René Eyerly Named Assistant City Administrator

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SANTA BARBARA, CA – 6/14/2022

Today, the City has announced the selection of René Eyerly as Assistant City Administrator. Ms. Eyerly has an extensive portfolio of accomplishments in city government as well as the private sector. She has served as interim Assistant City Administrator since September 25, 2021.

“I’m honored to accept this position and excited to continue the collaborative work we have begun with the community toward innovating existing services and addressing long-standing challenges,” Ms. Eyerly said.

Ms. Eyerly’s background includes five years with the City in a number of leadership roles, including as the acting Co-Director for the Sustainability and Resilience Department, overseeing Santa Barbara Clean Energy, climate action, the Solid Waste Utility, and Clean SB neighborhood improvement programs. During her tenure with the City, she created the Homeless Encampment Response Team and spearheaded the pilot program for safe shelter for individuals living in fire-prone encampments.

Prior to her time in Santa Barbara, she was the manager of the Sustainability and Regulatory Compliance Division for the City of San Jose, where she was instrumental in leading that city’s groundbreaking sustainable Green Vision and $1 billion wastewater master plan implementation. Ms. Eyerly has a Masters degree from Yale in Environmental Policy and Management, and did her undergraduate work at the University of South Carolina.

The City’s Human Resources department conducted a nationwide recruitment, and Ms. Eyerly was selected from a pool of over 40 candidates.

City Administrator Rebecca Bjork said Ms. Eyerly’s diverse abilities have complemented the City’s work efforts.

“I’m happy to announce Ms. Eyerly’s appointment as Assistant City Administrator. She has been an asset, bringing a broad perspective as we envision ways to more efficiently and effectively serve the community,” Ms. Bjork said.

Ms. Eyerly is tasked with several initiatives, including working on various ordinances and regulations, working with staff on our language access policy, and continuing oversight of neighborhood improvement and engagement.