Prior to joining the newly formed Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience (OR3) I served as senior staff for an elected official at the County of Santa Cruz for the past 8 years, ensuring our local government serves the residents of Santa Cruz County and the First District. Critical to being successful in the new OR3 and in these government/community engagement positions has been my capacity to attentively listen to constituents, developers, and non-profit organizations and collaborate with County staff (from the Director level to maintenance and operations support staff) to address their needs. Building trust and weaving meaningful working connections between government agencies and community members has provided me the opportunity to comprehensively understand all aspects of local government. In the context of our recovery journey from the 2020 CZU Lightening Complex fires this connection to community and support of those impacted is never more important. I understand, value and know how to innovate solutions within both the large-scale systemic concerns as well as the smaller, individual constituent needs. Critical to each recovery journey is to meet people where they are emotionally, technically, and financially. Each conversation with survivors involves a nuanced set of questions, diverse issues and perspectives with the goal of supporting them along the road to recovery and rebuilding. I want to strengthen our community and support residents rebuilding on their properties. My public and private sector work experience has given me a breadth of knowledge in community engagement and local government and how they intertwine to serve the needs of our communities and how we impact our environment at a municipal level. As a former research scientist with USGS with a Masters in Coastal Geology, my diverse research and educational experience also gives me a comprehensive understanding of the tangible and ever-present impacts of climate change. Understanding the science behind climate change and how local government can adapt, respond and prepare for it will be critical as we face this crisis. Combining my experience in policy, community mobilization and scientific expertise I seek to serve the public to adapt, innovate and become resilient.