Vallejo’s Poets Laureate Program

Vallejo’s Poets Laureate Program

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Some key dates in the history of Vallejo’s Poet Laureate Program

  • March 28, 2013 – Vallejo Poet Laureate committee holds first meeting. Dr. Tom Snyder, chair, representing the Vallejo Library Advisory Board, Olga Crotty, representing the Friends of the Vallejo Library and three members from the community at-large: Carmen Slack of the Solano County Arts Council, Oscar Romero, and Elissa Shanks Stewart. This committee met for several months then added Nestor Aliga and Mario Saucedo.
  • May 14, 2013 – the request for a poet laureate position went before the city council and everything was referred to staff for study. It was denied on May 21 based on the recommendation from the City Attorney.
  • May 21, 2013 – Dr. Snyder stepped down as chair because of other commitments but remained on the committee. Elissa Shanks Stewart stepped up as chair and approached the Solano County Chapter of the Links, Inc. Arts Facet and the Vallejo Arts Foundation to see if they would accept the Vallejo Poet Laureate Program as one of their projects. They agreed wholeheartedly.
  • Elissa Shanks Stewart, chair, Lynette Henley, Sean Gutierrez, Erin Bakke, Nestor Aliga, Carmen Slack, Mario Saucedo, and Oscar Romero formed a new committee at this time in order to include members from the sponsoring community organizations. The committee conducted studies comparing the selection processes of surrounding cities, created an application, and conducted interviews. The committee selected Dr. Genea Brice and submitted her name to the Vallejo City Council. Mayor Osby Davis and Councilmember Katy Miessner made the request for a resolution and proclamation.
  • July 28, 2015 – At the City Council meeting Dr. Brice was officially proclaimed the first poet laureate for the city of Vallejo. The Links and the Vallejo Community Arts Foundation sponsored a reception which was held in the Vallejo Sister City Room.
  • In the spring of 2017 applications went out for a new poet laureate. The committee selected D. L. Lang and the reception was held July 28, 2017 in the McCune Room to thank Dr. Brice for her extraordinary service and welcome D. L. Lang.
  • At the September 12, 2017 city council meeting, Councilmember Katy Miessner presented the proclamation in recognition of the outgoing poet laureate, and on October 10, 2017 D. L. Lang was officially proclaimed.
  • During Lang’s tenure the original community sponsors dissolved. By this point the Vallejo City Council had reinstated the Arts Commission. They were approached and asked to embrace the Poet Laureate Program. They declined the offer so it was at this time that the chair resigned.
  • After there was a delay in releasing a new application for D. L. Lang’s successor, a coalition comprised of Daisy Villanueva, Nina Serrano, Johanna Ely, Jeff Kingman, Noah Dove, Myra Nissen, Nicky Ruxton, Tom Stanton, and D.L. Lang attended the Arts Commission meeting on August 26, 2019 to voice their support for continuing the poet laureate program.
  • Renay Conlin of Vallejo Center for the Arts took the lead and managed the 2019 and 2024 application processes.
  • December 9, 2019 – A selection committee comprised of Nina Serrano, Jeff Kingman, Karen McKevitt and Juanita Martin selected poet Jeremy Snyder as Vallejo’s third poet laureate that December.
  • D. L. Lang was honored with a celebration on January 12, 2020.
  • On January 28, 2020 Councilmember Katy Miessner presented the proclamation in recognition of the outgoing poet laureate, and appointed Mr. Snyder. His term was extended to an unprecedented four years on January 10, 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • November 2023 a selection committee comprised of Renay Conlin of Vallejo Center for the Arts, Poet Laureate Emerita D.L. Lang, Pamela Herron, Melody Anderson-Brumidis, and Annalissa Quismorio selected Jacalyn Eyvonne and Kathleen Herrmann to serve jointly as co-poets laureate.
  • On March 12, 2024 Councilmember Rozzana Verder-Aliga presented their proclamations.

History adapted from a presentation by Elissa Shanks-Stewart

Click the links below to read biographies for the past poets laureate: