County recognizes home‑visiting graduates; participants describe program as free support for new parents

The Board of Supervisors accepted a presentation recognizing 2024 graduates of Mendocino County’s Supervisor Management and Emerging Leaders academies. Sherry Johnson, the county’s Human Resources director, read the names of graduates from the management, supervisor and emerging leaders tracks and thanked staff for organizing the programs.

Separately, multiple people offered testimonial comments about the county home‑visiting program during public comment and in recorded presentations. Participants — identified in the record as program participants rather than by full name — described home visits as free, practical support that helped parents learn infant care, obtain resources and feel less isolated. Representative excerpts include: "Don't be afraid to take that step... it's free" and "For me, having a home visitor is like having a second mom there." Another participant said the program connected her to education opportunities and helped her secure credits toward a business degree.

Sherry Johnson described the training academies as nine courses totaling nearly 30 hours, aimed at creating unified leadership skills across county departments. She listed graduates by name for the Management Academy, Supervisor Academy and Emerging Leaders program.

Why it matters: Home‑visiting programs are a local prevention and family‑support service reported by participants to improve parenting confidence and access to resources; the management and supervisor academies are internal workforce development efforts the county highlights as strengthening leadership capacity.