Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: President Noelia Corzo, District 2
Subject: San Mateo County Veterans Commission
RECOMMENDATION:
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Recommendation for the following members to the San Mateo County Veterans Commission:
A) Appointment of Benjamin Suncin as a Regular Commissioner from Alternate for a first term ending June 30, 2029; and
B) Reappointment of Donna Vaillancourt as a Regular Commissioner for a third term ending June 30, 2029; and
C) Reappointment of Mary Cravalho, as a Regular Commissioner for a second full term ending June 30, 2029; and
D) Reappointment of Kyle Corcoran, as a Regular Commissioner for a second full term effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028.
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BACKGROUND:
On June 2, 2015, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 073812 establishing the San Mateo County Veterans Commission. The mandate of the Veterans Commission includes the promotion of programs and policies that address the unmet needs of veterans in San Mateo County, such as those identified in the 2014 San Mateo County Veterans Needs Assessment. In establishing the Veterans Commission, the Board specifically directed those efforts be undertaken to maximize the likelihood that the Commission's membership will reflect the diversity of veterans in San Mateo County, including with respect to race/ethnicity, gender, age and sexual orientation.
Subsequently, on November 3, 2015, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 074159, which increased the membership of the Veterans Commission from nine to eleven regular voting members. Thereafter, on November 17, 2015, the Board of Supervisors adopted Resolution No. 074183 which expanded the membership of the Veterans Commission to include two alternate members.
DISCUSSION:
Current Alternate Benjamin Suncin is being recommended to serve as a regular Commissioner to fill the position vacated mid-term by Caroline Schlocker. Donna Vaillancourt, who was initially appointed Commissioner in 2018, is being recommended for reappointment to a third term as Commissioner. Mary Cravalho, who was initially appointed to a partial term as Commissioner in October 2022, is being recommended for reappointment to a second full term as Commissioner. Upon approval by the Board, their terms will take effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2029.
Finally, Kyle Corcoran, who was initially appointed as an Alternate in 2021 and then as a regular Commissioner in July 2022, is being recommended for reappointment to a second full term as a Commissioner, effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2028.
Benjamin Suncin, born and raised in San Francisco in a Military Family, is a veteran of the U.S. Navy Avionics Technician Second Class who has long been involved in improving the lives of veterans, particularly homeless veterans. He is a veterans services consultant with LifeMoves and a former Board member of the Swords to Plowshares organization. Benjamin is currently serving as Board Chair to the Patient Advisory Board in the San Francisco VA Medical Center. He has served as Former Vice President and Senior Technology Manager, Bank of America Network Computing Group.
Donna Vaillancourt is passionate about helping leaders and organizations succeed and currently provides leadership and career coaching, organizational development consulting and training for various agencies. She has a BS in Human Resources Management, is a California Credentialed County Senior Executive and a Credentialed Professional Coach. Donna has served as a board member for several professional organizations including the County Personnel Administrator’s Association of California, the CSAC Institute of Excellence and is currently a board member for PSHRA- Bay Area Chapter. Donna is an active community volunteer and is on board of the Monterra Credit Union and she is also advisor to the Key Club of Sequoia High School through Woodside Terrace Kiwanis.
Mary Cravalho is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in San Mateo working with individuals, couples and families with mental health and relationship challenges. Formerly, she worked in suicide prevention as a crisis counselor and case manager through Star Vista and volunteered in the Redwood City jails through the Service League of San Mateo County.
Kyle Corcoran is the Chief Financial Officer of Redpanda Data, an agentic Al governance and data streaming company. Previously, he served as CFO of RIS Rx, a healthcare-focused enterprise software company. Kyle was a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley, executing more than 100 transactions totaling over $200 billion in value, including the public listings of Meta, Palantir, Spotify, Uber, and Zoom. He was named to the Fortune 40 Under 40 list in 2020. Kyle began his career as an infantry officer in the United States Marine Corps, serving combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, leading counterdrug training and operations across Southeast Asia, and attaining the rank of Major. He serves on the Board of the Presidio Trust. Kyle holds an A.B. in Computer Science from Princeton University and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.