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FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM LINKEDINManu Koenig beat incumbent John Leopold, a longtime supervisor, by 14 percentage points in November 2020 for the right to represent District 1 on the county board of supervisor. Koenig was born in Santa Cruz, but moved around quite a bit for his father’s job, living an itinerant childhood around California. However, his grandparents’ continued residence in Santa Cruz made the community his lodestar. He attended Stanford University, graduating in 2007, and joined an internet advertising startup soon thereafter. Quickly disillusioned by the Silicon Valley startup world, he moved back to Santa Cruz, where he founded Civinomics. Civinomics used tablet technology to allow voters to vote quickly and their votes to be tabulated in real time to provide timely insight into the electorate’s position on a variety of issues.
First elected: Nov. 3, 2020
Alma mater: Stanford University (bachelor’s degree, German studies)
Notable quote: “This election is about making better decisions so our community works for kids, families and seniors. I grew up in Santa Cruz and enjoy the many benefits of living here.”
As wildfires rage in Southern California, Santa Cruz County officials are urging residents to prepare for the possibility of a destructive wildfire here — even in urban areas.
As local governments try to stretch their budgets to accommodate a new wave of mental health cases, a new program is trying to shift the emergency response from uniformed officers to trained mental health counselors.
Dec. 30, 2024, Bruce McPherson’s last day as supervisor for the Fifth District of Santa Cruz County, dawned bright and blue. After bidding farewell to his team of analysts and taking down the last mementos from his office walls, McPherson traveled to Scotts Valley for his final interview to recount the highs and lows of his career.
