 Joni
L. Gray
Fourth District Supervisor
A familiar face on the Santa Maria scene for years, Joni
was born and raised in Orcutt, attended Santa Maria Public
Schools and earned her Bachelor's of Science and Master's
Degree in Education at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Joni holds
teaching credentials in Secondary Education, Adult Education,
Counseling and Guidance and in General Administration. She
spent four years teaching geography, history and home economics
at Santa Maria High school.
In 1973, she was elected to the Santa Maria High School District
Board of Trustees where she served as President, making her,
at that time, the youngest school board member in California.
During her nine years of service she gained a unique insight
into the workings of public agencies. She also taught for
eleven years at Allan Hancock Community College and later
served as an Administrative Assistant for the County Superintendent
of Schools.
Joni's second career began in 1988 when she was admitted
to the California State Bar and started practicing law with
Kirk & Simas in Santa Maria. Being a little more "seasoned"
than most new attorneys, she immediately established herself
as a force with which to be reckoned in the legal community. As
a result, she is a member of the Family Law and Taxation Sections
of the State Bar of California and was instrumental in writing
the family law rules used by the local Superior Court. Her
practice focuses primarily on family law and estate planning
matters.
In August 1998, Joni was appointed by Governor Pete Wilson
to serve as the Fourth District Supervisor for Santa Barbara
County. In November 1998, she won the seat in that General
Election and has continued to serve as Fourth District Supervisor
since that time. Prior to her appointment, she served as Chairperson
of the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission. Today, in
addition to her Supervisor's responsibilities, she serves
on the Santa Barbara County Association of
Governments, the Air Pollution Control Board, and the Santa Barbara County Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees. She also represents the Board Supervisors on the Law Library Board, Community Action Commission and the City/County Homeless Advisory Committee. In January 2006 she was voted onto the Board of Directors of the California State Association of Counties, representing Suburban Counties on the Executive Board. She also represents the County on the National Association of Counties (NACO).
Joni's community activities are extensive. She has served
as a Board Member for the Valley Community Hospital, serves
as an Advisory Board Member for the Lompoc Valley Chamber
of Commerce and Visitors Bureau, served on the
Board of Directors for the Visiting Nurses Association, served
as Chairperson for YMCA Fund Raising, President of the Righetti
PTA and Boosters Club, 4-H, Rape Crisis Center, Boys and Girls
Club of Santa Maria Valley. She is a a member of Rotary Club of Lompoc, Minerva Club, Alpha Club and Lompoc Women in Chamber.
Joni and her husband, George, have three children Samantha,
Jason and Tim.
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