Veteran early childhood systems leader and former First 5 Commissioner to begin as CEO on October 15, 2026
SANTA ROSA, Calif. — The First 5 Sonoma County Commission has appointed September Jarrett, MPP, as the public agency’s next Chief Executive Officer, effective October 15, 2026. Jarrett brings more than 20 years of experience leading early childhood systems change across the public, philanthropic, and nonprofit sectors, and she takes the helm of the county’s leading early childhood advocate and funder at a pivotal moment for young children and families in Sonoma County.
Jarrett joins First 5 Sonoma County from the Heising-Simons Foundation and Action Fund, where she has served since 2018 as Program Officer managing more than $12 million in annual early childhood grantmaking. In that role, she has stewarded public-private-community partnerships advancing California’s early learning infrastructure and applied a rigorous racial equity lens to grantmaking.
Her public sector leadership includes serving as Executive Director of the San Francisco Office of Early Care & Education from 2016 to 2018, where she directed a $117 million public agency serving children 0-5, led a staff of 25 across a network of 340 early childhood programs, designed the city’s Early Learning Scholarship program, and served as the Mayor’s primary early care advisor. Earlier in her career, she was Program Director for the Mimi and Peter Haas Fund, Deputy Director of the Mayor’s Inter-Agency Council leading planning for the $6 billion HOPE SF transformation project, and an Executive Manager at the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth & Families. Jarrett also founded and directed the Child Care Facilities Fund at the Low Income Investment Fund, raising more than $20 million in public and private capital and helping create more than 2,000 licensed childcare spaces in under-resourced neighborhoods.
Notably, Jarrett has firsthand experience with First 5 governance, having served as Commissioner and Secretary of the San Francisco First 5 Commission from 2006 to 2009. Jarrett will succeed Angie Dillon-Shore, who has led First 5 Sonoma County for the past decade, overseeing First 5 Sonoma County’s work to invest public funding in programs supporting children prenatal through age five and their families across the county.
“On behalf of the First 5 Sonoma County Commission, I am thrilled to welcome September Jarrett as our new CEO. She brings a proven track record of disciplined financial stewardship through an unwavering equity lens, collaborative leadership and deep knowledge of early childhood policy. We are confident that September’s vision and expertise make her an ideal choice to lead First 5 Sonoma County into the future,” said Donna Broadbent, Chair of the Commission. “This is also an opportunity to reflect with gratitude on what First 5 Sonoma County has achieved over the last ten years guided by Angie Dillon-Shore’s leadership. We wish her well as she transitions into semi-retirement.”
“I am energized to step in as CEO of First 5 Sonoma County. I do so with great respect for Angie Dillon-Shore’s impactful legacy, which sets the stage for our next era. This is a pivotal moment: our 2026–2031 Strategic Plan and Measure I offer unprecedented opportunities for our children, families, and the workforce that supports them,” said Jarrett. “My commitment is to lead our team and execute this vision with passion and rigor, working side-by-side with the community leaders, providers, and families who ground our mission.”
Jarrett holds a Master of Science in Urban Policy Analysis & Management, with Honors, from The New School for Social Research, and a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies, with Honors, from San Francisco State University. She currently serves as Board Chair of the San Francisco Early Learning Alliance, on the Executive Committee of the LA Partnership for Early Childhood Investment, and on the Board of Directors of Care Access Real Estate.
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Media Contact
Donna Broadbent, Chair
First 5 Sonoma County Commission
commissionchair@first5sonomacounty.org
