Maienschein Recognizes Valerie Brown as the 77th Assembly District’s “Woman of the Year”

RANCHO BERNARDO – Assemblymember Brian Maienschein proudly honored Valerie Brown as the 77th Assembly District’s 2021 Woman of the Year on Monday.

A nearly twenty-year resident of Rancho Bernardo, Brown has served San Diego County as a volunteer with many community organizations and nonprofit organizations. Brown has spent time with the Girl Scouts, Neighborhood Watch, San Diego’s Aging in Place Chapter, Rancho Bernardo Hall of Fame, Spirit of the Fourth, Poway Unified School District PTA, the Ed Brown Center for Active Adults, the City of San Diego’s CERT, and the Red Cross.

In the aftermath of the October 2007 Witch Creek Wildfire that destroyed over 1,500 homes, Brown coordinated the community’s long-term disaster recovery efforts. Later, she worked with the countywide Regional Recovery Group and directly helped 500 families in Rancho Bernardo, Poway, Escondido, and Rancho Santa Fe over the span of three years. Since the Witch Creek Fire, Brown has actively volunteered in San Diego County’s subsequent disaster relief through the San Diego County’s Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), where she currently serves as president, and the Community Recovery Team.

Brown has dedicated thirty years of her career to nonprofit organizations. She previously worked for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego where she served youth at 13 locations across the county. Most recently, Brown worked as the Chief Quality Assurance and Compliance Officer for Interfaith Community Services, where she ensured that quality service delivery was provided to tens of thousands of San Diego County’s most vulnerable residents with over 50 programs.

Currently, Brown works as the Senior Program Officer for United Policyholders, a national nonprofit who aims to be a trustworthy and useful informational resource and an effective voice for consumers of all insurance types. In addition, Brown serves on the board of the Disaster Leadership Team, where she provides seasoned community disaster leaders to support new community leaders working through the disaster recovery process.