience in social services and health care. I care about people and serving them. I grew up on the Central Coast and will use my contacts in government across the region to further our shared values and goals.
Kim De Serpa’s campaign site is here.