LAKE COUNTY — Jessica Pyska announced her intention last week to run for the District 5 Lake County Board of Supervisors’ seat.
Her candidacy, she writes, is a natural extension of Jessica’s deep commitment to serving the Lake County community.
The District 5 seat is currently held by Rob Brown, who was first elected to the position in 2000.
District 5 includes the town and surrounding area of Kelseyville, the Clear Lake Rivieras, Buckingham, Loch Lomond, and parts of the Cobb Mountain area.
In 2016, Pyska was one of the founders of the Cobb Area Council, focusing on proactive recovery after the Valley Fire, where she and her family lost their home. In her current role as Economic Development Committee Chair of the CAC, Pyska works closely with Lake County Supervisors and Department heads to build a sustainable community through restoration, rebuilding, and reshaping, and to ease the burdens of communities working through long-term recovery, while supporting and revitalizing local businesses.
Pyska is co-owner of JP Consulting, a web and mobile app development consulting firm. She works part-time designing curriculum and teaching weekly classes for K-6th grade students at Cobb Mountain Elementary School with a focus on gardening, nutrition, cooking, science, art, math, and environmental education, and helps to raise the funds to support the program. Since 2014 she has served on the board of the Friends of Cobb Mountain, a group dedicated to protecting the natural beauty of the Cobb Mountain area, and she coordinated The Valley Fire Rebuild Expo in 2016, where $30,000 in gift cards were handed out to those who had lost their homes. She also worked in the local wine industry for seven years and enjoys making wine at home. Pyska has volunteered to help disaster survivors through the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity New Orleans. She is currently a leader of Junior Girl Scout troop No. 10463.
Pyska has deep roots in Lake County. She was born at the old Lakeside Hospital and raised on Cobb Mountain with her two brothers and sister. She attended Minnie Cannon Elementary, then Cobb Elementary when it opened in 1985. She graduated from Middletown High School in 1994. Her father, John Jennings, worked in the steam fields for over 30 years before retiring from Calpine in 2005. Her mother, Karen Jennings, worked in the Middletown School District, then served on the school board for two terms in the 1990s. After graduating from the University of California Santa Cruz, Pyska moved to San Francisco, joining a Commercial Real Estate Corporation. She met and married Joel Pyska and they chose to move back to Lake County in 2005 to start their family. Their children, Camille and Asher, attend Cobb Mountain Elementary School.
The primary election will be held on March 3, 2020, and the general election on Nov. 3, 2020. Pyska looks forward to meeting with residents of District 5 to deepen her understanding of their vision, needs, and priorities, so she can better represent them.
Pyska said she has already received enthusiastic support and commitments from those who know of her plans. She added that they believe in her strength and determination. Pyska believes her personal journey through the fire recovery and rebuilding process makes her uniquely qualified to assist Lake County in building a solid future prioritizing economic vitality and advancing a high standard of disaster prevention and preparedness while preserving the things we all love most about our amazing community.
Pyska may be contacted at JessicaPyska2020@gmail.com
