County Appoints Supportive Housing Director to New Role as Deputy County Executive
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIF. — The County Executive has appointed Consuelo Hernández, director of the Office of Supportive Housing (OSH), to the position of deputy county executive. She begins her new role on Monday, July 22.
Ms. Hernández, who has two decades of public service experience, joined the County in 2015 as a program manager with the Office of Supportive Housing. She became director of OSH in 2020. She has played a major role in the development and utilization of the $950 million Measure A Affordable Housing Bond, approved by county voters in 2016, and many other efforts to expand housing access and prevent homelessness.
“Consuelo is a thoughtful and innovative public servant who is dedicated to excellence,” said County Executive James R. Williams. “She has successfully led initiatives that are critical to solving the affordable housing and homelessness crises in Silicon Valley and have improved the lives of thousands of county residents, particularly the most vulnerable.”
Under her leadership, the County has launched construction projects for more than 5,000 affordable and supportive housing units in eight years. Over the past four years alone, the County and partners have helped nearly 15,000 homeless adults, families and children move into permanent housing.
“Consuelo is a dynamic leader who is able to adeptly handle complex challenges,” said Greta Hansen, the County’s chief operating officer. “She is also skilled at building partnerships, which is essential when working on high-profile projects involving many stakeholders.”
In her time with OSH, Ms. Hernández has worked effectively with the 15 incorporated cities in Santa Clara County, the Santa Clara County Housing Authority, affordable housing developers, and members of the community. She has also collaborated with other County departments on a range of issues, from housing for agricultural workers to housing and services for newly arrived immigrants.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Hernández led the implementation of the Countywide Isolation and Quarantine Support Program that provided resources, housing and financial assistance to thousands of county households.
“I am humbled by the opportunity to serve the county in this new capacity and leverage my experience and commitment to public service to make Santa Clara County a stronger and more inclusive community,” Ms. Hernández said.
Before joining the County, Ms. Hernández held multiple planning and development roles with the City of Palo Alto and a pair of cities in Los Angeles County. A native of Los Angeles, Ms. Hernández received an undergraduate degree from UC Santa Barbara and master’s degrees in urban planning and public administration from the University of Southern California. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Following Ms. Hernández’s transition to her new role, Kathryn (KJ) Kaminski will serve as acting director for OSH. Ms. Kaminski is currently a deputy director of OSH, overseeing homelessness prevention, supportive housing, emergency preparedness, grants and contracts.
ABOUT THE COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA
The County of Santa Clara government serves a diverse, multicultural population of 1.9 million residents in Santa Clara County, Calif., making it more populous than 14 states in the United States. The County provides essential services to its residents, including public health protection, environmental stewardship, medical services through the County of Santa Clara Health System, child and adult protection services, homelessness prevention and solutions, roads, park services, libraries, emergency response to disasters, protection of minority communities and those under threat, access to a fair criminal justice system, and many other public benefits.
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