Kelly Hubbard will be the next director of the Office of Emergency Management for Santa Barbara County, officials said Tuesday.
Ms. Hubbard was selected following a competitive recruitment of candidates from across the country, according to a press release. Ms. Hubbard will begin her role on Monday.
“Ms. Hubbard is a proven emergency management professional with an ability to bring together and lead community partners and government agencies in successful preparedness, response and recovery efforts. We look forward to her tenure with us and providing similar leadership for our county,” said County Executive Officer Mona Miyasato.
Ms. Hubbard succeeds Rob Lewin, who left the county in May after three years leading the County Office of Emergency Management following a long career in the fire service with California State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Ms. Hubbard brings extensive experience in emergency planning, assessing facility vulnerabilities, disaster finance, coordination with nonprofits, public-private partnerships and crisis management.
Most recently, Ms. Hubbard served as emergency manager at the Municipal Water District of Orange County, a Metropolitan Water District member agency, for the 15 years.
“Kelly will bring a highly collaborative approach and perspective to our committed and talented Office of Emergency Management team. She will lead efforts to ensure our communities are prepared for future emergencies and challenges,” said Matt Pontes, assistant county executive officer and interim director of Emergency Management.
