Quick Take
Theresa Ann Bond believes her work as a school board trustee and for the state Department of Public Health and her devotion to the community make her an ideal candidate for the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. She says she has been a tireless advocate and someone willing to work seven days a week to get the job done.
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.
I serve today as a government official with multicounty jurisdiction as a school board trustee in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. I was elected to two terms in my elementary school district and now am in the high school district. Board of education trustees are on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week to care for our families’ needs.
I have had the pleasure of attending many joyous occasions, including births, quinceaneras, awards ceremonies, graduations, student events and employee retirement parties. I have volunteered for our registrar of voters to register folks to vote and as a clerk at our election polls. And in hard times, I have supported constituents with damage from climate disasters, needing support at crime scenes and in hospital waiting rooms. I have spoken at family gatherings when a loved one challenged by addiction died by suicide. I’ve delivered eulogies when grieving children placed in foster care had no one to speak about their parent.
Recently I joined the search for a young adult who disappeared and became a missing person. During the pandemic, I joined the state’s public health team and received training from the California Department of Public Health and Johns Hopkins/UC San Francisco on virus epidemiology. Governing during a state of emergency means a higher-level protocol for elected officials. Making decisions that can save lives for those you are governing. It’s a big deal. I was in three meetings a day during the state of emergency – one for all elected officials, one for board of education trustees, and one because I worked for CDPH. I then volunteered three days a week as a contact tracer and case investigator and at our elementary school COVID-19 tests to students to stop an outbreak from closing the campus.
As a trustee, I regularly participate as a panelist to support educational training and workshops, legislative action advocating for education. I also encourage our students to give public comments locally, at our state capitol and at the federal level. I now go to Washington, D.C., annually to advocate for education and our local community response and recovery to disasters. I also attend media events of all kinds, particularly those celebrating new laws or focusing on teen mental health. I meet regularly with local, county, state and federal officials to advocate for families and students. I enjoy spending time in our community and working with nonprofit and private partners.
Leadership is a regular function of the elected office I currently hold, and with all this experience, I don’t know who fits the role better than myself.
Theresa Ann Bond’s campaign site is here.