WATSONVILLE — Rebecca Hernandez, UC Santa Cruz’s community archivist, has been named as the new president of Watsonville Film Festival’s Board of Directors, nonprofit officials announced in a news release. Hernandez, who is succeeding Yazmin Herrera, has lived in the Santa Cruz area for a decade and has been heavily involved with local organizations devoted to arts, equity and culture. In addition to being the first community archivist at UC Santa Cruz’s University Library, she previously was director of the school’s American Indian Resource Center from 2014 to 2022 where she hosted more than 100 events.
She also serves on the Santa Cruz County Latino Affairs Commission and as a trustee for the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, supports organizations such as the Filipino American research initiative Watsonville is in the Heart, and is already a member of the Watsonville Film Festival board. Additionally, Hernandez has worked with festival co-founder and Executive Director Consuelo Alba as a member of Rise Together, an organization aimed at advancing racial equality throughout the county. “I am thrilled to work with Rebecca and take the Watsonville Film Festival to the next level,” Alba said in a statement.
“She is a brilliant and passionate leader with a deep commitment to serving our community through the arts.” As board president, Hernandez said she will work with Alba to expand the festival’s mission, including broadening work with local filmmakers,.
