“I’ve been lucky that my career has been focused in things that improve the community and align with my core values,” says Ben Romo in a rare moment of seriousness during our laugh-out-loud lunch.
There’s something delightfully refreshing about being in the presence of Ben. He’s a hard-working, determined community leader, but there’s a disarmingly mischievous quality about him. It’s obvious that he takes his work seriously, yet he’s able to joke around and poke fun at himself, a characteristic I completely relate to.
Earlier this year, Ben resigned as executive director of First Five Santa Barbara County Children and Families Commission to serve as a liaison between residents, nonprofits, and the county's Office of Emergency Management for the recovery efforts that followed the Thomas Fire and the 1/9 Debris Flow in Montecito. During emergencies, all county employees are subject to activation, when they are called on to work beyond their normal roles.