County Conversations

Join host Kim Nave as she talks with Sacramento County Public Defender, Amanda Benson, who explains the essential role of public defenders in upholding due process and safeguarding the integrity of the justice system by ensuring legal counsel for everyone, regardless of wealth. Benson emphasizes that public defenders are highly skilled and dedicated attorneys addressing the need to view clients as human beings often shaped by facto...

Tune in to the latest episode of County Conversations and discover the groundbreaking work happening at Sacramento County Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

Join host Kim Nava as she speaks with Dr. Gregory Kann, Medical Director for Sacramento County EMS, to learn about innovative initiatives revolutionizing emergency care in the region.  Dr. Kann discusses the agency's mission to provide world-class prehospital healthcare efficien...

Ann​ette Bedsworth is the Director of Sacramento County's Animal Care Services. Annette began in her role as director in January 2022. Bedsworth has more than 30 years of public service, including more than 20 years in management and director level positions. Before she came to the County, Bedsworth served as the Executive Director for Animal Services for Stanislaus County since 2008. 

In this conversation, Annette talks about the ...

Kim Nava sits down with Shelby Boston, the director of the Department of Child, Family, and Adult Services (DCFAS). The interview covers Shelby's background and path to social work,  including her experiences growing up and her  accidental entry into the field, and then proceeds to a discussion of the different types of social workers within the department and the  challenges they face, especially regarding  under-resourcing and cl...

Welcome to the Sacramento County Podcast Series with Kim Nava as your host.  Kim Nava interview with Sacramento County's Division of Public Health officials celebrating their recent national accreditation.  The discussion centers on the significance of this achievement, highlighting the rigorous process, involving years of work. The interview also  showcases the importance of teamwork,  community partnerships, and health equity wit...

In this episode of County Conversations, Kim Nava interviews Dr. Ryan Quist, director of the Sacramento County Behavioral Health Division. They discuss the differences between mental health and behavioral health, and the challenges and resources available to individuals experiencing mental health issues, particularly during the holiday season. Dr. Quist highlights the importance of recognizing and addressing stress, normalizing the...

In this episode of County Conversations,  Kim Nava sits down with Chad Rinde, the Director of Finance for Sacramento County. Chad discusses the various responsibilities of the department, including internal support functions for accounting, public serving functions such as tax collection, utility billing, revenue recovery, and business licensing. He also explains how property taxes are assessed and collected, as well as the differe...

Liz Bellas has been a parks professional for over 26 years. She was appointed as Director of Sacramento County Regional Parks in January 2019, and has served many roles within the Department, including recreation operations, master planning, budget and fiscal officer, and park management. 

In this conversation, Liz talks about her biggest challenges in managing ...

Emily Halcon is the Director of the Department of Homeless Services and Housing (DHSH) for Sacramento County. Emily serves as the central coordinator of the County’s policy and program development efforts to address homelessness with the goal of aligning and integrating County policies, programs, services and funding toward reducing the prevalence of homelessness in Sacramento County and its impact on communities, business district...

Our ​County Conversation is with John Lundgren, Sustainability Manager for the County. 

​John Lundgren is the County Sustainability Manager in the Office of the County Executive. John was hired by Sacramento County in 1995 after obtaining his bachelor's degree in Range and Wildlands Science from U.C. Davis. Prior to his current assignment, he advanced in his County career through Code Enforcement, Animal Services, Environmental Rev...

Join in us as we welcome Marlon Yarber, Chief Probation Officer for Sacramento County in our inaugural podcast “County Conversations: Sac County Podcasts" series! 

Marlon ​​Yarber was appointed Sacramento County Chief Probation Officer in October 2021. He began his career with Sacramento County Probation as Assistant Chief Probation Officer in December 2013. He provided oversight of Adult Operations between 2013 and 2018 and then t...