One of Marin County Supervisor Dennis Rodoni’s two aides stepped down from the role this summer.

Rhonda Kutter, a Point Reyes Station resident who served as an administrative aide to Supervisor Rodoni since he was elected in 2017, said she planned to leave the position in September but said the move was expedited by a heavy workload and what she called a need for change.

“Things did happen more rapidly than expected and so that’s been a bit of a challenge,” she said. “I did plan for more time to allow for a transition, but it didn’t quite go as smoothly as I hoped.”

She added, “[Dennis] is very strategic and has done a good job selecting his aides in serving District Four, but I feel like we have outgrown each other.”

Ms. Kutter said she made a concerted effort to amplify West Marin voices during her time in the supervisor’s office, inspired by her predecessors and the community she has lived in for over two decades. She helped organize and support projects like the Cleaner California Coast initiative—a partnership between Marin, Mendocino and Sonoma Counties to reduce trash on the coast through education—and the county’s reusable foodware ordinance. 

Ms. Kutter’s lasting impact on Point Reyes Station can be seen in her work with the Point Reyes Station Village Association to create a Dark Sky community, and with Safe Routes to Schools to ensure the pathways to West Marin School are safe for students. 

Her dedication to sustainability and keeping the community informed left a mark on her colleagues and those she served. “Rhonda was very special in her understanding of the matters that impacted the community from the lens of the community,” said Fernando Barreto, who began working as an aide to Supervisor Rodoni last year. “It was pretty much my inspiration.”

Before moving to Point Reyes Station in 2001, Ms. Kutter earned a degree in linguistics from the University of California, Berkeley, and then pivoted to the restaurant industry before spending 15 years working as a massage therapist. While living in San Rafael, she volunteered as a concierge for the City of San Rafael. There she directed citizens, arranged meetings for city officials, assisted officials in revising the massage ordinance and worked on updating the Canal Resource Guide. 

“That’s really where a lot of my government experience started—as an advocate for different organizations,” Ms. Kutter said. “Working as a concierge, whether people wanted to complain about their bosses or a parking ticket they shouldn’t have gotten, I was there to listen and tell them where to go.” 

Supervisor Rodoni said his office is currently interviewing for the position, which he hopes to fill this fall. He will prioritize an aide who lives in District Four, and specifically in West Marin, along with bilingual candidates. 

“[Ms. Kutter] always reminded me to reach out to the community,” Supervisor Rodoni said. “We are so happy with the work she did, but we understand when time comes for change, and we support that.”

For now, Mr. Barreto is the liaison for West Marin residents seeking to communicate with county representatives or learn about social services and opportunities. He has been familiarizing himself with Ms. Kutter’s projects for the past year, which he said allowed for a smooth transition. 

Mr. Barreto, who worked in international business before moving to Marin from Venezuela in 2016, said his bilingualism has made him especially useful in District Four, with the county’s largest Spanish-speaking population. Before he was tapped to replace former aide Lorenzo Cordova, he worked for the Canal Alliance, acting as a liaison for District Four residents during the census and vaccination efforts. 

In Bolinas, he has become a familiar face, attending the monthly Bolinas Civic Group meetings. But his presence in Point Reyes Station has also grown. He spends every Monday at the West Marin Multi-Services Center, where he is available for appointments and on a walk-in basis.