About Brigette

Brigette Mansell was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on December 14, 1960. As a child of a SAC Air Force pilot and the fifth out of six children, Brigette learned, early on, the value of communication, self expression and the need to reach out and create community. Her family moved to Austin, Texas; Roswell, New Mexico; Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Rye Beach, New Hampshire; and, finally, to Merced, California where she graduated from Merced High School in 1978.

 

Brigette moved to Santa Barbara to attend SBCC then to DeAnza College and moved north to Sonoma State University where she graduated with a B.A. in English. One year later, she earned her secondary teaching credential and, at the age of 20, was hired to teach at Piner High School on the west side of Santa Rosa. After twenty-two years at Piner High School, she applied for a transfer and taught at Maria Carrillo High School for sixteen years until her retirement in June of 2020.  All along the way she has taught language arts and an elective class called Oral Interpretation--she coached high school speech and debate for thirty-five years.

 

Taylor and Savannah, Brigette's twenty-nine year-old boy-girl twins, graduated from Healdsburg High School in 2011 and both graduated from their respective colleges/universities in the Spring of 2015. Savannah earned  her B.A. in English at Occidental College and her teaching credential, and M.A., at Mills College and this fall of 22 she begins her seventh year of teaching public high school English (like her mother) at San Leandro High School in the east Bay.  Her twin brother, Taylor,  earned his B.S. in microbiology at University Hawaii, Manoa, and works in a sparkling wine lab. Raised in Healdsburg, both Savannah and Taylor played sports and worked jobs both on the Healdsburg Plaza and on an Alexander Valley family-owned farm.

 

In 2014, Brigette successfully ran for Healdsburg City Council and was the seventh woman to earn that position in over 150 years of Healdsburg's herstory!  In 2018 Brigette was selected by her colleagues on council to be mayor.

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Still an active substitute teacher, in Healdsburg's public schools,  Brigette brings needed vitality to the city council as a skilled reader, writer, and communicator. Her experience in the high school classroom and as a participatory citizen will serve the Healdsburg City Council as our town continues to provide services for its local people as well as our increasing number of visitors. Brigette deeply cares about Healdsburg and the unique beauty and natural resources of the Russian River, Fitch Mountain, the Northern Open Space Ridge Reserve among other places to cherish and protect. The arts are a particular passion for Brigette. At the Raven Performing Arts Theater, Brigette played the role of Miss Maudie in the production of the play To Kill a Mockingbird and has volunteered as a set painter and MC for numerous fundraising events. Her love of theater and visual arts and dancing to live music deepens her commitment to all of Healdsburg artists, emerging and established. 

 

Taking a measured, yet enthusiastic approach, former Mayor Mansell invites residents to participate and question and engage. One voice. Your vote. She is ready and willing to serve!