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Evans named Sonoma alcalde

Longtime Sonoma Valley volunteer leader Whitney Evans was named the 2012 Sonoma alcalde after being nominated by Mayor Joanne Sanders during Monday night’s City Council meeting.

Evans was one of three candidates proposed by a committee composed of former mayor Laurie Gallian, City Manager Linda Kelly and the three most recent alcaldes, Mary Evelyn Arnold, Niels Chew and Elizabeth Kemp.

The other two candidates proposed by the committee were SVHS economics teacher David Donnelley and Infineon Raceway president Steve Page.

Alcaldes are chosen for their selfless contribution to the community and serve for one year in the honorary role, which comes with ceremonial silver-headed cane.

Whitney and Jeanette Evans moved to Sonoma Valley in June 1991 from the Silicon Valley after spending most of their lives in Ohio.

Evans was an executive with Invacare, a wheelchair and home medical care equipment company headquartered in Cleveland. He was also a leader in representing organizations serving people with disabilities.

Upon moving to Sonoma, he immediately became active in promoting access for people with disabilities and in a host of other community causes.

He was a key member on local committees raising funds for the Sonoma Valley Field of Dreams, the new Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley at Maxwell Park, and dozens of other fund-raising projects throughout Sonoma Valley.

He and Jeanette have remained active in raising money for the Boys & Girls Club, have been leaders on behalf of Becoming Independent, the WillMar Family Grief & Healing Center, and eventually led the effort to establish the Sonoma Valley Fund, becoming the fund’s first president.

Steve Kyle, another community cause leader, said this week, “There was hardly a worthy cause in Sonoma Valley that Whitney hasn’t helped … he has done lots of great things for Sonoma Valley nonprofits.”