City of Watsonville City Council Councilmember Vanessa Quiroz-Carter

Councilmember Vanessa Quiroz-Carter values empowerment, empathy and education. Her goal as a councilmember is for all community members to have a voice. As the proud child of two Mexican immigrants, she understands the importance of diversity and advocacy. A graduate of UC Berkeley, she completed her master’s degree at CSU East Bay. She has spent the past 20 years in public service, including Americorps and the Santa Cruz County Women’s Commission. She currently serves as a co-chair for the latter and holds a seat on the board of Families in Transition. She is also an adjuct professor at Hartnell College.

Notable Quote: “My story and my upbringing is like so many of my neighbors. I’m a descendant of immigrants, and I’m never going to forget to honor them, their bravery, their sacrifice, what they’ve done to give me the life I have.” (Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel)