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Hello and welcome,
Welcome to a new year in Placer County! I’m Joe Ambrosini and I have recently joined Placer County as the new Director of Human Resources. It's an honor to be serving this great region and to help our communities prosper, whether that's through employment opportunities or services we can offer.
I grew up in Northern California and it's a privilege to be back again, serving the people of Placer. Our unique area is quite diverse and that means our workforce must be as well.
In fact, we employ over 3,000 people in 19 different departments and cover 1,500 square miles from the Sacramento Valley to the Sierra Foothills, all the way up to the shores of North Lake Tahoe. Together, county employees serve over 400,000 residents with responsive, efficient and effective public service that promotes the health, safety, well-being and prosperity of our communities.
I have been privileged to work with talented teams throughout my career that have consistently delivered high-quality engagement and support for employees and residents alike. I look forward to bringing this expertise to Placer County as I move back home.
As we take on 2025, I invite you to check out some of the people working for us here in Tahoe. I hope you take a minute to scroll through this newsletter and meet some of them as we've been fortunate to welcome nearly 30 new employees to our staff last year. We're constantly looking to grow our staff as well, so if you're interested, please do share your interest in working with us. I hope to have another chance to introduce you to more of our folks in the future.
Thanks for reading, and be sure to visit our jobs site if you're interested in working with us in the future.
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— Joe Ambrosini
Placer County Human Resources Director
The Tahoe area welcomed a new librarian to its staff in 2024, and she's no stranger to the region. Rachel McBride's (née Ferensowicz) family has lived in North Lake Tahoe since the 1960's and she joined Placer County's library team in October. She is thrilled to return to her hometown and manage the libraries she visited as a child in Tahoe City and Kings Beach.
"I'm excited to bring a diverse resume back to this region after studying English Literature and Theater and Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, and spending eight rewarding years with the Los Angeles Public Library system after earning my Master of Library and Information Science at UCLA. I was fortunate to serve as a children's librarian, teen librarian, and adult librarian while in L.A. and I specialized in adult and family literacy. Those experiences will be beneficial for me as I return to the community that has always been my home.
In this role, I'm looking forward to fostering strong community connections between the library and local schools, county departments, and public service organizations; building and maintaining a vibrant, inclusive collection of books and resources for both locals and visitors; and creating opportunities for lifelong learning, exploration, and creativity.
I am deeply committed to promoting access to information, the freedom to read, and radical inclusion. It's fantastic to be back here in Tahoe with my husband, two sons and our three-legged pit bull, Captain Courage. We're excited to spend more time with family and enjoy all that Tahoe has to offer in the years ahead. It is truly an honor to serve such vibrant and active communities."
— Rae McBride
Placer County Library Services Manager
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In November, the Placer County Board of Supervisors honored Andy Fisher upon his retirement after 35 years of service to the county. Erika Seward, a certified park and recreation professional, has stepped in as Placer's new Parks Administrator and she brings over two decades of experience spanning the corporate, non-profit and public sectors.
Seward oversees the Parks, Trails and Open Space Division, which is responsible for 21 active parks, 15 passive parks/ open space areas, seven beaches and 112 miles of county-owned or managed trails with a service area that spans from the shores of Lake Tahoe to the Sacramento Valley.
Prior to joining Placer County, Erika led the development of the first Recreation and Resiliency Master Plan for Nevada County and was recognized for providing collaborative solutions for visitor safety and outdoor recreation management by the National Association of Counties and California State Association of Counties. Erika got her start in the world of media and sports with ESPN and the Walt Disney Company while earning her master’s in Sports Administration at the University of Kansas. She went on to manage global sports brands and events, specializing in purpose-driven campaigns with professional athletes and influencers.
In 2015, Erika and her family moved to the Sierra Nevada foothills where she has since been dedicated to improving the health of rural communities and landscapes through leadership roles with Bear Yuba Land Trust, Sierra Nevada Alliance, and the County of Nevada.
She holds a Land Use and Environmental Planning Certificate from UC Davis and is currently a City/County Management Fellow at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.
“I get asked all the time: What's the best part of this work? I always say the people! I truly enjoy our team and the diverse range of community and agency stakeholders we partner with every day to care for these public spaces and places that enrich the lives of so many.”
— Erika Seward
Placer County Parks, Trails and Open Space Division, Parks Administrator
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In December of 2024, Justin Stevens took on a new role as the senior road district supervisor in North Lake Tahoe. He is now one of two supervisors for a team of eight as they tackle one of Placer County's biggest jobs. Snow removal in Tahoe means plowing around 250 miles of roadway.
