The San Diego Board of Supervisors had quite the busy start to the year, swearing in new members, and selecting a new chairperson for the 2021 calendar year. On Jan. 4, three new members were sworn in via virtual ceremony due to the current state of the coronavirus pandemic.

Supervisor Nora Vargas succeeds Greg Cox of District 1, who served on the board since 1995. She was sworn in by her goddaughters Fatima and Farah Jimenez. Supervisor Vargas becomes the first woman of color, and first Latina to serve on the board.

District 1 covers Coronado, Imperial Beach, Chula Vista, National City, some communities within the City of San Diego, and unincorporated areas including Bonita, Lincoln Acres and East Otay Mesa.

Supervisor Joel Anderson took over the reins for District 2, besting Steve Vaus in a very tight race until the end. The seat was held by Dianne Jacob, who was the longest-serving board member in San Diego County government history, serving since 1992. He was sworn in by Senator Mark Wyland.

District 2 covers a broad swath of unincorporated East County, including the communities of Lakeside, Alpine, Ramona, Julian, as well as 11 Indian reservations, La Mesa, El Cajon, Poway, and some communities in the City of San Diego.

Supervisor Terra Lawsom-Remer takes over District 3, after an upset-defeat of former Supervisor Kristin Gaspar. She was sworn in by Judge Margaret McKeown of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and state Senator Toni Atkins.

District 3 includes Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Escondido, San Pasqual Valley, some communities in the City of San Diego and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.

On Jan. 5, the board members met for an organizational meeting to select a chair, vice chair and chair pro tempore for the 2021 calendar year.

District 4 Supervisor Nathan Fletcher was elected to take over as Board of Supervisors Chair. Greg Cox was formerly the Supervisor Chair. Supervisor Fletcher was first elected to the board in 2018.Supervisor Fletcher said that they will tackle a wide-range of things in the county: climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic, improve racial justice, build more affordable housing, provide quality physical and behavioral health care, provide more economic opportunity and ensure transparent government.

Supervisor Vargas will serve as the board’s vice chairwoman, and Supervisor Anderson as chair pro tem.

“I will work tirelessly for a county with more opportunity, more fairness, more equity and more justice,” Fletcher said, adding later that the county should just be a place where people `”don’t just say ‘Black lives matter, and immigrants are appreciated,’ but a county that backs that up with intentional policies,” Fletcher said.

For many decades, county voters wanted a more conservative board, consistent with their values, Fletcher said, “but times change, and now the voters have elected a new group of more progressive supervisors, we will govern more consistent with our values.”

Despite differences among the board members, Supervisor Fletcher is confident that the board will continue to do what is best to help the county move forward.