By Dianne Jacob

Serving East County on the Board of Supervisors for nearly three decades has been one of the greatest honors of my life.

Thank you for standing with me as we took on challenges and fought the good fight to do what’s right for the Second District and our entire region.

Thank you for your letters, emails, phone calls, Facebook messages, Twitter comments and for all the times we crossed paths – at a meeting, at a community coffee, in an aisle at the grocery store — and you asked a question or raised a concern.

Those moments kept me grounded, along with the strength and guidance from God. They reminded me why I did this job and why I kept at it for 28 years, longer than any other elected official in San Diego County government history.

Community service has been my calling, going back to my days as a school volunteer and as a sixth-grade teacher at Bancroft Elementary School in Spring Valley. I served 17 years on the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District board.

When you add it all up, I’ve spent a total of 45 years in elective office. Because of term limits, I will complete my seventh and final term on the Board of Supervisors in January.

I’m moving on from a lifetime in office and returning to work on our ranch in Deerhorn Valley. Although I would prefer a horse, working the land on a tractor will do just fine.

I’m deeply grateful to the folks of East County. I’m proud of what we have accomplished together, and on so many fronts – wildfire safety, growing the economy, protecting the environment and all those libraries and ballfields we built, along with many other improvements.

When I was first sworn as Supervisor in 1993, I promised to challenge the status quo and shake things up. I wanted a county government that put people first — and I was willing to fight for it. Thank you for joining me in the fight.

—Dianne Jacob is the now former representative of District 2 on the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.