The Solano County Board of Supervisors established the Commission for Women and Girls in 2018. The Commission’s purpose is to advise the Solano County Board of Supervisors on issues relating to women and girls. Last year, the Commission published a Status Report on Women and Girls in Solano County.  Their work continues this year with working groups whose purposes are to delve more deeply into 5 areas: Human Trafficking, Maternal Health and Infant Morality Disparities, Poverty, Homelessness, and Food Insecurity.

The Commission is also delighted to showcase the successes of some of Solano County’s women leaders. The first of the conversational interview series will be held on Thursday, March 4, from 4-5:30 pm. Youth interviewer Emily Torres assisted by K. Patrice Williams will lead the discussion with panel members Renee Brown, Terrye Davis, Ana Dineen, and Erin Hannigan.

Ms. Torres graduated as valedictorian from Will C. Wood High School in Vacaville in 2020 and is currently studying chemical engineering at the University of California Berkeley. Her co-interviewer is K. Patrice Williams, JD, who is the CEO of BrandGOV Outreach, a public affairs and community outreach firm. Ms. Williams is also the founder of Hazel’s Tranquility Place.

The panelists have a wide range of experiences to share. 

Renee Brown is a hairstylist who has owned her own salon for 21 years.  She specializes in caring for hair of all textures, colors, and ethnicities and is a community leader in Vacaville.

Superior Court Judge Christine Carringer was appointed to the bench in December, 2013. She presided over family law and mental health cases for 6 years including 2 years as supervising judge of the Family Law Division. She currently serves in the Civil Division. Prior to her appointment to the bench, she practiced for 26 years as a civil litigator, handling court and jury trials, binding arbitrations, and mediations throughout Northern California both as counsel for a party and as a mediator. When not on the bench, Judge Carringer enjoys spending time with her two adult sons, daughter-in-law and two granddaughters.

Ana Dineen, who immigrated to the United States from El Salvador, has served as a school nurse and started the Family Resource Center in the Fairfield Suisun Unified School District. She is an active volunteer in Voces Unidas and St. Vincent de Paul. She ministers to inmates in Solano County Jail.

Erin Hannigan is a local businesswoman who currently serves on the Solano Board of Supervisors representing District 1. Previously, she served on the Vallejo Community Development Commission before becoming a member of the Vallejo City Council.

Commission Chair Laura Petty encourages all to attend!