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Rebecca Bjork worked her way up to top position COURTESY PHOTO“I am looking forward to working with my executive team, which is relatively new, to put in place a strong culture and (a focus on) service,” said Rebecca Bjork, the new Santa Barbara city administrator.
Rebecca Bjork started out on the “front lines” of public service, deftly working her way through various positions in Santa Barbara for more than three decades.
And after serving as the interim city administrator since September 2021, Ms. Bjork was picked by the Santa Barbara City Council to remain in the role in a permanent capacity. The council’s favorable vote earlier this week was unanimous.
Ms. Bjork has always had an affinity for public service, knowing early on she wanted her work to be “important and good.”
She studied environmental studies in college and developed and implemented a program at a plant that controls toxic wastewater from businesses. She served as the water resources manager for about seven years, overseeing water and wastewater utilities at the Cater Water Treatment Plant and El Estero Wastewater Treatment Plant in Santa Barbara.
From there, Ms. Bjork worked her way up — a “whirlwind” of public service in Santa Barbara, she said.
Ms. Bjork spent five years as the director of Public Works, Santa Barbara’s largest city department with seven divisions, nearly 300 employees and a $138 million budget.
She has also served as the interim community development director. It was in that position that the city has credited Ms. Bjork for her work to help the homeless population and address encampments during the pandemic. She also implemented some reforms to the department on the business side and managed the Sustainability & Resiliency Department.
Ms. Bjork is a “systems manager,” meaning she enjoys finding new processes that work efficiently in public service and then implementing those practices.
“We have wonderful staff across the board. One of the things I really recognized last year when I was doing so many different positions at once is we have really good people here,” Ms. Bjork told the News-Press. “I am looking forward to working with my executive team, which is relatively new, to put in place a strong culture and (a focus on) service.”
Protecting the environment while advocating for infrastructure has been a major focus for Ms. Bjork throughout her career. She said she’s glad to work for Santa Barbara, a city that is environmentally conscious and “willing to do the right thing.”
“I really appreciate being able to work for a place that balances the values of managing rates with managing outcomes,” Ms. Bjork said.
The City Administrator’s Office oversees the operations of 10 departments and more than 1,000 full-time and part-time employees. The office is in charge of labor negotiations, strategic planning, policy development, legislative advocacy, intergovernmental relations and city television, just to name a few areas.
Ms. Bjork is an alumna of Grinnell College and Cal State Northridge.
Earlier this week, Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse said, “Her performance in the interim capacity has been accomplished and progressive, and we have every confidence that her experience, management skills and dedication will continue to be an asset to the city of Santa Barbara.”
email: kschallhorn@newspress.com
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