Yeager elected president of board of supervisors

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors elected Supervisor
Ken Yeager as president of the board for 2010.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors elected Supervisor Ken Yeager as president of the board for 2010.

Yeager will unveil his 2010 initiatives at his State of the County address, at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26, in the County Government Center Board Chambers. He assumes the post after serving three years on the board.

“Given the recession, the county faces huge problems, but I believe we are up to the challenge,” Yeager said.

Last year, Yeager served as vice president of the board. He currently chairs the Finance and Government Operations Committee and acts as vice chair of the Health and Hospital Committee.

He was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to serve on the California Air Resources Board. He also represents Santa Clara County on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Association of Bay Area Governments, and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. 

Yeager was elected to the Board of Supervisors in June of 2006. He represents the 4th District, which includes the cities of Campbell and Santa Clara, as well as west San Jose and the Burbank and Cambrian neighborhoods.

Yeager previously served six years on the San Jose City Council. He was also elected to two terms as a trustee of the San Jose Evergreen Community College District, from 1992 to 2000. 

He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from San Jose State University and a master’s degree in sociology and a Ph.D. in education from Stanford University.

Yeager is the first openly gay elected official in Santa Clara County. He is now the first openly gay person to hold the position of board president.