I am extremely grateful to have the opportunity to serve as CSAC President for the upcoming year. As the leader of the Urban caucus, it has been a pleasure serving as a CSAC Officer for the past two years and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be the 2020 President of the organization. This is a big deal for Orange County because our county has not served in the role of President of CSAC for 70 years.

The Annual Conference is always one of my favorite events of the year because County Supervisors, Administrators, and Department heads all come together to discuss the most pressing issues facing each of our counties. One of the best realizations from the conference exercises and workshops is that no matter the geography, population, or location of each county, many of us face a lot of the same issues. Homelessness, natural disaster resiliency, affordable housing and transportation mobility, to name but a few, are common issues facing County leaders across the state. The conference provides a great opportunity for us to gain insight from each other on how County leaders are utilizing innovative opportunities to addressing these issues.

I am so excited to continue on this leadership journey with CSAC and look forward to advocating on behalf of the state’s 58 counties in both Sacramento and Washington, DC. The critical role counties play is sometimes overlooked and that is no longer acceptable. The many services we provide our constituents daily is important and necessary, so we need the support from our state and federal leaders to ensure those services are carried out and protected.

CSAC has always been a leading advocate in the state Capitol with the Governor’s office as well as our Legislature. The organization, along with our individual counties, are always educating and driving the conversation when it comes to counties and our role serving our constituents. Our story is a very difficult one to tell, which is why we redoubled our advocacy efforts and launched Driven to Serve to further increase our effectiveness. As President, it is my goal this year to ensure the Legislature and Governor know the true scope of influence and value of California’s counties. We need more funding for programs and services related to homelessness. We need more flexibility in our Mental Health Services Act dollars so we can be innovative and treat our most vulnerable population. We need more support for our court systems and security officers. These are just a few issues I, along with CSAC, will be advocating for this coming year.

I am very honored to have been elected to this role by my County Supervisor colleagues from across the state and look forward to working with each of our counties and CSAC in the upcoming year!