Sharon Roden

Biography

Sharon L Roden was born in Paso Robles on November 22, 1955. She traces her roots back to the 5th generation in San Luis Obispo county through her maternal grandfather, Ernest Still, and the 6th generation through her maternal grandmother, Eleanor Twisselman. Sharon's father, Bill Roden, is originally from Arkansas and moved with his family to Yuba City in 1947. Her mother, Doreen Still, met her father in Santa Barbara, where she was attending Santa Barbara State. They married in August 1951 and were married for 62 years. Sharon's older brother Bill was born in 1953. At present Bill manages the family ranch which was homesteaded n 1872. 

In 1961, the family relocated to Mississippi but returned to their Californian roots three days after Sharon's high school graduation in 1973.

Education

Sharon started her academic journey at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1973, and graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Management. Over the course of a decade, she took breaks to contribute to the family farm in the Cholame area. Following her graduation, her family planted a pistachio orchard on their property, which has been her primary occupation for the past 40 years, including a 35-year tenure as the manager of the family farm.

As her property falls within a State Water District, she has acquired knowledge and experience in water-related issues throughout the State. Her role in the pistachio business led to her involvement in, an ultimately her election to, the American Pistachio Growers (APG) Board in 2015. APG represents a network of over 800 growers spanning California, Arizona, and New Mexico. She served on the board until 2021, including a two-year tenure as the Chair of APG. During her time in this role, she held meetings with Congressional representatives and the Under Secretary of Agriculture in Washington DC to discuss matters crucial to the pistachio industry. Additionally, in 2017, she provided testimony before the International Trade Commission advocating for the continuation of import tariffs on Iranian pistachios.

Personal

Twenty-five years ago, Sharon met her now-wife, Dana, and the two of them married in 2014. They share a mutual love for travel and cherish spending time with their family and friends. However, they believe the best part of any journey is in coming home, which Sharon feels is the prettiest place on earth. They share their time with cherished nieces and nephews who love to go on adventures with their aunties. 

Business

In recent years, Sharon has gradually withdrawn from the day-to-day operations of managing the family farm, intending to provide her nephew, Mathew, and niece, Christina, with an opportunity to gain valuable experience in running the farm while she remains available for consultation and guidance.

This step back has freed up time for other pursuits. With the support of Dana, Sharon applied for and was appointed to the District 1 seat for City Council on October 3, 2023, following the vacancy created by the appointment of John Hamon as mayor. She looks ahead to the forthcoming challenges with enthusiasm and takes immense pride in serving the community where she was born, resides, and conducts her business.