01/09/2025 -
Lorez Bailey, the former publisher of the North Bay Business Journal and executive director of Santa Rosa’s Chop’s Teen Club, has been selected to lead fundraising and operations of SchoolsRule Sonoma County.
SchoolsRule is an initiative of the Sonoma County Office of Education that raises funds on behalf of all public students throughout the region's 40 school districts. It was launched by Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amie Carter in November 2023 as a focused community effort to support all public schools in the county. The initiative has distributed nearly $136,400 to local school districts and education foundations in its first year.
In her role as the SchoolsRule Sonoma County Ambassador, Bailey will build and execute the initiative’s fundraising strategy, drive community engagement efforts, and oversee the coordination of events such as SchoolsRule’s annual distribution. Bailey’s extensive experience working with Sonoma County youth and strong ties to the local business community made her a perfect fit for the SchoolsRule team, Carter said.
“Lorez is a passionate champion of students who understands the importance of providing them with opportunities that ignite their curiosity and expand their worldview,” Carter said. “Her thoughtful leadership will help us build on SchoolsRule’s early wins as we look to build a stable funding stream to enrich our local schools.”
Bailey was the publisher of the North Bay Business Journal — which covers business news in and around Sonoma County — from September 2021 to July 2024. Prior to that, she served as the executive director for Chop's Teen Club for five years. The nonprofit provides Sonoma County middle and high school students with a place to meet after school, explore their interests, participate in enrichment programs, and receive mentoring.
Bailey also prepared students to enter the workforce and attend college as the director of college and career readiness at the nonprofit Social Advocates for Youth. She was named Sonoma County’s Woman of the Year by Rep. Mike Thompson in 2019 for her support of local students.
“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue uplifting youth in our community through SchoolsRule,” Bailey said. “I’m eager to grow our profile across our county and deepen the investment we make in our students.”
SchoolsRule is modeled after a similar program that began in Marin County in 2011. That effort, SchoolsRule-Marin, has raised more than $8.4 million to support Marin County’s public schools.
The Sonoma County fundraiser has secured $179,000 in donations during its second year so far. Every dollar raised will be distributed to local education foundations, as well as to school districts without such organizations, on a per-student basis.
Recipients direct funding to educational programs of their choosing that align with SchoolsRule’s priority areas: literacy, student well-being, agriculture and hospitality, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math).
Supporters of SchoolsRule include Redwood Credit Union, Sonoma Clean Power, Kaiser Permanente, Exchange Bank, The Press Democrat, Friedman's Home Improvement, and Sutter Health. Learn more about SchoolsRule Sonoma County at this link.
