Commission Meeting Minutes January 9, 2025
Commissioners Present:
First District: Joanne M. Brown (OAL), Nancy Padian, Haunani Pakaki
Second District: Katie Gordon, Rebecca Kaykas-Wolff
Third District: Ofra Isler, Melanie Jones-Carter (Vice-Chair)
Fourth District: Gina Fortino Dickson (Chair), Letitia Hanke
Fifth District: Elizabeth Beaty
Commissioners Absent:
Third District: Katarina Giudice-White
Fourth District: Izzy Arreguin
Fifth District: Zobida McCorquodale (Leave of absence)
Meeting held through publicly available link via Zoom Meeting, and in-person.
1.Call To Order, Roll Call
Meeting called to order at approximately 6:00 p.m. Roll call taken by Staff.
2.Land Acknowledgement
Commissioner Padian read the Land Acknowledgement.
3.Public Comment on Non-Agendized Items
No Public Comment.
4.Acknowledge Jessica Wood
Chair Fortino Dickson presented a gold resolution to Jessica Wood that theCounty of Sonoma Board of Supervisors passed in honor of her years of service onthe Commission on the Status of Women.
5.Molly Dickens Presentation
Molly Dickens presented on The Maternal Stress Project which explores the stressof modern American motherhood. The presentation went over different lifestressors that causes health issues on women The project centers aroundunderstanding and mapping the stress related to parenting, motherhood,caregiving, simply being a woman in moder America, with the goal of examiningthe complex interconnections at all stages of life.
6. Consent Calendar
Approval of the November 14, 2024 Meeting Minutes
No Public Comment.
Motion: Commissioner Beaty
Second: Vice-Chair Jones-Carter
Ayes: 8 Noes: 0 Absent: 3 Abstained: 2
Commissioners Giudice-White and Arreguin were absent. Commissioner McCorquodale is on leave of absence. Commissioners Pakaki abstained. Chair Fortino Dickson abstained as Chair. Motion passed.
7. Officer Reports and Administrative Updates
a. Staff announced that the Women’s History Month Gold Resolution will be presented on March 11, 2025 at either 1:30pm or 10am at the Board of Supervisors meeting.
8. Redesign Meeting
a. The Officers led the discussion of redesigning the meetings to have a purpose of advisory to political boards and councils. They proposed to design each meeting to include a mini hearing on topics that will come forward to the board of supervisors and create white papers on the effects on women in Sonoma County. They will invite service providers and women with lived experience of the topic to speak to the Commission at the meetings. The goal is to create white papers or some such outcome that can be communicated to the Supervisors in advance of their meetings to advise them on certain topics. Commissioners agreed to dedicate February’s regular meeting to plan out future meetings and select the topics. No action was taken at this meeting.
9. Commissioner Announcements and Agenda Items for February 13, 2025 Commission Meeting
a. February 13, 2025 will be a strategic planning meeting
b. Vice Chair Jones- Carter announced that tabling is very limited this year. Pride, Juneteenth, and Spirit Award Ceremony will be the only events the Commission will participate in 2025, but perhaps they will be doing something for Women’s History Month and Black History Month. Vice-Chair Jones- Carter and Commissioner Padian are conversing about the details.
10. Openings and Appointments
a. Chair Fortino Dickson announced one vacancy in the 2nd district and in the 5th district.
11. Ad Hoc and Project Updates
a. Junior Commission Educational Project will be having their Career Panel in March. Date will be determined later. Recruitment for next cohort is on hold due to Commissioner Isler’s departure. Commissioners didn’t show interest in taking over the project.
b. Reproductive Equity is recreating focus groups of know your rights in 3 different high schools with the help of 3 students.
c. Biz Entrepreneurship will be having their first workshop on January 21, 2025 at 9am. This workshop will teach individuals about their communication style using the DISC assessment. They reminded everyone to register.
d. Legislative Advisory Group is waiting to see what the Women's Legislative Caucus will be bringing forth this year.
e. Communications Teams interviewed social media consultants and they are in the middle of contracting an individual.
f. Community Engagement is working on the 2025 Spirit Award, and they invited Commissioners to help with the process.
g. Bylaws have the edits ready for review and will bring them forward to be voted on by the whole Commission.
12. Business Items
a. The Commission voted to adopt a gold resolution in honor of Women’s History Month. No discussion. Motion to approve the Women’s History Month Gold Resolution.
No Public Comment.
Motion: Commissioner Brown
Second: Commissioner Gordon
Ayes: 9 Noes: 0 Absent: 3 Abstained: 1
Commissioners Giudice-White and Arreguin were absent. Commissioner McCorquodale is on leave of absence. Chair Fortino Dickson abstained as Chair. Motion passed.
13. Adjournment
This meeting was adjourned at 8:08 p.m.