Candidate for
Trustee; Pajaro Valley Unified School District; Trustee Area 1

Raised in the Salinas Valley, Kimberly De Serpa knows about hard work and sacrifice. Coming from a long line of women who lost their husbands too early, Kim learned first hand about the struggle to overcome adversity.

Kim's father was killed in an automobile accident in 1970. This immediately placed the young family in a difficult economic situation. Growing up in poverty and lacking health insurance, Kim's early experiences were shaped by compassion and hard work and influenced her choice of social work as a profession. She attended public schools, graduated from Humboldt State University, and earned a Master in Social Work (MSW) from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. While there she received a graduate fellowship in social service management.

Kimberly's grandmother was an educator. Having graduated from San Jose State University in 1922 when it was known as the "Normal School," she then taught in a one-room schoolhouse in the Salinas Valley. Kim's mother also worked for many years as an elementary school teacher's aide in resource and special education.

Having practiced in the social services arena since 1992, Kim has experience in both rural (Humboldt County) and urban (St. Louis, Missouri) settings. Kim served as a Clinton administration intern working in Health and Human Services at the Administration on Aging under the tutelage of Dr. Fernando Torres-Gil.

Later, Kim worked for the county offices of Child Protection and Public Health in direct service performing child abuse investigation and screening and case management of pregnant and parenting teenagers. She also has served in administrative functions as a coordinator of specialized training for child welfare, children's behavioral health and probation professionals at Hartnell College and through San Francisco State University's The Bay Area Academy. Currently, she works at Dominican Hospital as a Medical Social Worker in Pediatrics, NICU, & Maternal Health.

Her expertise in social services, community resources, and health related issues provide a sound context to service as a member of the board of Trustees for Pajaro Valley Unified School District.

Kim lives in Aptos with her husband of 23 years, a school psychologist in a nearby district, her two children who attend Valencia Elementary and Aptos Junior High, and a menagerie of animals. Kim also serves on the board of a local non-profit, For Kids Monterey Bay, which provides small grants to children in the tri-county area in need of medical or social assistance.

In her spare time, Kim enjoys running and volunteering for her children's schools.