Public/Private Initiatives on Homelessness

Jack Tibbetts is the Director of Government and Community Relations at California Clean Power, which was acquired by Pilot Power Group as of July 1. CCP is an advisory firm that leads local communities through the process of setting up community-owned electrical power companies such as Sonoma Clean Power.

Jack is a candidate for Santa Rosa City Council but will be speaking today about one topic at the forefront of local issues in which he has been involved- homelessness.

Jack was born and raised in Santa Rosa. He attended Saint Eugene's Cathedral School where leading a life of "service to others" was instilled. When visiting home from UC Berkeley in his Junior year, Jack read that homelessness in Sonoma County had risen 40%; he convened a group of friends and business owners to create the nonprofit, Warm for the Holidays. Each year Warm for the Holidays partners with local businesses to collect and distribute thousands of coats and sleeping bags for local homeless service providers. Jack has since worked on a number of housing initiatives for the homeless and, while working for the Sonoma County Economic Development Board, crafted policy-based solutions to help low-income entrepreneurs get onto a pathway to earning higher wages. Most recently, Jack pushed the concept of "Empowering Housing" with the County of Sonoma, which has become known as the Tiny Home Initiative. Jack is committed to supporting public-private models to tackle homelessness, and sits on the Fund Development Committee for the Palms Inn, working to create a sustained funding model to support the Palms Inn in perpetuity. Jack also serves on a number of local boards and commissions, including the PDI Surgery Center, the Sonoma County Public Library Foundation, Roseland University Prep, Children's Humanitarian International, as well as the City of Santa Rosa Board of Public Utilities.