Santa Clara County Board of Supes Has New President, Member

Santa Clara County Supervisor Ken Yeager began serving as president of the Board of Supervisors for 2013 and former State Senator Joe Simitian took his seat as supervisor of the Fifth District at the board's meeting Tuesday, county officials said.

Both men joined the board during its first meeting of 2013 at 9 a.m. inside the board chambers at the County Government Center, 70 W. Hedding St. in San Jose, officials said.

Yeager, 60, who has represented the board's Fourth District since 2006, has been chosen to chair the Health and Hospital Committee and serve as vice chair of the Finance and Government Operations Committee, officials said.

In his role as president, Yeager will outline his goals for the year during his State of the County Address on Jan. 29 at 11:15 a.m. in the board chambers.

Simitian, 59, who was elected to represent the Fifth District starting in 2013 during last year's June 5 primary election, was sworn in Jan. 7. to replace former Supervisor Liz Kniss with the expiration of Kniss' term in 2012, officials said.

Simitian, who represented the 11th District in the state senate as a Democrat from 2004 to 2012, has been appointed chair of the Children, Seniors and Families Committee and vice chair of the Housing, Land Use, Environment and Transportation Committee, officials said.

The new board member, who served previously on the board from 1997 to 2000, is a former state assemblyman, mayor of Palo Alto and president of the Palo Alto School Board.

The county also announced committee assignments for Supervisors Mike Wasserman, George Shirakawa and Dave Cortese.

Wasserman will be vice chair of the board of supervisors, chair the housing land use, environment and transportation committee and vice chair the Public Safety and Justice Committee.

Shirakawa is to head the public safety and justice committee and vice chair the health and hospital committee.

Cortese will lead the finance and government operations committee and vice chair the committee on children, seniors and families.

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