Valerie Brown, the 2010 PublicCEO Local Government Official of the Year, has announced she will retire from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors at the end of this term.

In her nearly two decades in local government, she’s held nearly every job in local governance, including national positions. A former city councilwoman, mayor, president of the National Association of Counties, chairwoman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, and most recently she was appointed to a White House Advisory Board on Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health.

The decision was reached over the last three months, but it had already been rumored that she would be stepping down since she has not raised money since her last election and her campaign fund has a zero balance.

From the Press Democrat:

Valerie Brown, the only two-term member of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and one of the few county leaders with experience on the local, state and national levels, will not seek re-election next year.

Brown, 65, made the announcement Tuesday morning at the beginning of the Board of Supervisors regular meeting. She said her decision, made over the last three months, was an “incredibly painful” one based in part on the demands of campaigning.

After nearly two decades in politics, the prospect of participating in debates and precinct walking this year and next held less appeal than ever, she said.

Read the full article here.