SAN DIEGO (CNS) - The county Board of Supervisors Monday met in closed session regarding the chief administrative officer position, but offered no further details.
Monday's session -- with the topic being public employment -- in the county Administration Building was the first of three scheduled this week. The other sessions are slated for 1 p.m. Tuesday and 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday.
After 25 years in the San Diego county government, CAO Helen Robbins-Meyer announced her retirement last October. She left the departure date open to allow county officials time to search for a successor.
CAO since 2012, Robbins-Meyer didn't attend the meeting, which included a brief public comment period before the closed session. Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer was also absent.
The CAO is responsible for carrying out the board's policy directives and managing the day-to-day governmental operations and functions, including the annual budget.
A spokesman for board Chairwoman Nora Vargas' office said because the meetings are closed sessions, he couldn't provide any information.
After leaving the private sector, Robbins-Meyer started her career in the San Diego county government as a deputy chief administrative officer.
She was later then promoted to assistant CAO, and then to the top executive position.
In a news release last year, Vargas praised Robbins-Meyer for embracing new ideas and pushing ahead, "all while never losing sight of the individual lives of the people we serve... She has worked tirelessly to create a government that works for all, and she hands a brilliant torch to the next generation of leaders."
During Robbins-Meyer's tenure as CAO, the county opened eight new libraries; created 55 miles of trails; assisted over 1 million residents with access to safety net programs such as Cal Fresh; unified volunteer fire departments into a professional agency; and made new investments in behavioral health programs, including crisis response and homeless assistance teams.
