Yolo County is getting its first woman supervisor in 12 years. Here’s who she is
After more than 12 years, Yolo County will have a woman on its board of supervisors.
Mary Vixie Sandy will be sworn in on Monday after her appointment to the board earlier this month by Gov. Gavin Newsom. She will oversee District 3, which represents the northern area of West Sacramento and large portions of Woodland.
The swearing-in will be held at the Yolo County Administration Building Atrium, located at 625 Court Street in Woodland, at 4:30 p.m. on Monday.
Vixie Sandy succeeds her husband, Gary Sandy, who died in August from complications from a treatment for liver cancer. She is the first woman to represent District 3, and the first on the board since former supervisor Helen Thomson retired in late 2010.
“There’s no question that’s been a missing part of our discussions, having a woman in the room, making the policy decisions that will directly affect children and families and all the other issues that we face,” said Supervisor Oscar Villegas, who is the current chair of the board.
Vixie Sandy, who arrived in Woodland in 1987, has spent her career as a policy leader working in higher education and government.
She currently serves as the executive director of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing, the nation’s oldest independent standards board for educators. Previous positions she’s held have been at UC Davis School of Education, California State University Chancellor’s Office and California Department of Education.
“I’m really quite honored to have been appointed for the position, and I’m excited,” Vixie Sandy said. “I’ve been briefing with various members of the staff and getting up to speed on the agenda, and there’s a lot of really good work to do.”
Vixie Sandy hopes to prioritize water conservation and storage; services to the unhoused; and advancing diversity and equity. Roughly a third of Yolo County is Latino.
“These are critical issues in our community that affect our whole community, our whole county,” Vixie Sandy said.
If Vixie Sandy wins at least 51% of the vote during the regular primary election scheduled for March 5, she’ll secure another four years. If no candidate secures a majority, then the top two vote-getters move on to the November 2024 election.
Former Woodland City Council members Xóchitl Rodriguez Murillo and Mayra Vega and Woodland native Joe Romero will also be vying for the seat.
This story was originally published October 23, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Yolo County is getting its first woman supervisor in 12 years. Here’s who she is."
