Santa Rosa, CA – Efren Carrillo, Education and Government Relations Manager at Redwood Credit Union, officially announced today his candidacy for Sonoma County Supervisor in the Fifth District.
As a child growing up in Sonoma County, Efren and his family faced many challenges. Living in a troubled neighborhood Efren's father fought to rid the community of drugs and violence while looking to better his family's life. When Efren was 10 years old, his family had the opportunity to become a partner family through Sonoma County 's Habitat for Humanity and the new house enabled them to break out of the cycle of poverty. Efren credits the generosity from Habitat for Humanity and its many supporters as changing his life and showing him the importance of public service.
After graduating from the University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Economics and Policy, Efren moved back to Sonoma County to be closer to his family and give back to the community that gave him so much.
“I am excited to enter the race for Sonoma County Supervisor in the Fifth District. My parents worked hard to give my siblings and me a better life and taught me the only way to make a difference is through hard work, dedication, and perseverance. I love this community and as Supervisor, will dedicate myself to improving the quality of life for all Sonoma County residents,” said Efren.
No stranger to hard work, Efren has proven himself an intelligent and innovative leader in Sonoma County. “I serve with Efren on the Board of Directors for Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County. I have seen his enthusiasm in serving people in the Fifth District and know him to be a man of great personal strength, integrity, and honor,” said Jack Blankenship, former President of Habitat for Humanity of Sonoma County.
In addition to working with Habitat for Humanity, Efren serves as President of the Southwest Community Health Center Board of Directors, he works diligently to reduce gang related crime and violence with the Santa Rosa Gang Prevention and Intervention Task Force, and worked as project coordinator for the Sonoma County Economic Development Board designing policies and programs emphasizing the economic benefits of responsible environmental practices. He also managed the Sonoma County Business Environmental Alliance to encourage businesspeople to implement good environmental practices in their businesses.
“As Supervisor, I am aware that my decisions will affect our community now and in the future. I want to use my wide-spread experience to make smart decisions for Sonoma County. I believe that as Supervisor it will be my responsibility to see that we preserve the natural beauty we all enjoy while making smart decisions concerning residents such as reducing crime, improving transportation, managing growth & protecting agriculture. Our future generations deserve the right to enjoy the same Sonoma County I enjoyed growing up.”
Efren promises to serve as a unifying body on the Board of Supervisors to create change in the interest of Sonoma County citizens. His top priority will always be representing the values of Fifth District residents by being accessible and maintaining open communication with community members in order to work together to make a difference.
