Nevada City, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors selected Lisa Swarthout to serve as chair and Sue Hoek to serve as vice chair for 2026 at Tuesday’s regular meeting.
As chair, Swarthout will lead the Board meetings, approve meeting agendas, establish committee appointments, preside over ceremonies and more.
She represents District 3, which includes Grass Valley, the Brunswick Basin, Cedar Ridge, Squirrel Creek, and the La Barr Meadows / Allison Ranch Road neighborhoods. She has served on the Board since 2023.
Swarthout, who ran a successful retail store in Grass Valley for 30 years, declared 2026 the Year of Small Businesses. “Whether you’re a start-up, a business looking to expand or a business that’s just looking to stay here and needs some help, I want the County to be your partner in success,” she said.
Swarthout added that she will work to ensure County departments are not obstacles. “I want us to make sure our processes help people move forward, not slow them down. When we say, ‘We’re the government and we’re here to help,’ I want us to actually mean it,” she said.
Hoek represents District 4, which includes the communities of Lake Wildwood, North San Juan, Penn Valley, Rough and Ready, Spenceville, unincorporated areas along Highway 20, south down to the Perimeter Road area, and the McCourtney Road / Retrac Way area. She has served on the Board since 2019.
Heidi Hall, the 2025 chair, said she was proud of the focus on the Year of the Youth and the Youth Commission’s success in securing free bus fares for kids. In addition, she cited the County’s long list of accomplishments including easing barriers to housing, the opening of the new Commons Resource Center for those experiencing homelessness and securing funding for a new local psychiatric treatment center.
“All of this work reflects what’s possible when we listen to our community, partner with residents and organizations and stay focused on long-term needs,” Hall said.
Supervisors praised Hall for the work she did behind the scenes to help meet the County’s goals and for her advocacy for residents on the federal and state level.