Yvette Lopez Brooks is from San Jose, CA and resident of Capitola for nearly two decades. She is also the first Latina Mayor for the City of Capitola. In 2006, Yvette received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Education from the University of Santa Cruz. Yvette worked for the Santa Cruz County Office of Education for over a decade and most recently became the Executive Director for a non-profit, Your Future Is Our Business. Yvette is a wife and proud mother.
Since her tenure on City Council, Yvette has created strong policy with a focus on equity. She successfully created a Code of Conduct, allocated funding for Anti-Bias training for Council Members and Staff and supported the passing of Capitola’s first Flag Policy, allowing for the LBGTIQ flag to be flown during Pride Month.
Yvette is also highly invested in the Youth in our community and has dedicated nearly her entire life to ensuring all children have the opportunity to thrive.
Yvette spearheaded the successful ballot initiative in 2018 to increase the city’s TOT tax, creating a dedicated children’s fund, where dollars are restricted to only programs for early childhood and youth programming.
Yvette has encouraged the growth and expansion of the Cities Park and Recreation department by partnering with Soquel Union School District and bringing forward an after school, middle school program as well as offering Child Care during the Covid19 pandemic. Yvette banned Flavored Tobacco within City limits and has partnered with the Santa Cruz County Health Department and the Capitola Police Department to obtain grant money for enforcement and education in Tobacco Prevention. The City of Capitola is also a partner and member of United Way’s Youth Action Network where Yvette is a standing Board Member. And most recently Yvette facilitated the connection between the City of Capitola and the Santa Cruz County Office of Education in hiring Post-Secondary Special Education students through the SCCOE workability program.
Yvette is a the Vice President of the Executive Board of Directors for the League of Cities, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Central Coast Community Energy, The Children’s Network, Childhood Advisory Council and the Central Coast Early Childhood Advocacy Network as well as the Vice Chair of the Local Agency Formation Commission of Santa Cruz County.
As a policy maker, Yvette is committed to ensuring that Capitola is sustainable, safe, welcoming, and family-friendly and support’s the vision of Capitola’s residents in maintaining it’s intimate, small-town feel and coastal village charm.
yvettebrooks.com 