Sen. Dodd: Napa Valley’s Linda Cantey is Woman of the Year

NAPA – Linda Cantey, a Napa Valley aerospace engineer and community leader who has devoted years of volunteer service to advancing essential initiatives such as wildfire prevention, land conservation and supporting disadvantaged students, has been named 2023 Woman of the Year for Senate District 3 by Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa.

“Linda is a truly caring and generous leader who has done phenomenal work for the people of Napa County,” Sen. Dodd said. “Her dedication to solving the biggest challenges facing our community is inspiring. We are all better off for her efforts, and I am honored to recognize her for her achievements.”

“When we moved to Napa we wanted to get involved in the community to try to improve life across Napa Valley,” Linda Cantey said. “The environment and education are two issues of greatest concern and where I focus my energy.  I'm very grateful to Sen. Dodd and the state of California for everything they do to advance the missions of the organizations I support.”

Linda moved to the Valley in 2009 with her husband, Paul. She is a member of the board of the Napa Communities Firewise Foundation, which she joined after the 2017 wildfires burned through her neighborhood. The foundation reduces the impact of wildfire through fuels reduction and community education. Linda is also on the board of If Given a Chance, a nonprofit focused on helping at-risk high school students pursue college. She is a past board chair of the Land Trust of Napa County, where she served for seven years, and was on the NapaLearns board from 2013 to 2016. Also, she is an advocate for other women leaders, helping to get women on the boards of public companies through How Women Lead and encouraging female entrepreneurs and female investors through How Women Invest. 

In 1999, Linda founded a private management company, Clarus Consulting Group Inc. She started her career at IBM after graduating from the University of Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering. She worked on the Iridium, Orbcomm and Department of Defense satellite programs, supporting the launches of over 70 satellites throughout the 1990s.

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Senator Bill Dodd represents California’s 3rd Senate District, which includes all or portions of Napa, Solano, Sonoma, Yolo, Sacramento, and Contra Costa counties. You can learn more about Senator Dodd at www.sen.ca.gov/dodd.