Melissa Valle appointed permanent Director of the Sonoma County Office of Equity

Melissa Valle, Interim Director for the Sonoma County Office of Equity since April 2024, has been appointed to direct the Office permanently. The appointment by County Administrator Maria Christina Rivera is scheduled to be considered for approval by the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 24. 

Valle has served as the Interim Director of the Sonoma County Office of Equity since April 16, after the departure of the Office’s first director Alegria De La Cruz, who joined the executive team at The Dolores Huerta Foundation in May. Before being named to the interim role, Valle served as the County Equity Program Manager, supporting the establishment of the Office of Equity as a new County department amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, Valle also led the development of the County’s first Racial Equity Learning Program, including the creation of an employee Equity Core Team and Steering Committee, and co-designing the County’s first Racial Equity Action Plan, adopted by the Board in May.  

“Melissa’s lived experiences and professional expertise are an asset to the County and the Office of Equity,” said County Executive Maria Christina Rivera. “Her understanding of the systemic inequities impacting local communities, and our role as a local government agency in mitigating them, is critical to strategically carrying out the County’s ongoing commitment to racial equity.” 

As director of the Office of Equity, Valle will be responsible for supporting daily departmental operations and overseeing the implementation of key Board-directed initiatives, including the Language Access Plan, the Boards and Commissions Plan, and the Racial Equity Action Plan. 

“Melissa brings a wealth of knowledge to the role,” said David Rabbitt, chair of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors. “I believe that under her leadership, the Office of Equity will implement the Board directives approved this year.” 

Valle joined the Sonoma County Administrator’s Office in 2018. In her role as a Communications and Engagement Coordinator, she enhanced the County’s public information emergency response by ensuring the translation of all emergency communications to Spanish during the Kincade fire, and subsequent disasters.  

Valle brings with her over a decade of professional experience at the intersection of media, public affairs, and racial equity work. She was born in Cali, Colombia, and immigrated to the United States at 17 years old. Her experiences as an immigrant and as a woman of color shape the perspectives she brings to work each day. Before joining the County of Sonoma, Valle worked as a journalist for Telemundo and Univision in the San Francisco Bay Area and California central coast, broadening her understanding of the racial inequities across the state. 

“I am honored and humbled to accept this responsibility,” said Valle. “I look forward to continuing to collaborate with county leaders to implement a vision of public service that starts from within and is responsive to the needs of the local community, with caring regard to communities of color and historically underserved communities.” 

Valle has a degree in Sociology and Journalism from New York University. She completed a certificate program in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University in 2021, and is expected to complete a master’s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from the Harvard University Extension School this year. 

Office of Equity resources include a staff of 12 full-time employees and a FY 24-25 budget of approximately $3.6 million. Valle’s salary as director will be set at $197,017 annually. Her new role will become effective on Sept. 24.

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Media Contact:
Matt Brown, Communications Specialist
publicaffairs@sonoma-county.org
(707) 565-3040