Two Santa Cruz County officials garner statewide recognition
>> A pair of Santa Cruz County public servants have been recognized for their leadership and advocacy at local and state levels.
County Board of Supervisors Chair and 2nd District representative Zach Friend along with Housing for Health Director Robert Ratner both received the prestigious Circle of Service Award given by the California State Association of Counties.
The award, announced this week at the association's 129th Annual Meeting in Alameda County, recognizes county officials, employees, and other members whose service to the the county government community and the advancement of the state association's goals goes above and beyond the norm.
Friend and Ratner were two of only eight award recipients from across the state.
“Supervisor Friend and Dr. Ratner exemplify what it means to be public servants,” said Graham Knaus, the county association's chief executive officer, in a release. “We are proud to recognize their contributions to the mission of all counties throughout California in assuring that we are delivering the highest quality programs and services to our residents.”
Friend serves as chair of the association's Health and Human Services Policy Committee. He was recognized for advocating on behalf of all 58 counties in the association via public testimony during legislative hearings on the Mental Health Services Act and other mental health initiatives. He also has been tapped as a frequent spokesperson in media appearances and in meetings with legislative members.
Friend's county advocacy also extends beyond state lines into the federal sphere as he also serves on the National Association of Counties Board of Directors. This summer, Friend sponsored a resolution later adopted by the national association that pushed for equitable flood protections for disadvantaged communities by calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to modernize its cost-benefit analysis for flood control projects that have historically disadvantaged communities such as Watsonville.
Since 2020, Ratner has served as director of Santa Cruz County's Housing for Health, a subdivision of the Human Services Department focused on building and supporting a system of resources for preventing and ending homelessness and advocating for and promoting efforts to close the housing affordability gap in the county, among other things.
Ratner helped develop the state county association's At Home plan, which advocates for a statewide and comprehensive plan to address homelessness effectively and equitably. He was a leader within the Homelessness Policy Solutions Group, where his expertise was shared with peers across the state.