Ceremony to recognize new elected county officials

By KATHERINE ZEHNDER NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Santa Barbara County will recognize newly installed elected officials in a ceremony at the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 7 at 10 a.m.

Traditionally, the county’s ceremony of elected officials is organized by the incoming chair of the Board of Supervisors.

This year’s chair, First District Supervisor Das Williams, has created a program that will include a musical presentation by local artist Kelsey Klein, an invocation from Rabbi Daniel Brenner and a keynote address from California’s Chief Service Officer Josh Fryday. The ceremony was originally planned for Jan. 10, but had to be postponed due to the county’s response to the Jan. 9 storm. “During my time on the County Board of Supervisors, our county has had too many unprecedented disasters. We have continued to respond and persevere as a community, and this ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate our resilience while acknowledging how much work there is to do to protect future generations from even greater challenges than we have faced,” said Supervisor Williams in a press release. “We are very fortunate to have Chief Service Officer Fryday join us and inform us of the role we all have to play.”

Mr. Fryday serves as California’s chief service officer within the office of Gov. Gavin Newsom, leading service, volunteer and civic engagement efforts throughout California. As a part of the state’s comprehensive strategy to address the climate crisis, the Office of the Governor created the California Climate Action Corps, the country’s first state-level climate service corps intended to empower all Californians to take meaningful action to safeguard the climate.

“When it comes to the climate crisis, we are not powerless. We all have an important role to play to be a part of a solution,” said Mr. Fryday in a press release. “I’m so honored to celebrate and collaborate with the leaders of Santa Barbara County who are on the frontlines of addressing the climate crisis.”

Elected Officials to be recognized include email: kzehnder@newspress.com

2nd District Supervisor Laura Capps, 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino, Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido, Sheriff Bill Brown, District Attorney John Savrnoch, Treasurer-Tax Collector Harry Hagan, Auditor-Controller Betsy Shaeffer and Clerk, Recorder, and Assessor Joe Holland.

The ceremony will conclude with a reception.