Full Name
Sarah Tracy
Job Title
Sr. Management Analyst & PIO
Company
City of Sonoma
Speaker Bio
Sarah Tracy is the Senior Management Analyst and Public Information Officer for the City of Sonoma, where she leads the City’s public information, engagement, and emergency communications while balancing the many responsibilities common in small agencies.
Sarah joined the City in 2017, after the wildfires, as a 5–10 hour per week contractor to help expedite the launch of the City’s new website, which had been accelerated as a critical public communication tool. When someone early on referred to her as the City’s “PIO,” Sarah quietly googled, “What is a PIO?” The answer quickly became her career path and focus.
That initial contract expanded into managing social media, developing an e-newsletter, and serving as the City’s de facto public information lead. Through multiple Emergency Operations Center activations, including planned power shutoffs and the COVID-19 response, her role steadily grew from part-time analyst to full-time Senior Management Analyst and Public Information Officer.
Before joining the City, Sarah spent ten years at the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, where she followed a similar trajectory into communications. Starting in visitor services, her role grew to include website management, digital content, newsletters, advertising, event promotion, and close collaboration with public relations partners. That experience shaped the practical, resource-conscious communication approach she brings to municipal work.
In addition to her PIO responsibilities, Sarah serves as Assistant Director of Emergency Services and staffed the Cultural and Fine Arts Commission for the past two years, overseeing updates to the City’s Public Art Policy and a range of cultural programs and events. She also supports special projects that require coordination across departments and partners, including hazard mitigation planning, development of a public art program, a discretionary funding program, and community-focused policy initiatives.
Outside of work, Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, tap dancing, swimming, hiking, and supporting her two sons in their artistic, athletic, and academic pursuits, alongside her husband and a household of well-loved cats.
Sarah joined the City in 2017, after the wildfires, as a 5–10 hour per week contractor to help expedite the launch of the City’s new website, which had been accelerated as a critical public communication tool. When someone early on referred to her as the City’s “PIO,” Sarah quietly googled, “What is a PIO?” The answer quickly became her career path and focus.
That initial contract expanded into managing social media, developing an e-newsletter, and serving as the City’s de facto public information lead. Through multiple Emergency Operations Center activations, including planned power shutoffs and the COVID-19 response, her role steadily grew from part-time analyst to full-time Senior Management Analyst and Public Information Officer.
Before joining the City, Sarah spent ten years at the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau, where she followed a similar trajectory into communications. Starting in visitor services, her role grew to include website management, digital content, newsletters, advertising, event promotion, and close collaboration with public relations partners. That experience shaped the practical, resource-conscious communication approach she brings to municipal work.
In addition to her PIO responsibilities, Sarah serves as Assistant Director of Emergency Services and staffed the Cultural and Fine Arts Commission for the past two years, overseeing updates to the City’s Public Art Policy and a range of cultural programs and events. She also supports special projects that require coordination across departments and partners, including hazard mitigation planning, development of a public art program, a discretionary funding program, and community-focused policy initiatives.
Outside of work, Sarah enjoys gardening, cooking, tap dancing, swimming, hiking, and supporting her two sons in their artistic, athletic, and academic pursuits, alongside her husband and a household of well-loved cats.
Speaking At
