Simitian appoints three to County of Santa Clara Commission on the Status of Women
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SAN JOSE – Santa Clara County Supervisor Joe Simitian today announced the appointment of Susan Ellenberg to the County Commission on the Status of Women.
“Susan has a long-standing commitment to improving her community,” Simitian said. “And a set of skills and experiences that make her particularly well qualified to address the issues facing women in our community.”
Simitian particularly took note of the fact that Ellenberg serves as a Trustee for the San Jose Unified School District, and works as a social justice educator for 6th-8th grade students. She received her undergraduate degree from Barnard College and her law degree from Columbia University School of Law.
“My work affords me a close look at the status of girls and what successes and barriers they experience as they move through the public education system,” said Ellenberg. “I’ve always been acutely aware of the importance of women's advocacy for other women, particularly those who do not yet enjoy the privileges afforded by education and access.”
The County’s Commission on the Status of Women was established in 1973 to promote the Board of Supervisors’ policy to take affirmative action to eliminate the practice of discrimination and prejudice based on gender in the areas of housing, employment, education, and community services. The Commission is composed of fifteen members serving terms of three years.
“Civic and political engagement are powerful tools to effect policy and improve the lives of all members of a community,” Ellenberg said. “In 2016, there’s still much room for improvement in the status of women in our county and throughout the world. I feel a personal obligation to be part of those who move us forward.”
Simitian also announced the reappointment of two members of the Commission: Yan Zhao of Saratoga, and Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto of Sunnyvale.
Zhao is a former planning commissioner for the City of Saratoga, and currently serves on the Saratoga Cemetery District Board of Trustees. She has a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from Santa Clara University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from UC Berkeley. She has worked in the semiconductor industry for over 20 years.
Nakano-Matsumoto served on the Commission on the Status of Women from 2002 to 2007, and was reappointed by Simitian in 2013. She has also served on the County’s Housing and Community Development Advisory Commission, as well as the Sunnyvale Cultural Diversity Advisory Committee.
“We’ve made tremendous progress in fighting discrimination against women, but there’s still work to be done,” said Simitian. “We’re fortunate to have such a good group of folks working to advance the rights and interests of girls and women in our community.”
Members of the public interested in serving on a County Board or Commission, or who would like more information about them, can find the complete list of vacancies at:
https://www.sccgov.org/sites/bos/bnc/Pages/default.aspx