As proud Sonoma County residents, we all share a vision of a beautiful, prosperous and sustainable future for this county and our Fourth District community. For me, that vision comes from growing up in Cloverdale, Healdsburg and Santa Rosa. I think about learning how to swim in the Russian River, fishing out in Bodega Bay, learning the value of hard work from a father who started a successful small business, and a mom who raised us the right way: outside, active and happy.
I was provided the opportunity that every child from Sonoma County should have: a good public education, college, a good job, serving our country, meeting my life partner, having a child and coming home to raise my family and give back to the community that gave me so much.
Service has always been my passion, and that drive began during my time in the Peace Corps as an agribusiness and natural resources volunteer in a rural village in Bolivia, South America. There, I had an opportunity to work with a community to build water management systems, enhance agricultural production and develop a health and hygiene campaign that successfully linked seven isolated communities around medical and dental care and education.
My private sector experience led me into the role of vice president at a successful company representing California agriculture on international affairs and trade, where I managed strategy, projects, staff and budgets in support of expanding U.S. exports around the globe. I went on to work as a presidential appointee in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), eventually becoming assistant chief of the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). There, I led efforts around the country to create win-win solutions at the intersection of agriculture and the environment with a dynamic countrywide staff of 13,000 and a budget of more than $4 billion.
I was proud to lead efforts to expand private-public partnerships and was successful in leveraging financial, technical and human resources with partners in the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River Basin, the Chesapeake Bay and, of personal importance, here on the West Coast, where I helped create the NRCS Pacific Salmon Habitat Improvement Partnership, which yielded $12 million in federal funding to West Coast watersheds, including the Russian River. I hope to continue leading similar efforts in the Fourth District and throughout the county as a member of the Board of Supervisors.
I’m running for supervisor to listen and learn from residents across the Fourth District while providing a fresh perspective and real leadership to address our most pressing issues, including water shortages and drought conditions, jobs and our economy, pension reform, wasteful government spending, road infrastructure, public schools, seniors programs, public safety and recreational opportunities for everyone in Sonoma County.
My background and experience at the local and federal level has provided me with a broad skill set to address issues important to you. Water is a critical issue as we face one of the worst droughts on record. Creating local jobs and strengthening our economy is equally important as we work to get more of our friends and neighbors back to work. We must also step up and sustainably fund our road maintenance and overall transportation infrastructure. To do so, we must reduce waste in government and build upon our current strides in job growth, energy independence and pension reform to ensure Sonoma County is the statewide example for good governance.
As a father, I’m dedicated to leaving things better than we found them, creating economic vitality and protecting this beautiful place we call home. I’m committed to a transparent, collaborative process and will continue working to protect our quality of life to ensure Sonoma County remains the best community in which to live, work, raise a family and retire.
I’m proud to be endorsed by numerous community organizations representing business, agriculture, labor and our environment. They include the Sonoma County Farm Bureau, Sonoma County Alliance, North Bay Association of Realtors and Operating Engineers Local Union No. 3, to name a few. They join the many mayors, council members, teachers, seniors and working families across the Fourth District who stand in support of my campaign to bring responsible, fair and effective representation to the Board of Supervisors.
My door is always open to listen to your thoughts and opinions. I hope to earn your vote in this election so we can work collaboratively with our neighbors across the Fourth District to preserve our quality of life and strengthen our community.
To learn more about James Gore’s background, candidacy or position on any issue, please visit www.votegore.com or contact him at james@votegore.com or (707) 888-4204.
