Local Mayors & Council Members to Give Sonoma County’s Future Leaders a Lesson in Government

SANTA ROSA – Tomorrow’s Leaders Today (TLT), a program of Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin, is partnering with local government officials across the county for their annual Government Day on Friday, February 21. Nearly 100 juniors from area high schools throughout Sonoma County will spend the day exploring the functions of local government, its impact on their lives, and the upcoming Sonoma County Supervisorial Election.  

“During Government Day, TLT partners with local municipalities,” said TLT Director Catrina Dierke. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for TLT students to meet elected officials, learn about their community ,and discover what it takes to make a city run.”

Their day will begin at Santa Rosa City Hall with a lesson in Civics 101 with former Mayor Sharon Wright who will discuss the role government plays within a city. Students will then meet Senator Mike McGuire and learn what it takes to become a state senator. After their meeting with Senator McGuire, students will prepare questions for discussions with Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane and current election challenger Chris Coursey which will be facilitated by Sonoma County Office of Education Board Member Herman Hernandez.

Finally, students will break into groups – led by 6 local City Councilmembers – to discuss and debate three pressing issues within their communities: Continued support for the SMART train (Measure I), fire preparedness (Measure G), and homelessness.

“Every day our youth feel the impact of decisions made by local elected leaders,” said Chris Rogers, Director of Community Engagement for Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin and Santa Rosa City Councilmember. “It’s important for them to learn that their voice matters.”

Participating Mayors and Councilmembers include:

Teresa Barrett, Mayor, Petaluma
Logan Harvey, Mayor, Sonoma
Susan Hollingsworth Adams, Councilmember, Rohnert Park
Neysa Hinton, Councilmember, Sebastopol
Victoria Fleming, Vice Mayor, Santa Rosa
Chris Rogers, Councilmember, Santa Rosa
Deb Fudge, Councilmember, Windsor
David Hagele, Councilmember, Healdsburg

ABOUT TOMORROW’S LEADERS TODAY
A program of Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin, Tomorrow’s Leaders Today is a community education and leadership skills training program for students entering their junior year in high school throughout Sonoma County, California. Emphasizing hands-on learning, critical thinking, and communication, nearly 100 Tomorrow’s Leaders Today students get an inside look at their community and its issues, meet decision-makers, solve problems and discover how Sonoma County works. Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin is proud to serve 10,000 young people each year. For more information about Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, visit tomorrowsleaderstoday.org.