San Diego County Announces Several New Department Heads, More On the Way

SAN DIEGO, CA — Several County of San Diego departments have new heads about to take over going into the New Year, and several more are in the process of hiring leadership positions, it was announced Monday.

County Behavioral Health Services, the County Technology Office and the Registrar of Voters all have a new leader or will have one on Jan. 9.

Nadia Privara Brahms will become the Behavioral Health Services Director on Jan. 9, after serving as the acting director for the past several months. She started with the county in 2005 and joined Behavioral Health Services in 2014, where she "led the development of the Optimal Care Pathways models to identify future capacity needs for treatment services locally," according to a statement from the county.

Privara Brahms also led a local reform of behavioral health payments under Medi-Cal, helped develop the ELEVATE Behavioral Health Workforce Fund to recruit and retain workforce for county-funded behavioral health programs, and pursued more than $430 million in grant funding.

Eric Shiotsugu is the new Chief Information Officer after serving in an acting role since August, effective immediately. He has worked for the county for more than 20 years and has experience in both the government and private sector.

Before the County Technology Office, Shiotsugu led technology projects in the Auditor & Controller Department. As Acting Chief Information Officer, he also led the creation of the county's AI best practices.

Shawn Brom will become the Registrar of Voters on Jan. 9, bringing more than 25 years of experience in the department to the role. He began his county career in 2000 as a precinct planning technician. He later served as elections processing supervisor, election manager and Chief of Departmental Operations before assuming the role of Assistant Registrar, the county statement read.

Current Registrar of Voters Cynthia Paes plans to retire in February after 23 years of service with the county.

Additionally, county leadership is in the hiring process for leadership roles in Human Resources, Health and Human Services Agency and County Counsel, with positions expected to be filled in early 2026.

Current Human Resources Director Susan Brazeau announced she will retire in March after a more than 23 year career with the county.

In the Health and Human Services Agency, the county will be filling the role of Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, a position that "leads a group of departments and programs providing a broad range of health and social services to make people's lives healthier, safer and self-sufficient." In the office of County Counsel, the Board of Supervisors will hire the department head to lead the county's civil law needs.

"The county is grateful for the leadership and dedication of these individuals in supporting the changes that will help the county realize its vision of a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all while preparing for the challenges and opportunities ahead," the statement read. "These transitions bring new opportunities to position the region for the future in collaboration with our partners and the community."

— City News Service