C
aitlin Robinett Jachi-
mowicz is the only
honoree in Chamber
history to have been
named Student of the
Year during her high
school days, and Woman of the Year as a dy-
namic 35-year-old law professional, former city
councilmember, community leader and volun-
teer, wife and mother.
Born and raised in Morgan Hill, Caitlin
describes her family as close-knit and her par-
ents as a major positive influence on her values.
“My parents encouraged me to take charge
of my life and to give back. They talked about
community events at the dinner table and
made time to participate in things with me and
my older sister Courtney.”
Her first experience of volunteering was
with Morgan Hill Presbyterian Church.
“We helped the Salvation Army in the soup
kitchens. I realized there were people not far
from my own home who were in need of food
and shelter.”
As a second grader, Caitlin met Presidential
hopeful Bill Clinton during his scheduled stop
at the Children’s Discovery Museum.
“I asked Clinton for his autograph. At
first he declined but then changed his mind
and gave his autograph to every kid in line.
Inspired, I ran for my first student office in
elementary school and never looked back.”
Caitlin graduated magna cum laude from
Seattle University with a Bachelor’s degree in
Communication Studies and then earned a
Public Interest and Social Justice certificate
while obtaining her J.D. degree from Santa
Clara University.
“Serving as President of the Student Bar
Association in San Jose and as a California
Primary Convention volunteer opened my
mind to politics, public policy, and people
whose decisions influence the world.”
It was during law school that Caitlin met
Josh Jachimowicz. The couple later married
and moved back to Morgan Hill to raise their
children, Penelope and Griffin. Today, Caitlin
is a Senior Managing Attorney at Jachimowicz
Law Group where she works side by side with
Josh and his father Albie.
After law school, she worked for Congresswoman
Zoe Lofgren and won a spot as a Policy Fellow at
the Panetta Institute for Public Policy.
“Zoe taught me there’s no one smarter in the
room if you do your homework and show up
prepared. I considered asking for the chance to
work for her in Washington D.C., but in the
end I knew I wanted to serve my own commu-
nity and be there for my family.”
From 2011 to 2017, Caitlin served as a
Commissioner for the Santa Clara County
Parks and Recreation Commission. In 2017
she was appointed to the Morgan Hill City
Council where she established a reputation
as a focused, clear-headed and compassionate
councilmember.
Today, Caitlin balances her law practice and
family life with community service. She’s a
member of Morgan Hill’s ENGAGE Community
Advisory Group, a board member of the Edward
Boss Prado Foundation, and a volunteer with
AAUW-Morgan Hill. At the state level, Caitlin
was appointed by Assemblymember Robert
Rivas to serve as a delegate for the Democratic
party.
In 2017, Caitlin founded Women’s Week
in Morgan Hill to celebrate and support local
women and increase community awareness of
women’s issues.
“I spoke with John Horner and Brittney
Sherman at the Chamber and got to know
Cecelia Ponzini. They were all on board. Our
goal was to highlight women from different
perspectives: business, volunteering, public
service, and everyday life. So many families are
sustained by strong women. Often that hidden
work done by women has a bigger impact on
community than we realize.
“It’s a collective effort that has grown and
become richer because of our diverse com-
munity of women who are coming forward to
share their stories.”
When people show an interest in helping
but don’t know where to start, Caitlin asks,
“What do you love? Music? Volunteer for Live
Oak Emerald Regime Band. History? Join the
Morgan Hill Historical Society. Helping kids?
Get involved with the Edward Boss Prado
Foundation. Healing women? Support the
Learning and Loving Education Center. Find
people who share your passion and volunteer
together.
“Receiving this award, I feel a personal sense
of obligation to do good things and be someone
who will make my community proud.”
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
SPRING 2020
gmhtoday.com
“My hope for Morgan Hill
is that more people will get
involved in the community
and be mindful of the impact
of the work being done. Not
enough people attend council
meetings or write their rep-
resentatives. Policymakers
need to hear from them.”
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