Diana Gardner Rich
Vice Mayor
drich@cityofsebastopol.gov (707) 479-1717
Diana moved to Sebastopol in 1999 with her husband and two young sons. Her contributions to the town include a wide variety of projects for youth, seniors, businesses, nonprofits, emergency preparedness, and environmental interests. For seven years (2010-17), she served as executive director of the Sebastopol Community Cultural Center. These many projects and activities reflect a score of collaborative partnerships and strong relationships that she continues to maintain through the present.
Diana attended UC Santa Cruz, graduating with honors and majoring in Economics with a minor in Spanish Literature. She earned a law degree from UC Davis, worked initially as a Public Defender, and later in employment and labor law. Diana is known to be organized, clear-headed, solution-oriented, and a critical thinker.
As to her core values, those come from Diana’s childhood. She was raised by a single mom who gave her a respect for education, and an early awareness of social justice issues and racial inequities. Diana has worked since she was 14 and was on her own financially from the age of 17, putting herself through college and law school. All these experiences taught her the importance of honesty, hard work, compassion, a commitment to community, and respect and appreciation for others.
Highlights of Diana’s many contributions to the community include the Patrick Amiot Folk Art for Schools & Community Calendar; the TeensWork job preparedness program, the Tour d’Organics Bicycle Ride (highlighting the natural beauty of the area, supporting organic farms, and attracting out of town visitors); the Sebastopol Area Community Alliance (SACA), later affiliated with Sonoma County’s Health Action efforts; the Community Center’s sheltering of 2017 Tubbs Fire evacuees and Red Cross volunteers; and her leadership roles with Map Your Neighborhood and the Sebastopol Neighborhood Communications Unit, focused on emergency preparedness.
In 2005, Diana received the Chamber of Commerce Service to Youth Award, and in 2014 the High School District’s Betty Hopper Make a Difference Award. In 2020, through the Rotary Club of Sebastopol (Diana is a long-time member), she helped bring the North Bay Construction Corps program to local high schools.
City Council Committees: Diana was elected to the Sebastopol City Council in 2020, making a commitment to addressing Covid-19 issues, economic recovery, and social and environmental justice. She currently serves as the Council’s Liaison to Service Providers for the Unhoused as well as the liaison to Meet Your Neighbor/Sebastopol Neighborhood Communications Unit, and is Sebastopol’s representative on the regional Marin/Sonoma Mosquito & Vector Control District and the CalCities Legislative Committee. She holds positions as alternate on a number of local boards, and is on the City’s Climate Action Committee.
Term Expires: December 2024