Sacramento Unified School District Board Member Jay Hansen has more than 20 years experience advocating for public school children, parents, working families and his community.
Jay was appointed to the school board in 2012 to fill the vacated seat of former school board member Ellyn Bell. Jay previously had served on the City of Sacramento Parks & Recreation Commission.
Since his appointment, Jay has helped the school district stabilize its finances, modernize classrooms and dramatically improve communications between the district and parents.
He has also worked to ensure children transition smoothly through the reorganization of local school sites and to support Career Technical Education programs with a focus on increasing our student's graduation rates.
Jay has over a decade of experience serving two State Superintendents of Public Instruction. In 2010, California Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson appointed Jay to his Transition Team on which Jay focuses on Children’s Healthcare and Workforce Development. Torlakson also appointed Jay to his Team California for Healthy Kids, a statewide program to increase physical activity and healthy eating in schools.
Torlakson's predecessor, State Superintendent Jack O'Connell, appointed Jay in 2004 to his California Career Technical Education Model Curriculum Standards Committee to help expand training opportunities for high school graduates moving directly into careers.
Jay currently works as the Chief Strategy Officer for the California Medical Association, where he helps 40,000 California doctors provide the best care possible to their California patients..
He previously worked as a legislative advocate for California building trades workers and in the State Capitol for several Democratic legislators.
Jay earned his Bachelor's from Occidental College and received a Master’s Degree from the University of Southern California. He serves as an elected member of the Occidental College Board of Governors and as an appointed member of the USC-Sacramento Center Advisory Council.
Jay enjoys golf and our City parks and lives in the Southside Park area of downtown Sacramento where he rebuilt a home on an older lot and is working with neighbors to continue the positive revitalization of the neighborhood.