Liz Bellas has been a parks professional for over 26 years. She was appointed as Director of Sacramento County Regional Parks in January 2019, and has served many roles within the Department, including recreation operations, master planning, budget and fiscal officer, and park management.

In this conversation, Liz talks about her biggest challenges in managing the County’s regional parks system, how she addresses them, as well as some exciting new projects in the works.

Annette Bedsworth is the Director of Sacramento County’s Animal Care Services. Annette began in her role as director in January 2022. Bedsworth has more than 30 years of public service, including more than 20 years in management and director level positions. Before she came to the County, Bedsworth served as the Executive Director for Animal Services for Stanislaus County since 2008.

In this conversation, Annette talks about the challenges the shelter faces in terms of operations and animal care; how members of the community can be involved in supporting the shelter through volunteering, fostering kittens or donating; and advice for anyone considering adopting a pet.

Emily Halcon is the Director of the Department of Homeless Services and Housing (DHSH) for Sacramento County. Emily serves as the central coordinator of the County’s policy and program development efforts to address homelessness with the goal of aligning and integrating County policies, programs, services and funding toward reducing the prevalence of homelessness in Sacramento County and its impact on communities, business districts, and people experiencing homelessness.

Prior to joining the County in 2021, Emily spent six years as the Homeless Services Manager for the City of Sacramento, overseeing policy and programs through the City to address homelessness. ​​​