The Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors has chosen Supervisor Monica Martinez to serve as chair for 2026, making her the first openly LGBTQ+ and Latina person to lead the board.
Martinez was selected Tuesday by her colleagues after a first year on the board focused on protecting essential services, supporting vulnerable residents, strengthening wildfire preparedness and expanding community engagement. The board also named Supervisor Manu Koenig as vice chair.
“Serving as chair is an honor, and I’m grateful for the trust of my colleagues,” Martinez said in a statement. She said her priorities will include preparedness, equity and delivering “real, measurable results” as the county faces budget pressures and climate challenges.
Since taking office in January 2025, Martinez has played a leading role in countywide efforts to protect services such as health care and food assistance. County officials said she convened nonprofit and service providers to prepare for possible federal budget cuts and helped secure county funding to keep food assistance and community-based services running during disruptions tied to a federal government shutdown.
As chair, Martinez will preside over board meetings, help set the agenda and represent Santa Cruz County in regional and state discussions, while continuing to serve residents of District 5, which includes parts of the cities of Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley, county officials said.