Meet Sarah Ortego

Sarah Ortego has been the School Board member for the Jamestown District since she was elected in 2021. She is currently serving her second consecutive term as board chair.

Throughout her first term Sarah has served on the Career and Technical Education Committee and the Student Advisory Committee, and she is currently serving on the Policy Committee and on the School Liaison Committee, working closely with members of the James City County Board of Supervisors and the Williamsburg City Council. 

As chair, she has led the School Board and the division with a steady hand through a great deal of change, including the near-complete turn-over of the School Board and the hiring of a new superintendent. She has also been participating in negotiations between James City County and the City of Williamsburg regarding the future of the school division. 

Through her leadership, Sarah has ensured that diverse opinions are heard and respected while demonstrating a commitment to productive collaboration, consensus building, and keeping students’ best interests at the forefront of every decision. 

Sarah is the mother of three and has the experience of being a parent of an elementary, middle, and high school student in WJCC schools. Throughout the years, she has been a member of  PTAs and has volunteered in her children’s classrooms.

An avid supporter of the arts, Sarah sits on the board of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra. She also volunteers her time to serve as a CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children, and she is active in her church.

Prior to moving to Williamsburg, Sarah lived and worked in Washington, D.C. for many years, having held positions on Capitol Hill, at the White House, and at the Department of State, and subsequently as a strategic communications consultant at a large consulting firm in Northern Virginia. Sarah holds a B.A. in Government from Smith College and a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Sarah is a proven leader, skilled in good governance with budgetary and policy experience, and a laser-focus on academic achievement and student-centered decision making.