Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michael P. Callagy, County Executive
Adam W. Ely, Assistant County Executive
Subject: Appointment to the Independent Civilian Advisory Commission on the Sheriff’s Office
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation for the appointment of Michelle Vilchez to the Independent Civilian Advisory Commission on the Sheriff’s Office as an At-Large Alternate for an initial partial term ending June 30, 2028.
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BACKGROUND:
On December 12, 2023, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 080067 establishing the Independent Civil Advisory Commission on the Sheriff’s Office (ICAC), consisting of seven voting members and two at-large alternate members, all of whom are appointed by a majority vote of the Board based on the following nomination process:
• One voting member nominated by each Supervisor;
• One voting member nominated by the Sheriff; and
• One voting member and two at-large alternates nominated by the two Supervisors who serve as liaisons to ICAC.
For the initial appointment of members, four members and one alternate were appointed to serve two-year terms, and three members and the other alternate were appointed to serve three-year terms. Thereafter, all terms are for three-years. Upon the conclusion of a term, a member may be considered for reappointment by the Board of Supervisors, subject to a maximum of four full three-year terms. This term limit shall not include partial terms to which a member may be appointed at the beginning of their service, including those members initially appointed to two-year terms.
DISCUSSION:
Upon the nomination of ICAC Liaisons Supervisor Corzo and Supervisor Mueller, Michelle Vilchez is being recommended for appointment as the At-Large Alternate (Board Liaison-nominated), a seat formerly held by Rebecca Carabez who resigned mid-term. Upon appointment, Michelle Vilchez will serve the remaining partial term through June 30, 2028.
Michelle Vilchez’s career has been rooted in strengthening relationships between institutions and the communities they serve, particularly communities that
have historically felt unheard, underserved, or disconnected from systems of power. Across more than two decades of nonprofit leadership, community organizing, public health, restorative justice, and civic engagement work in San Mateo County, she has focused on creating spaces for accountability, dialogue, and meaningful
community participation.
Michelle was born and raised in Southern California and has a BA in Psychology and Cross-Cultural Education. She currently serves as a fellow with the Pahara Institute and How Women Lead.
In 2021, Michelle joined Innovate Public Schools as CEO, a national education equity organization. She believes that the education system was not designed to serve all children, and that the biggest barrier to all children having access to an excellent school is a lack of political will to improve the system. She believes the voices and experiences of parents, families, and students should be elevated and centered in decisions about education. Michelle is dedicated to community, building the capacity of parents and families to organize, advocate, and demand high quality schools for their children. A high-quality school experience that cherishes and affirms every student, particularly Black and Brown students, is priority in preparing students for a lifetime of opportunity and choice.
Michelle’s prior work includes having served as the Executive Director of the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center (PCRC), a communication and conflict resolution agency focused on bringing diverse communities together to work on society’s most complex issues. Throughout her 21 years at PCRC, her passion for community engagement has guided her work and helped PCRC become recognized as an organization that empowers people and builds relationships. She brings to this role extensive community engagement experience, from her work helping First 5 complete its strategic plan guided by community priorities, to co-authoring PCRC’s Community Engagement Resource Guide and helping to launch a violence prevention network and the Fatherhood Collaborative in San Mateo County.
Michelle prides herself on her non-traditional non-profit leadership model, employing a leadership team to strategize and direct the course of the agency. Under her tenure as Executive Director, she has doubled PCRC’s budget, bolstered staffing with a national reach, and focused on bringing together community members, law enforcement, faith-based groups and local government to build a stronger community.
In 2016, Michelle was named Woman of the Year by the California State Assembly and, in 2019, was selected as a fellow by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network with the Center for Creative Leadership, an innovative fellowship for local leaders to connect, grow and lead transformational change on behalf of children, families and communities.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.