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Supervisor • District 1

Term expires: 2027-01-04

Sylvia Arenas is one of Silicon Valley's most dedicated champions for children, families, and working communities — a native San Josean whose entire professional and political career has been guided by a single, consistent mission: making life better for the families and children who call the South Bay home. She assumed office on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on January 2, 2023, representing District 1, with her current term ending January 4, 2027. A proud native of San José and the daughter of immigrant parents, Arenas learned the value of hard work and the importance of serving others from an early age. She was born and raised in San José and later moved to the Evergreen neighborhood, where she and her husband José have raised their two children for over two decades. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in human development with a focus in early childhood development from CSU East Bay, followed by a Master of Public Administration from the University of San Francisco. Her academic foundation shaped a career that began not in politics but in direct service to families. She launched her public service career working for the City of San José through what is now called Project Hope — a Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services program that is part of the Mayor's Gang Prevention Task Force. She went on to work for agencies such as FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, a statewide program bringing critical services to young children, and Gardner Health Services, a health center providing services to low-income families. Before reaching the Board of Supervisors, Arenas built her elected record at two levels of local government. In 2014, she was elected to the Evergreen Elementary School District Board of Trustees, where she served until she won the District 8 seat on the San José City Council in 2016. She won reelection to the council outright in the March 2020 primary against Jim Zito. During her six years on the council, she gravitated to issues affecting the everyday lives of San José women and families, and launched the city's Family Friendly Initiative — aimed at increasing access to early education, after-school programs, safe housing, family-friendly public facilities, and paid family leave. She also chaired the city's Neighborhood Services and Education Committee, where she convened joint hearings with the County Board of Supervisors to address the crisis in affordable child care. In the November 2022 general election, Arenas defeated Republican Johnny Khamis to win the District 1 seat on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. The district is a broad one, encompassing communities across East San José, Evergreen, and surrounding areas. Since joining the Board of Supervisors, she has focused on the needs of children across the county, ensuring that equity informs public investments, and working to create systemic changes that level the playing field in the South Bay. Her priorities as supervisor have included expanding renewable energy, improving public safety, and strengthening mental health services for Santa Clara County's homeless population. She has also led the county's advocacy on child care funding, co-leading efforts to secure state investment in universal preschool and local subsidized care for the youngest children. Most recently, she and a coalition of ten other local governments and nonprofits filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for upending federal grants for permanent housing — a sign of her willingness to use every tool available to protect her constituents from federal policy reversals. She was elected to a second term as Board of Supervisors President by her fellow supervisors, a recognition from colleagues of her steady leadership and collaborative approach. Her career is a testament to the power of rooting public service in lived community experience — from her immigrant family's values to the neighborhoods and families she has served for more than two decades.

Patrick McGarrity

Director of Policy and Budget

Alicia Fazal

Executive Assistant

Mariela Garcia

Senior Policy Aide

Victoria Lam

Housing, Land Use, Environment, and Transportation

Monica Rodriguez

Policy Aide

Alec Chavez

Policy Fellow

Adriana Sanchez

Administrative Assistant

Cristian Cornejo

Community Relations Aide

David Ngô

Communications & Community Relations Aide

Joseph Farfan

Community Relations Aide

Rebecca Hall

Board Aide

Ruben Navarro

Community Relations Aide

Nancy Lê

Chief of Staff

Vice Chair

Housing, Land Use, Environment and Transportation Committee

Chair

Children, Seniors and Families Committee (CSFC)