CSAC Elects New Officers for 2005; San Diego Supervisor to Lead Statewide County Organization.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) elected its officers for 2005 at the association's 110th Annual Meeting, held in San Diego, last week.

San Diego County Supervisor Greg Cox will serve as President of the organization for the coming year. Also elected were Tulare County Supervisor Connie Conway as First Vice President and Madera County Supervisor Frank Bigelow as Second Vice President.

"I am honored to serve as President of an organization that fights at the State level for California counties, where tax dollars come home for residents," said Supervisor Greg Cox. "County services help working families, children and the elderly. We protect the environment, public health and support public safety -- daily services that people rely on, and a safety net for many in desperate circumstances."

Supervisor Cox has served as a CSAC officer for the past two years, including holding the post of First Vice President in 2004. He is a long-time member of the CSAC Executive Committee and Board of Directors and also sits on the CSAC Finance Corporation Board of Directors.

Supervisor Cox is the first local official to serve as both President of the California State Association of Counties and League of California Cities. Prior to being elected county supervisor, he served on the Chula Vista City Council for 14 years, nine of them as mayor. It was during this time that he served as the League President.

First Vice President Conway was first elected CSAC Second Vice President in 2004 and currently serves as President of the Cities, Counties and Schools Partnership.

Second Vice President Bigelow is a member of the CSAC Board of Directors, previously served on the CSAC Executive Committee and chaired the CSAC Housing, Land Use & Transportation Policy Committee in 2004.

Outgoing State Senator Dede Alpert swore in the 2005 CSAC officers on Nov. 18 as part of the CSAC Annual Meeting. The association's Constitution and Bylaws mandate that each year the presidency rotate from an urban to a suburban, and then to a rural county supervisor. Cox represents urban counties, while Conway and Bigelow represent suburban and rural counties respectively.

CSAC is a nonprofit corporation that promotes the interests of California's 58 counties at the state and federal level. One of the association's primary goals is to educate the public about the value and necessity for county programs and services. Founded in 1895, CSAC is based in Sacramento.