At one point in her life, Mona Miyasato thought about becoming a journalist. But after obtaining a graduate degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Miyasato decided she would like to “be in the game rather than writing about it.”
Now, as Santa Barbara County executive officer, Miyasato has certainly been in the game. Early in her tenure, six college students were killed in the Isla Vista mass murder. Since then, there have been multiple wildfires, the 2015 Refugio Oil Spill, and, most recently, the biggest wildfire in the state record, followed by the deadly 1/9 Debris Flow.
As the county’s top administrator — earning $250,000 in annual salary— Miyasato plays a significant role in steering the enormous vessel of county government that’s responsible for a lot of things, not the least of which include Flood Control and Public Works — two departments that the Montecito disaster has elevated more prominently in the public eye. The Montecito recovery effort is expected to cost the county up to $9 million. This “local share” will come out of county reserves, she said. This hit is on top of the roughly $29 million deficit, largely due to escalating employee pension costs.