Yolo County’s Jenny Tan is named Woman of the Year

Yolo County Public Information Officer Jenny Tan, who has kept the community updated with timely reports on the coronavirus pandemic as well as a series of destructive wildfires, has been named Yolo County’s Woman of the Year by Sen. Bill Dodd. “Jenny has been the voice of Yolo County during the most devastating public health crisis in a century and recent wildfires,” Dodd said. “She has shown the kind of leadership that is needed in an emergency. I’m proud to recognize her for this valuable contribution to the community.” “This past year has shown the importance of communications work – being transparent, simple and clear while telling the story of our communities as authentically as possible,” Jenny Tan said. “I am honored to be given this award and I recognize that behind every achievement I’ve had and every late night I’ve worked, is the support and assistance of my county, peers, and family. This is for them. For giving me the strength to do what I needed to and serve my community to the best of my ability.” Tan started her career with Yolo County in 2019, rising from communications coordinator to public information officer in 2020. Over the past year, she has been responsible for the county’s joint information center, overseeing a team responding to the pandemic with information about face coverings, restrictions, vaccinations and testing, among other things. Tan was also a part of the LNU Lightning Complex fire’s emergency response to ensure residents had the information they needed. Tan is passionate about inclusion and diversity and ensuring all voices are heard and represented. She also believes in simple and easy-to-understand communication that cuts through jargon and government lingo. She’s a member of the Yolo County District Attorney’s Multicultural Community Council and regional and statewide public information officer associations. She lives in Davis with her husband and three sons.