Collaborative leaders like Shebreh are who we need in politics today.

A letter to the editor

By Laura Macleod

After a long battle with ALS, my mother died. I needed to re-enter the workforce and find an all-consuming job. I was hired that year at United Way of Santa Cruz by Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson. Working for Shebreh was electric. She elevated our Community Prevention Partners dept by bringing in new grants, expanding collaborations, and broadening services. As women of color, we successfully connected with Black and Brown communities and engaged them in state-wide conversations around childhood obesity, youth opportunity and homelessness. Working together,—within, for example, Go for Health!, Together for Youth, Jóvenes Sanos— we brought more resources for underserved families. She helped us all feel like we were winning because we were. Shebreh prioritizes collaboration. Her final products are never complete without involving the opinions of all stakeholders. I hope our county chooses her for the Board of Supervisors next week because we all need a win right now.