After an extensive nationwide search and recruitment, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors yesterday concurred with the Interim County Executive’s appointment of two director-level positions: Director of Child Support Services and the Director of Homeless Initiatives – both effective July 18, 2021.

Child Support Services

Acting Child Support Services Director Dalen Fredrickson has been appointed as the permanent director of a department he has been serving since 2015, first as Assistant Director and most recently as Acting Director since March 2021.

“Dalen has been an important part of Child Support Services​ for more than six years, and we are pleased to appoint him to a position he has been serving well for several months,” said Bruce Wagstaff, Deputy County Executive for Social Services. “I have the highest confidence that he will continue to provide excellent leadership and bring innovative ideas to the department.”

As an Assistant Director, Fredrickson has promoted and directed a wide variety of child support programs and department goals and initiatives. Prior to serving at the County, he worked as an industry consultant and in various executive-level positions with private child support corporations and state agencies.

Fredrickson obtained his Juris Doctorate from Northwestern California University School of Law and is licensed to practice law in the state of California. He also possesses a Master of Business Administration degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, both from Brigham Young University.

In addition to his experience and education, Dalen has extensive experience representing the County’s Child Support Services Department to the State of California Department of Child Support Services (DCSS) and the Child Support Directors Association (CSDA), including serving on statewide committees and delivering trainings at conferences to industry professionals.

Homeless Initiatives 

Emily Halcon has been appointed as Director of Homeless Initiatives.

After extensive outreach and networking, as well as posting national job advertisements, the interview panel, made up of multiple County executives, a Personnel Services representative, and an external industry professional, collectively identified Emily Halcon as the best and most qualified candidate.

“Knowing that we already had the best candidate in-house for this critical position ensures that Emily is ready to hit the ground running and take our homeless response to the next level,” said Interim County Executive Ann Edwards. “We’re thrilled to welcome Emily as a permanent part of the county team dedicated to serving such a vulnerable population.”

Halcon has more than 15 years of experience directing and leading homeless initiatives and programs related to ending homelessness. Currently, she is working with Sacramento County as a Homeless Initiatives Consultant. In her current contractor role, she works directly with County leaders and across departments, providing guidance regarding the best approach to delivering key homeless programs as well as the integration of countywide homeless programs and services.

Prior to serving at the County, Halcon worked for six years as the Homeless Services Manager for the City of Sacramento. Before working for the City of Sacramento, she worked in various positions that support homelessness and housing programs and services, including working as a consultant for the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency.

Halcon has a Master of Science degree in Community Development from the University of California, Davis and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Gettysburg College.​