Kim De Serpa has held her seat on the Pajaro Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees for more than a decade. In her full-time professional life she serves as social services manager for Salinas valley Memorial Healthcare System.
Now, she says she is ready to take on a new role.
Election results updated on Nov. 19 give her a narrow 731-vote edge over opponent Kristen Brown for the Second District seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors.
In a public statement, De Serpa praised Brown after the close race as she claimed victory.
“With my 15 years on the school board and Kristen Brown’s eight years on the Capitola City Council, this race featured two candidates well-prepared for governance,” she said. “I want to honor and commend Kristen for her dedication and desire to serve District 2.”
With roads high on the list of priorities she heard while on the campaign trail, De Serpa also says she plans to look for ways to further support the county’s senior population.
She takes her seat as a new president prepared to take office, who has been openly hostile to California with threats to punish the state by withholding federal funding.
That’s as the state braces for a possible economic recession.
“I think we’re going into some dark budget times,” she says.
As a PVUSD trustee, De Serpa helped the district weather the 2008 recession, and build back as the financial picture improved.
Still, she acknowledged that the coming years will be a challenge.
“I have experience but I am under no pretense that it will be easy,” she said.
De Serpa will join fellow new member Monica Martinez when they. are sworn in next year.
“I am super happy to have the confidence of the community,” she said.
