After stepping away from public office, Ryan Coonerty is ready to lead again. Coonerty, a former Santa Cruz city councilmember and county supervisor, has been named as the new executive director of Leadership Santa Cruz County, a local nonprofit that teaches leadership skills across a broad spectrum of industries and ages.
Former city employee Susie O’Hara is running against UC Santa Cruz student Joe Thompson in the race for the Santa Cruz City Council’s 5th District. O’Hara has served on boards and commissions and in various roles for the city and county for more than a decade.
While it might be easy to get sentimental in the wake of these announcements, neither supervisor plans to take their foot off the gas during the year they have left in office.
Sempervirens Fund has hired longtime local political analyst and strategist Rachel Dann for its newly established director of government relations position. For more than two decades, Dann has served as an aide and analyst for politicians such as former U.S. Rep. Sam Farr and former Santa Cruz County 3rd District Supervisor Ryan Coonerty, among others.
"I believe Monica has the right skill set, experience and dedication to our community needed to take on this role," said McPherson in a release shared Sunday. "She has been a terrific leader for our County, especially when it comes to health and human services, which are critical areas for the Board of Supervisors. I know she will work hard for the people of the Fifth District."