David Villanueva, new Sacramento County Executive. Courtesy photo

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to appoint Assistant County Executive David Villanueva as County Executive. The appointment is effective January 28, 2024.

“I am pleased to announce that the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to appoint David Villanueva as County Executive,” said Board Chair and Third District Supervisor Rich Desmond. “David’s career has been dedicated to public service with Sacramento County and the State of California, with which he has had extensive senior management and executive management experience.

“The County as an organization has made tremendous progress over the last three years. We are confident this will continue under David’s leadership. David brings a unique combination of business, accounting and technology skills to this role, and he has shown in practice that his decisions are guided by honesty, integrity and a passion for service and transparency.”

Appointed Assistant County Executive last May, Villanueva has been serving as Deputy County Executive for the Administrative Services Agency since 2011. Prior to that, he began his County service as Chief Information Officer/Director of the Department of Technology in 2008. Before his County service, Villanueva was the Deputy Director/Chief Information Officer for the California Department of General Services.

“I am deeply honored and grateful for the trust placed in me by the Board of Supervisors in appointing me as the County Executive,” said Villanueva. “This opportunity to serve our community is both a privilege and a responsibility that I undertake with great dedication. I am committed to fostering a culture of transparency, collaboration, and customer service excellence within our organization.

“In the spirit of public service, I look forward to collaborating with our dedicated team and community stakeholders to continue to build a County government that is responsive, accountable, and committed to making a positive impact in the lives of our residents.”
During his tenure at the County, Villanueva implemented a number of initiatives. Most recently, he led the County’s new Leadership Development Academy program, designed to enhance leadership skills, learn global trends impacting leadership and sustain positive changes in the organization. He also implemented his Agency's departments in the County's Organizational Culture Change Initiative and managed the formation of the Climate Emergency Mobilization Task Force.

​Villanueva is a longtime member and the current Chair of the Board of Trustees for Plumas Lake School District. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from California State University, Sacramento, and recently completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government.