As Stevens preps his crew for bigger winter storms this season, he's bringing new ideas and a vision for his department. Read his story below:
"Born and raised in New Hampshire, I first came to Tahoe on a ski trip with my friends in 2003. I called my girlfriend at the time, now my wife, and asked her what she thought of California. It took only three months for us to visit, but we made the leap here full-time in 2012. Here's me and my dog on the lake back then (right).
In 2013, I began with the county on the roads team as an equipment operator. From day one, I started learning the tricks of the trade and found myself always wanting more. I worked the West Shore and tackled the big snow. I made my way through the ranks, progressively working on larger and larger units (one such plow is pictured above). Some of the biggest storms made it hard to see out the window of the cab and I've plowed snow so deep the banks were taller than the equipment. I am super excited to have this opportunity to lead this team now because I enjoy coming up with new ideas and showing our team how we can operate efficiently and even implement some new, more environmentally-friendly equipment that will serve us year-round. I have a whole vision for this department and I'm excited to see it pay off for the whole county."
— Justin Stevens
Placer County Public Works Department, Senior Road District Supervisor
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"Hi, I’m Doug Jastrow, Staff Services Manager of the Short-Term Rental Program for the County of Placer. Prior to this, I was the county’s transient occupancy tax administrator for the past eight years. The TOT program changed a great deal over that time and required some nimbleness from myself and our staff. Not only did we need to adjust to the ever-changing short-term rental landscape in eastern Placer County but we needed to expand our scope by assisting in the successful implementation of the North Tahoe Community Alliance and Mountaineer Transit Company Tourism Business Improvement Districts. Our mission was always to accurately administer the TOT program so the proper amount of funding could be invested back into the community.
My goal in this new position is to continue the program’s efforts of working with the community to ensure the health and safety of the environment, residents, and guests. Our efforts last year to add an STR Advisory Group have paid dividends and I’m very much looking forward to working closely with them and overseeing this program."
— Doug Jastrow
Placer County Community Development Resource Agency, Staff Services Manager for the Short-Term Rental program
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"I first came to Placer County as a contract employee for the Community Development Resource Agency shortly after my family's relocation from Orange County. Staff was extremely welcoming from day one and excited over my past municipal experience serving Southern California cities. I was recently able to come back as a real Placer County employee (yay!) and again have been shown what a team we are here when it has come to training and building me up for success."
– Anna Hutter, Placer County Community Development Resource Agency, Assistant Community Development Technician
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“My name is Octavio Diaz-Nunez, and I’ve had the privilege of calling Placer County home my entire life. Growing up in Kings Beach, I spent my days playing outside, riding bikes, hiking, and swimming with friends, which deepened my appreciation for the natural beauty and close-knit community of this area. With a background in construction through my father, a local contractor, I discovered a passion for building and creating solutions that directly benefit those around me. That passion led me to pursue a career in civil engineering as a way to give back to the community I love."
– Octavio Diaz-Nunez, Junior Engineer, Placer County Department of Public Works, Tahoe Engineering
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"My name is Seth Warren and I moved to Truckee with my family in 2020. I grew up in Antioch with a host of family. My interest in outdoor recreation and stewardship was sparked by my grandfather, who continuously shepherded us (sometimes complaining) grandkids along trails in Black Diamond Mines and the Yosemite backcountry. He was resolute that we never made a shortcut through a switchback and that we left campsites cleaner than when we arrived. I was also fortunate to see both of my parents go back to school later in life and restart their professional careers (my mom as a labor and delivery nurse and my dad as a civil engineer after suffering an injury while rebuilding homes after the Oakland Hills fires).
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I previously worked in both the public and private sectors with a focus on pavement full depth recycling, Complete Streets and site redevelopment. I’m hopeful that my experience will be an asset to Placer County. My other key career interests career include engineering ethics, client relationships and seeing things get built. My father recently retired from the City of Antioch and was the most ardent supporter of me rejoining the public sector. He is now the proud owner of a County of Placer mug that I gifted him. I am thankful to be with the county and to play a role in our efforts to improve life around the lake."
– Seth Warren, Engineering Manager, Placer County Department of Public Works, Tahoe Engineering
Placer County’s general plan update’s subconsultant, True North Research, has begun outreach efforts to produce a statistically significant community survey which will guide the general plan’s visioning process. As part of this effort, Placer County residents — both in incorporated cities and unincorporated areas — may receive text messages, emails, or phone calls inviting them to participate. Please note that the survey outreach is being conducted randomly, so not everyone will be contacted.
OTHER NEWS
UPCOMING EVENTS
Find more Placer County news unique to the Tahoe region on our dedicated North Lake Tahoe website by clicking here.
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