Board of Supervisors elects Linda Hopkins chair, Rebecca Hermosillo vice chair and appoints Gore chair pro tem

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors unanimously elected Supervisor Linda Hopkins as board chair for 2025, Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo as vice chair and Supervisor Gore as chair pro tem during its Jan. 7 meeting.

The appointments were made by voice votes after motions from board members. Supervisor Gore moved to appoint Hopkins as chair; the motion received a second and passed with no recorded opposition. The board later approved Hermosillo as vice chair and Gore as chair pro tem by the same unanimous voice-vote procedure.

Hopkins, sworn in as the board’s chair at the start of the meeting, used her brief inaugural remarks to outline her priorities: restoring public trust in government through improved “customer service,” growing community engagement and protecting vulnerable residents. She said the county’s workforce of more than 4,000 people is the engine for delivering services and that the board should “prove that government works.”

Rebecca Hermosillo, sworn in earlier in the meeting as the First District supervisor, was named vice chair; she and the other newly sworn supervisors joined Hopkins onstage for the ceremonial portion of the meeting. During administration of oaths, supervisors and their family members participated in traditional oath ceremonies.

The selection of chair, vice chair and chair pro tem sets the board’s leadership for the coming year and will determine meeting assignments and the slate of officers the board will present for various county entities.

Minutes and the video record show the votes were unanimous voice votes with no formal roll-call opposition recorded.

The board recessed for a short reception and returned to regular business later the same day.