The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will be asked to confirm the County Administrator’s appointment of Angela Struckmann as Director of Human Services for Sonoma County at the Oct. 6, 2020 Board Meeting. Ms. Struckmann, who has served as Assistant Director of Human Services for Sonoma County for two years, comes to the position with more than 24 years of experience working within local county government human services programs and within the nonprofit sector.
Ms. Struckmann succeeds Karen Fies, who is retiring after serving four years as director of what is Sonoma County’s largest department with more than 900 staff members and an annual budget of more than $350 million.
“We are fortunate to have someone as experienced and as qualified as Angela take the helm of this department that impacts so many lives within the County,” said Susan Gorin, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “She’s a skilled leader with a deep understanding of the inter-workings of our social programs, and we’re grateful to have her at such a critical time.”
Since joining Sonoma County Human Services as Assistant Director in August 2018, Ms. Struckmann has overseen the department’s Human Resources and Information Technology functions as well operations of the South County Center in Petaluma. She also has served on multiple committees in collaboration with county, regional and state partners including Home Sonoma County, the Mental Health Services Act Steering Committee and the County Welfare Directors Association’s Legislative Committee.
“I am very honored to be appointed as the next Human Services Director for Sonoma County,” said Struckmann. “I look forward to leading the department in effectively serving our community and furthering our goals of protecting vulnerable children and adults, and promoting maximum independence and well-being for individuals and families especially during this challenging time.”
The Human Services Department has four divisions:
- Adult & Aging, which provides 24-hour, emergency response to reports of adult abuse and neglect, and coordinates in-home care and supportive services for older residents;
- Economic Assistance, which helps low-income residents, other individuals, and families meet their basic needs;
- Employment and Training, which provides temporary cash assistance and employment services;
- And Family, Youth, and Children’s Services, which protects children from abuse, neglect, and exploitation.
Before coming to Sonoma County, Ms. Struckmann served as Employment and Eligibility Administrator for Solano County Health & Social Services where she oversaw program operations for Medi-Cal, CalFresh, and CalWORKs. Prior to that, she served as Division Director for Marin County Public Assistance.
A native of Minnesota, Angela earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received a master’s in public administration from the University of San Francisco. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the Sonoma wine country and spending time with her four rescue dogs. Ms. Struckmann’s annual salary will be $203,828.