Valerie Brown goes home again

Longtime Sonoma public servant Valerie Brown closed the gate on her rural property in Kenwood last week for the final time, returning to Columbia, Missouri, to live in the home where she spent her childhood.

“I believe that people return to their roots at a certain point in time,” she said. “I can honestly say that I was never really a California girl. I’ve always been a Missouri girl from the Show Me State who was dropped into the wonders of California.”

Brown has spent a significant amount of time in Columbia over the past two years, being a caretaker for her father, who passed away in 2013, and her mother who died in January. During that time, she has reconnected with high school friends, bonded with her brother and his family and realized Columbia is her true home

Brown moved to Sonoma in 1984, following a stint in Southern California. She was elected to the Sonoma City Council in 1991, and served as mayor. In 1994, she went to the state legislature where she spent six years in the Assembly. In 2000, she became a Sonoma County supervisor, a position she held until 2012, when she left politics and became a consultant.

She still has a couple of California clients, and said she plans on returning to Sonoma frequently. “So many people have offered for me to either housesit or to stay with them,” she said. Her daughter and sister live in California, another reason her connection to the state will remain strong.

Brown turned 70 this year. “I knew that if I was going to make a lifestyle change, now was the time to do it.” She calls her new life “incredibly wonderful.”

She bought her parents’ home from her brother and sister and is embarking on a remodel of the mid-century modern golf course residence, originally designed by acclaimed architect Hurst John. She said she hopes to have many Sonoma visitors, especially her golfing friends. “Most people who come here to see it realize why I am staying here,” she said.

Columbia is a college town, with three universities that contribute to its vibrant cultural scene. “It’s a dynamic community, and it is a lot more liberal than the rest of the state,” she said.

Looking back on her political life in Sonoma, Brown said she is “proud beyond belief” of the Highway 12 project. She also feels great about the roundabout on Arnold Drive near Hanna Boys Center that was so controversial when it was first proposed. She calls it an environmental success. “Nobody wanted it in the beginning, but now I bet the majority of those that were against would say now that it works well.”

She notes that Sonoma Valley was “ahead of its time,” voluntarily monitoring well water when the rest of the county was against it. “I said let’s just do it in my district then, and a group of stakeholders got together and did a beautiful job of putting in a long-term groundwater strategy.”

She also looks back fondly of working with Wendy Peterson, executive director of the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, to build a strong tourism presence. “That was incredibly challenging and rewarding,” Brown said.

Brown said that she lives alone and felt very isolated living out in the country in Kenwood. “When I was in politics I loved it and it worked very well for me, but now I need to be more connected.

“I think that Sonoma is a valued part of who I am,” she said, explaining that people say to her “You’re moving from Sonoma to Missouri, what’s that about?” The answer: That’s who Valerie Brown is now – a woman who is proving that you can go home again.