Name: Amanda Avila Ruiz
Age: 34
Occupation: CAO manager at the Kern County Administrative Office
Immediate family: Husband Daniel, daughter Ava, son Cristian and two beagles named Remington and Gilly
How long have you lived in Bakersfield? If you are not from here, what brought you to town? I lived a short time in Shafter then moved to Bakersfield at age 5. My grandfather came to Kern County in 1923 so our family has been here almost 100 years.
What is the best piece of advice you've ever received? I remember in my 20s being frustrated I was not further along in my career and personal life. I really thought I should have it all figured out. My mom said, "Don't worry your time will come and when you look back you will appreciate the struggle and what you have." It is not what you want to hear in the moment, but she was definitely right. That advice is still applicable and reminds me to slow down.
How did you get to your current position? I started working at the Kern County Sheriff's Office working in Programs Division at the Lerdo Jail in 2014. I was tasked with signing inmates up for various rehabilitation programs. Following the completion of my master's degree, I wanted to keep progressing so I Googled the words "Kern County' and "leadership." I found the Kern Leaders Academy run by KernTax and Nancy Lawson, former county operations officer, and Elsa Martinez, current chief financial officer, taught a government finance course. I must've asked the right questions because two weeks after completing the academy I was transferring to the County Administrative Office.
No two days at the County Administrative Office are the same, but I enjoy that.
What is your proudest achievement of your career? My proudest achievement was managing the construction and operation of Kern County's M Street Navigation Center. This project had not been done before in Kern County, so I really leaned on knowledge from other areas that had built and operated a navigation center. It meant weekly meetings with our construction team and weekly meetings with our operations team on a tight timeline. The county departments and local homeless service providers were amazing on this project.
It's pretty neat to sit back and remember that it was dirt not too long ago and we opened in the middle of the pandemic in May 2020. Those months leading up to our opening and shortly after definitely kept me up at night but it all went very well. Community Action Partnership of Kern operates the center and the Safe Camping program for the county and has done an amazing job.
Today, it has been operating for two years with 150 beds and housing hundreds of individuals experiencing homelessness. We have pet kennels, dentistry services, medical care, mental health care and job training, which is due to great partnerships.
How do you find inspiration to do what you do? There are a lot of families with similar stories as mine that love this place and want it to improve. I find inspiration in wanting Kern County to thrive and families to succeed so I enjoy doing these projects that mean a lot to the community. It is the best feeling to see how much a project means to the communities that need it most.
What do you love most about the community? Where do you see the greatest need for change or improvement? I love our community's relationships with each other where everyone comes together for a common goal and gets it done. When I talk to various California state departments, I am told that the collaboration we have in Kern is not the norm.
The greatest need for improvement that I would love is to improve our county libraries. My mom has always taken me to the library and I am at Beale Library about once a month. I always tell whoever I can to use the library or download their apps for free books. The library does so much for our community with unique programs, specifically for the youth, that I would love to have them open every day and update the buildings.
What local organizations or groups are you involved with? Why is it important to give back to the community? I am the treasurer for the CSUB Alumni Association for the second year now. We have a great board and all love CSU Bakersfield. It is important to highlight our local university and support the students. I am also the past president for the Kern County Management Council, which allows networking opportunities for all our county management staff.
What is your favorite quote? "If not me, who? If not now, when?"