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Santa Clarita ‘First Lady’ Vanessa Wilk Looks Back On Three Decades Of Service

As one of Santa Clarita’s “First Ladies,” Vanessa Wilk has spent the last three decades dedicated to serving the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding communities, and looks forward to many more years of service.

Born and raised in Boston, Vanessa graduated with a degree in Communications from Endicott College in Massachusetts.

In 1980, Vanessa moved to California, following her family to the desert.

“My dad had bad asthma, and whole family moved out here for him. He came to visit our cousins in Palm Springs and he called and said he could finally breathe,” Vanessa said. “I actually stayed in Boston until I finished college, came out to visit and ended up staying.”

She eventually opened a dress shop on Palm Desert’s El Paseo Drive before moving to Los Angeles to work in the fashion industry.

Vanessa met her future husband, State Senator Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita), when she was hired for a local ordinance campaign that Scott was working on. The two eventually married on October 20, 1985 at St. Peter’s Armenian Apostolic Church in Van Nuys.

Vanessa and her husband have two adult children, Alison Grace and Scott, Jr., whom she credits for her involvement in politics.

“It all started because of my kids,” Vanessa said. “I was involved with the Parent-Teacher Alliance, I was homeroom mom, and I served on the school council. We’ve always had a community spirit for where we lived and where our kids went to school.”

Scott, Jr. is currently recovering from his battle with cancer, which he was diagnosed with near the end of September 2018.

“We’re a very tight family and we always have each others’ back, and when one of us is weak the other is strong,” Vanessa said. “We’re going to do whatever we can get it under control.”

Vanessa has been working for the betterment of Santa Clarita since 1990. She has received numerous awards recognizing her efforts, including: the Boy Scouts of America “Leaders of Character” Award, “51 Most Influential” Emerging Leaders Award and she was named top community leader by Santa Clarita’s Ultimate Women in Business.

Vanessa currently serves as District Director for Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale).

“His Chief of Staff was wearing two hats, and when he decided to leave to become state political director for our party, Tom called and asked me to take over for his Chief of Staff,” Vanessa said. “I love it. I love him, because what you see is what you get.”

It was in Sacramento that Vanessa was alerted to her own encounter with cancer in December 2018, when she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLS).

“I was putting on makeup and had little twitch on my cheek,” Vanessa said. “The doctor thought it was no big deal but they took lots of blood tests. I went in on Saturday, and the doctor called at 7:30 in the morning Sunday, saying my white blood cell count was through the roof.”

Vanessa is currently taking oral chemotherapy treatments to bring her white blood cell count down.

“It’s chronic, so I will have to continue to do so for the rest of my life. Which I hopefully will live a long life,” Vanessa said. “I’m feeling fine, I’m still busy being a first lady and being a grandma, and also taking it easy and being careful.”

On top of all of her other charity work, Vanessa serves as the Vice-Chair of the City of Santa Clarita Arts Commission. Appointed by Santa Clarita City Councilmember Cameron Smyth, Vanessa is incredibly proud of her involvement on the Santa Clarita Arts Commission.

“It’s one of the biggest honors of my life. I am amazed at this city’s commitment to the arts and how much there is here,” Vanessa said. “We’re very involved in public and performing arts, and with Main Street becoming an arts hub, we can’t wait for the Laemmle Theatre to come in.”

Wilk encourages Santa Clarita residents to go to the Santa Clarita Arts website for information on events in the community.

“I’m feeling blessed and looking forward to the good things that are coming.” said Wilk.


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Santa Clarita ‘First Lady’ Vanessa Wilk Looks Back On Three Decades Of Service

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About Jade Aubuchon

A Santa Clarita native, Jade has spent her whole life involved in community outreach. After graduating from Learning Post High in 2015, she went on to College of the Canyons to pursue a double major in English and Marketing. Jade spent several years as a ballroom dance performer for a local studio and has performed at public and private events throughout Santa Clarita. As KHTS Co-News Director Jade oversees the KHTS news team, which covers all the latest news impacting Santa Clarita. Along with covering and writing her own news stories, Jade can be heard broadcasting the daily local news every weekday morning and afternoon drive-time twice an hour on KHTS 98.1FM and AM-1220. Jade is also instrumental in reporting on-the-scene local emergencies, covering them on-air and via Facebook Live and YouTube. Another dimension to Jade’s on-air skills and writing are her regular political and celebrity interviews, including her bi-monthly interview with our Congressman Mike Garcia and many other local politicians and community leaders.