Nicole Coburn

Nicole D. Coburn was unanimously appointed County Executive Officer by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in October 2025, becoming the second woman in County history to serve in this role. With more than two decades of public service and fiscal leadership, she previously served eight years as Assistant County Executive Officer overseeing public safety and justice, communications, legislative affairs, and budget management for the County’s $1.3 billion organization. During this time, she led the creation of the County’s first Strategic and Operational Plans, advanced major initiatives in public defense, behavioral health, infrastructure, and equity, and played a central role in disaster response efforts including COVID-19, the CZU fires, and severe winter storms. She was also instrumental in developing six successful ballot measures that generated more than $140 million for community priorities.