City of Capitola City Council Councilmember Yvette Brooks

Updated: Yvette Brooks resigned from the Capitola City Council, effective January 13, to assume the role of CEO of United Way of Santa Cruz County. 

Born and raised in San Jose, Mayor Yvette Lopez Brooks first garnered national attention in high school for a non-profit program she created called Teens Teaching Teens (3T’s). After graduating from UC Santa Cruz, Brooks settled in Capitola and is the first Latina to hold the office of mayor. With a keen eye on Capitola's financial stability, Brooks supports the building of a hotel on 41st Avenue as a means to ramp up the area as an economic hub. She lives in Capitola with her husband and young daughter.

Brooks, who served as mayor in 2021, ran for reelection in 2022 and was the top vote-getter by a large margin in the five-way race for three open seats. She currently works for the local nonprofit Your Future Is Our Business. Her previous job was with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education.

“My priority has been to ensure Capitola is sustainable, safe, and family-friendly.” Brooks said in a Lookout Santa Cruz article on the council race. “Beyond my service on the council, I have spent my adult life advocating for quality education, advising on child care and serving on several commissions.”

First elected: December 2020

Day job: Executive director of the Santa Cruz-based nonprofit Your Future Is Our Business

Alma mater: UC Santa Cruz (bachelor’s degree, sociology)

Other positions held: Board chair, Santa Cruz Children's Museum of Discovery; board member, Childhood Advisory Council

Notable quotes: “I really believe that it’s important to have a minority voice, a woman’s voice, a woman of color, a mom, someone who works full time, all of those things. It’s important to be able to offer that insight while serving. My other priorities are preserving our environment and looking at our housing issues, as well as just making and maintaining Capitola a really special town.” (Source: Santa Cruz Local, November 2022 Election Guide)

“I value a diverse population, and I believe it is imperative we figure out ways that our residents can work within the county while living here, too.” (Source: YvetteBrooks.com)