Meet Board President Polly Ogden
Every town is shaped by the people willing to show up for it over time. At Our Town St Helena (OTSH), one of those people is Board President Polly Ogden.
Polly has served on the OTSH board for about four years addressing the growing housing shortage in St. Helena. However, her connection to St. Helena goes back much further. Having first visited the valley in 1977 and purchased her first home here in 1981, Polly has spent decades building both a career and a life rooted in the community.
Her professional background in design and construction gives her a unique perspective on the importance of housing, not just as buildings, but as the foundation for thriving lives and connected communities.
“My profession is in the design/build field as both a designer and a general contractor,” Polly shares. “I feel passionately about the importance of living spaces and how they can affect someone’s life.”
That connection between housing and quality of life is what eventually pulled her into OTSH. She also saw something changing in the town she loves.
“I love St. Helena. I can see how the town has become more gentrified and many working people are being driven out of town because of lack of affordable housing options,” she said. “This is a great loss to the community.”
For Polly, affordable housing is not just about economics. It is about preserving the heartbeat of St. Helena.
“Affordable housing is critical for the workforce,” Polly explains, “and ensures diversity in our town, populates our schools, and supports our businesses, restaurants, hotels, and entertainment venues.”
Teachers, health care and hospitality workers, small business employees, young families, artists, seniors, and longtime residents all play a role in shaping the character of St. Helena. Affordable and diverse housing options helps ensure all who want to live here can, keeps local schools filled, and supports the businesses, restaurants, and entertainment venues that make the town vibrant and connected. Affordable housing helps make it possible for people to remain part of the community’s story.
That belief is part of what makes OTSH distinct in her eyes.
“Many nonprofits benefit our community,” she says, “but there is no other organization based in St. Helena that is dedicated specifically to addressing the housing affordability challenge here.”
Polly sees real momentum building from recent projects.
“The response we have gotten from the St. Helena citizens on the projects we have completed has been very positive,” she said. “I see this as an opportunity to build on that response to create more housing opportunities.”
At the same time, she wishes more people understood just how wide the impact of housing really is.
“Affordable housing affects us all.”
Those words reach into nearly every part of community life. Housing availability shapes who works in local businesses, attends local schools, serves on local boards, coaches local sports teams, and whether long-time residents and new generations can remain in St. Helena. It influences friendships, culture, and the everyday rhythm of the town. Like roots beneath a vineyard, its importance is often hidden until it starts to disappear.
For Polly, serving OTSH is also personal.
“I have been very fortunate in my life and profession,” she says. “I want to give back as much as I can.”
And while conversations about growth and housing can sometimes feel difficult, Polly believes preserving St. Helena’s character does not mean resisting change entirely. It means shaping change thoughtfully and inclusively.
“Change is hard for many people to accept,” she reflects, “but it is essential for economic sustainability.”
Through her leadership, Polly continues helping OTSH work toward a future where St. Helena remains not just beautiful, but livable. A town where the people who contribute to the community every day can still afford to be part of it.
