CSAC Wraps Up 123rd Annual Meeting
December 7, 2017
CSAC wrapped up the123rd Annual Meeting of County Supervisors and senior staff last week after a whirlwind of workshops, policy discussions, and great speakers. The week included a public service event that resulted in attendees assembling 500 backpacks for foster youth in the Sacramento region. And CSAC’s members also elected new officers for the coming year.
- President, Kern County Supervisor Leticia Perez
- First Vice President, Humboldt County Supervisor Virginia Bass
- Second Vice President, Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett
- Immediate Past President, Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson
“CSAC and California’s 58 counties play a vital role in partnering with the state on public safety, roads and bridges, health care and the environment, just to name a few issues,” said Supervisor Perez. “California’s 39 million residents rely on counties for many essential services. Serving as CSAC’s President for the year is an exciting opportunity to extend my commitment to Kern County and the Central Valley to all 58 California Counties. We have to be on top of our game in Sacramento to make sure we have the resources and flexibility to do this important work effectively and efficiently. CSAC is already a highly effective organization and I look forward to working even more closely with the team to advance county positions on key issues.”
The California Association of County Executives (CACE) also elected new officers:
- President, Larry Lees, Shasta County
- Vice President, Birgitta Corsello, Solano County
- Secretary/Treasurer, Carmel Angelo, Mendocino County
- Immediate Past President Helen Robbins-Meyer, San Diego County
See the new CACE Website here.
The public service event took place in the Exhibit Hall over two days for the five hours the hall was open. We provided the backpacks and some of the items that foster youth need most when they have to make an abrupt and difficult transition. Our attendees filled 500 backpacks, half for boys and half girls and covering three different age ranges. “This really drew me into the Exhibit Hall,” said Nevada County Supervisor Ed Scofield. “I usually make a couple of passes through the hall to see what’s there, but this time I stayed and did a couple of backpacks, and then I came back and did a few more.”
It’s the first time we have done this kind of activity at the Annual Meeting, but it will probably not be the last. “We put a lot of thought and effort into the Annual Meeting, trying to provide our members with a good balance of issues and information,” said CSAC Executive Director Matt Cate. “This year I think we hit the nail on the head with the backpack project, some great workshops on cannabis, homelessness and the ongoing changes to public safety and the administration of justice in California. And we had three really top notch speakers as well.”
The speakers included journalist Jane Pauley, who spoke about the advent of “fake news,” and her own battle with bi-polar disorder. The Reverend Jeffrey Brown spoke about his role in the “Boston Miracle,” a 79 percent drop in violence among the city’s youth. He said the key was listening more and talking less. And we also heard from Aneesh Chopra who talked about technology’s role in government and how to foster an entrepreneurial spirit.
“The keynote speakers addressed subjects that included some of the challenges and opportunities facing Counties today. From Jane Pauley who shared her journey with a later-in-life diagnosis of bi-polar disease to Aneesh Chopra who shared innovative ways to develop solutions to delivering services and data collection, said Solano County Supervisor Erin Hannigan. She also got a lot out of the policy discussions “While all the news was not positive, I think it was important to know what financial risks are facing Counties like the CalPERS reduction of their expected rate of return and the political challenges to funding the development of low-income housing.”
CSAC’s five policy committees met during the week, to begin the process of setting legislative priorities for the coming year. Please click on the links below to get a recap from each committee.
· Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources