Children's Memorial Flag Raising 2026 - Ceremony Speakers

Supervisor Monica MartinezCeremony Lead Speaker, County Supervisor Monica Martinez
Monica Martinez is a lifelong public servant, nonprofit leader, and committed advocate for health equity. In 2024, she was elected as the Santa Cruz County Supervisor for District 5, becoming the first woman elected to represent the district. Supervisor Martinez brings a proven track record of leadership, collaboration, and results to her role addressing critical community needs. Passionate about inclusive leadership, Supervisor Martinez champions diverse representation in decision-making across the region, prioritizing the voices of those often underrepresented.
 
Prior to her election, Supervisor Martinez served as the CEO of Encompass Community Services, Santa Cruz County’s largest health and human services nonprofit, where she expanded essential behavioral health, housing, and early childhood development programs, serving thousands of residents across the region. Previously, she served as Executive Director of Housing Matters, where she co-founded the 180/180 Initiative—a groundbreaking effort that permanently housed 180 chronically homeless individuals in under two years.
 
Supervisor Martinez received her master’s in public administration from University of Southern California and her B.A. in Political Science at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and is a 2023 graduate of Emerge CA. She balances her professional life with active involvement in her community and is the proud parent of two school-aged children.
Gloria Carroll, Family & Children's Services DirectorCeremony Host & Featured Speaker, Gloria Carroll
Gloria Carroll, the Director of the Family & Children’s Services Division for the County of Sata Cruz Human Services Department, has had a long career in public service. After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University, Hayward, she had a short 3-1/2 year tenure with the Alameda County Probation Department. Wanting to make a bigger impact on the lives of those she served, she decided to return to graduate school at University of California, Berkeley, to earn her master’s in social work.
 
Once she earned her masters, Dr. Carroll immediately began working for the Alameda County Social Services Agency’s Children & Family Services. She began as a child welfare worker and after 24 years, ended her time in Alameda County as a Children & Family Services Division Director. Dr. Carroll then joined the County of Santa Cruz Human Services Department’s Family & Children’s Services in May 2023 as their newest Division Director and earned her doctorate degree from Liberty University in May 2025. Dr. Carroll enjoys learning our county’s child welfare landscape, and deeply appreciates the collaborative spirit of County staff and partners working to improve child safety in Santa Cruz County.  
Ceremony Em-Cee and Featured Speaker, DaDavid Brody, First Five Directorvid Brody

David Brody is the Executive Director of First 5 Santa Cruz County, where he leads initiatives supporting early childhood development, family resilience, and systems change. He holds a master’s in management from the Heller School at Brandeis University and has spent over two decades in community leadership roles across Oregon, Massachusetts, and California.

Superior Court Judge Rebecca ConnollyCeremony Featured Speaker, Judge Rebecca Connolly
Judge Rebecca Connolly currently sits as the Dependency Judge in Department A in Watsonville.  As a graduate of UC Berkeley and UC Davis School of Law, Judge Connolly has been serving in Santa Cruz County since September of 2010.  In her 16 years as a judge, she has adjudicated a wide range of case types spanning civil, criminal, family, probate and juvenile law.  Judge Connolly also instructs new judges as a member of the faculty for California’s Center for Judicial Education and Resources on a variety of topics focusing on ethics, fairness, and access to justice.
County Superintendent Faris SabbahCeremony Featured Speaker, County Superintendent Faris Sabbah
Dr. Faris Sabbah serves as Santa Cruz County Superintendent of Schools. Prior to his election in 2018, Dr. Sabbah worked for more than 30 years across nearly every level of education, serving as a county deputy superintendent, county assistant superintendent, university professor, director, assistant principal, teacher, and instructional aide. Born in Iraq to a multiracial, multicultural family, Dr. Sabbah immigrated to the Bay Area as a child to escape the Iran-Iraq War. He later relocated to his mother’s native country, Ecuador, before returning to the United States to attend UC Santa Cruz, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. Dr. Sabbah also holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from San Jose State University and a doctorate in leadership for educational equity from UC Berkeley. He believes wholeheartedly that education is about serving the whole child to disrupt inequitable practices and uplift student voice.