COVID-19 was a blur; days blended into weeks and
months and suddenly it was 2022. Through the fogginess of the
pandemic, there were multiple moments of brightness. One such
moment was the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) that
was signed by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021 to
facilitate the country’s recovery from COVID-19. In all,
California’s 58 counties received a total of $7.6 billion from
the Act to: support COVID-19 response efforts, replace lost
public sector revenue, support immediate economic stabilization,
address systemic public health and economic challenges, and
provide premium pay for essential workers, among others. To help
celebrate the one year anniversary of this Act, CSAC will be
highlighting, through social media posts and articles, some of
the ARPA investments that California’s counties have been making.
CSAC’s new Communications Manager, Kanisha Golden,
started on February 8th and she comes with a wide swath of
knowledge and skills. Kanisha is an award-winning professional
with a creative niche for communicating complex issues. She is an
excellent writer, social media manager, content creator and team
collaborator. Her work history includes the Association of
California Water Agencies and the California Alliance for Jobs.
The Communications Team is excited to have Kanisha on board and
to introduce her to the CSAC membership. CSAC recently had
the pleasure of learning more about Kanisha’s background,
goals and motivations. Below are her responses.
During CSAC’s 127th Annual Meeting last year in beautiful
Monterey County, the new 2021-22 officers were elected and
installed. As we often say, CSAC is only as strong as
its membership, and our newest Second Vice President is as
strong, resilient, and effective as they come – San Luis
Obispo County Supervisor Bruce Gibson.
Many of you may know Supervisor Gibson from his service as a
member of the CSAC Board of Directors and Executive
Committee; Chair of the Agriculture, Environment, and
Natural Resources Policy Committee; or as CSAC’s
representative to the County Drought and Advisory
Group. Supervisor Gibson has worked in public service since
2007 and is committed to accessible and transparent government.
He always leads by example and is not afraid to address any
challenges or difficult topics facing counties.
As someone who loves learning about counties and the people who
serve, I recently had the great fortune of learning
more about Supervisor Gibson, including his background,
motivation, and priorities. Here are his responses.
This is the second blog post in a series highlighting
California Counties. In the coming months, learn how
California Counties are showcasing the power of international
relationships to spur local economic development and
education.
Many of us have heard of ‘sister cities’ – broad, long-term
partnerships between communities in two countries. For many of
these partnerships, a cultural exchange is expected, along with
visits, opened lines of communication and educational
opportunities, and, like the name entails, a relationship between
two cities. However, there can also be city/county ‘sisters’ -
which are much more rare, but equally as beneficial and
rewarding. In California, there are eight ‘sister city/county’
relationships that have built amazing opportunities and
longstanding exchanges between residents and communities.
CSAC Communications staff attended the Western States Association
Staff Meeting hosted by the New Mexico Association of Counties in
Santa Fe, NM from August 26 – 27. Representatives from more than
six state associations, including Oregon, Washington, Arizona,
New Mexico, Idaho and California, discussed best practices,
procedures, and strategies for topics like budget operations,
event communications, COVID-19 return to work, policy priorities,
member engagement, and more.
