Dr. Dawnté Early was elected to the West Sacramento City Council in October 2021 and was voted in as Mayor Pro Tem in March 2024.
She is a well-respected thought leader in health equity, public health and mental health. Dawnté started her career with the State of California serving as a public health researcher. At the Department of Public Health, she supported the Maternal Infant Health Assessment project, guiding health policies and programs for California women, infants and families. Results from this project were used by state and local programs, and other maternal, child, and adolescent health stakeholders to monitor health outcomes and identify emerging health issues.
While in a dual role at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), Dawnté led important research on the Affordable Care Act and the impact of health care services on the recidivism of individuals released from prison. Dawnté developed policy recommendations to help ensure people with behavioral health needs are provided the health care services they need. Dawnté also served as Chief of Research and Evaluation for the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission. In this role, she guided the Commission’s evaluation activities to transform California’s mental health system.
Dr. Early currently serves as the President and CEO of United Way California Capital Region, leading the organization into its 100th-anniversary year of building stronger, healthier and more compassionate communities. She was also actively involved in initiatives such as President Obama's My Brother's Keeper, West Sacramento Aging Commission, and the Yolo County First 5 Commission.
She earned a master’s degree in child development and a PhD in human development with a minor in quantitative psychology from UC Davis. As an active community member and passionate volunteer, she leads her daughter’s Girl Scout Troop, and coaches’ basketball for the West Sacramento Parks and Recreation league.
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Website Accessibility Policy
Reclamation District 900 is fully committed to providing accessible facilities, elements and
channels of communication to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, Reclamation District 900
has a policy of providing an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and
commercial screen reading software. All features of the website are coded to allow individuals with vision and
other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities. We welcome
feedback and can often resolve issues in a timely manner if they arise.
If you need any special assistance or accommodations:
Reclamation District 900 has designated a compliance officer for website disability-related accommodations.
The compliance officer has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best
practices. Contact our accessibility officer to report an issue.
Compliance Procedures and Reports
In addition to testing with users with a wide range of disabilities and coding our website to WCAG standards,
Reclamation District 900 regularly scans its website to ensure ongoing compliance, and makes timely
changes to any inaccessible changes, if any are found.
Linked Documents and Third Parties
Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites, such as state or federal agencies, that do
not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties included in our
agenda packets, for example. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties,
we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.