Candidate for
Council Member; City of Elk Grove; Council District 5

Katherine and her husband Dennis have lived in Elk Grove since 1995. They moved to Elk Grove to raise their three children, now ages 14, 9, and 5. Married for 15 years, they moved a few times, but when they fell in love with the Elk Grove community, they knew that they would call Elk Grove their home. Their children all attend Elk Grove public schools and their oldest son is attending the new Consumes Oaks High School.

Katherine is committed to the Elk Grove Community and her public service proves it. She served for two terms on the Franklin Laguna Area Community Planning Advisory Council (FLACPAC) before being appointed by the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors to serve on the Sacramento County Policy Planning Commission. Recently, after six years of service, three of those years serving as Chair, Katherine was termed out of office. Her voting record as a Planning Commissioner demonstrates a commitment to balanced planning and responsible land use.

Katherine continues to serve the community. She sits on the boards of California Women Lead (formerly California Elected Women's Association for Education and Research), Sacramento Chapter; the California Latino Capitol Association (CLCA); and, People United for a Better Sacramento (PUBS). She is also a member of the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and sits on their Legislative Committee. Katherine is an elected member of the Sacramento County Democratic Central Committee, where she serves as the Vice Chair. She is also a member of the Executive Board of the Democratic Party.

When she is not busy with family and community, Katherine does have a day job. She is the President & CEO of her own firm, MAESTAS STRATEGIC CONSULTING, INC. Her firm handles non-profit management and campaign and issue strategy. Katherine was the Campaign Manager for Gary Davis, who is now the Mayor of Elk Grove. She was also the Campaign Manager for Cache Creek Wild and Scenic, an effort to pass significant legislation which is now law, preserving 31 miles of the Cache Creek River in Yolo and Lake Counties as a State Wild, Scenic and Recreational River. Often, she volunteers her services for issues of importance. Katherine volunteered for the "No on Q and R" campaign, serving as a speaker at events and press conferences. She also participated in advocating against these measures during the live televised debate on KCRA Channel 3. But her commitment to the effort did not end there. She has continued to volunteer in this effort by helping to facilitate community meetings that are focused on identifying what the community believes should be the priorities for our tax dollars.

If the name "Katherine Maestas" sounds familiar, you may remember her from her run for State Assembly in 2002. She ran for Assembly District 10 while pregnant with her daughter. This race was targeted by both parties, and while she won the contentious primary with 42% of the vote, she did not win the general election. However, how many candidates are in labor the morning after election night? Katherine never felt the election was a loss at all. She had her beautiful daughter in her arms!