San Rafael, CA – Kate Sears, who represents Southern Marin County as District 3 Supervisor, was sworn in January 8 as President of the Marin County Board of Supervisors. It’s her second time at the helm.
Except for her college years, Supervisor Kate Sears has lived in Marin most of her life. Sears, a Sausalito resident, was voted to the post unanimously during the Board’s first meeting of the new calendar year. She replaces District 1 Supervisor Damon Connolly as the Board member who presides over weekly meetings.
Also during the meeting, the Board voted to have District 2 Supervisor Katie Rice serve as Vice President and District 4 Supervisor Dennis Rodoni serve as Second Vice President. Connolly and Supervisor Judy Arnold, who represents District 1, were sworn in to new four-year terms as a follow-up to their election victories in June 2018.
“As Board President, I look forward to working with my colleagues on initiatives that help us address the challenges of creating a more just and equitable Marin while facing the growing imperatives of climate change and sea level rise,” Sears said. “This will require our renewed commitment to excellent communication and collaboration both inside County government and with all who hold a stake in creating a better future.”
An attorney by profession, Sears was appointed to the Board by Governor Jerry Brown in May 2011 after the passing of Supervisor Charles McGlashan. Sears then won election to the seat in June 2012 and was re-elected in June 2016. Among her constituents are residents of Mill Valley, Sausalito, Tiburon, Belvedere and nearby unincorporated communities including Marin City, Tamalpais Valley, Almonte, Strawberry, and Alto-Sutton Manor.
Sears was an attorney in private practice for 16 years before joining the Consumer Law Section of the California Attorney General's Office in 2005. As a Supervising Deputy Attorney General, she negotiated an $8.6 billion nationwide settlement with Countrywide Financial for predatory lending and supervised legal teams that investigated fraudulent conduct related to the country’s 2008 financial crisis.
Sears grew up in Southern Marin and has lived there most of her life. Venturing from California, she earned a degree in Asian studies at Carleton College in Minnesota, a masters in Chinese studies at the University of Washington, a doctorate in political science from the University of Michigan and a law degree from Harvard.
As a County Supervisor, Sears’ top priorities are creating healthy and equitable communities, improving public transit options, taking care of Marin’s senior and vulnerable residents, addressing the housing affordability crisis, adapting to climate change, enhancing renewable energy, and protecting the environment.
As Board President, Sears will run the Board’s meetings to get the business of County government done while continue the County’s ongoing commitment to encouraging public participation. The President speaks for the Board as a whole once the Board has taken action and works with County staff to set agendas. The Board is both the legislative and executive body of Marin County government. The Board adopts policies, establishes programs, appoints non-elected department heads, and adopts annual budgets for 22 County departments.
The Board meets most Tuesday mornings at the Marin County Civic Center’s Board chamber, Suite 330, 3501 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael. Meeting start times vary, and occasionally agenda items are heard by the Board in the afternoons. All Board meetings are televised live on Comcast channel 27 in Marin County and streamed live on www.marincounty.org. Videos of the meetings dating to 2005 are archived on the website as well.
All public meetings and events sponsored or conducted by the County of Marin are held at accessible sites. If you are a person with a disability and require information or materials in alternative formats – or if you require accommodation to participate in a county program, service or activity – please contact department staff at (415) 473-7331 or (415) 473-4381 (voice/TTY) or e-mail disabilityaccess@marincounty.org.