There was sadness throughout the CSAC offices this morning when we heard about the passing of Tim Hodson. Tim has been a longtime friend and contributor to our Association, working with us on many fronts in the pursuit of making government work the best that it can. 

While serving as the Executive Director of the Center for California Studies, Tim played an integral role in the development of CSAC’s New Supervisors Institute, which earned the program a CSU Sacramento accreditation.  He was there to welcome the newly elected county supervisors when the first session began, and always made sure to give them some parting and encouraging words of wisdom when they graduated and received their credential.  Tim knew the challenges they were facing and the commitment they were making – perhaps better than they did at the time. 

When we were first looking to develop the CSAC Institute for Excellence in County Government a few years ago, Tim was one of the first people we met with to get his input. He was enthusiastic about the concept, and he went on to work closely with our staff to design the Institute’s curriculum. He also served as an Institute instructor. 

Above and beyond his ongoing contributions to CSAC, Tim was an incredible individual. He had an amazing grasp of politics and state government, but perhaps more importantly, Tim understood people. If you ever had a chance to have a talk with Tim, you left feeling a bit better about yourself. 

For those of you who followed Tim’s battle through the thoughtful and inspiring updates written by Tim’s wife on his Caring Bridge page, you know that Tim always kept his humor, wit and grace no matter how tough the road was getting. I found those updates to be sad but also incredibly inspiring, often making me take a closer look at myself in the mirror.  He will be missed. 

A Sacramento State scholarship has been established in his honor. For more information on that fund, contact hoenigco@csus.edu.