Supervisor Zach Friend: No Fourth Term

By Jondi Gumz

On Aug. 4, Santa Cruz County Supervisor Zach Friend, who represents the Second District and chairs the board, announced he will not seek a fourth term. His term ends in January 2025.

Friend, 44, of Aptos, was elected to the county board in 2012 and re-elected easily in 2016 and 2020. He represents the coastal communities of Aptos, La Selva Beach, Seacliff and Rio Del Mar, some of the most productive agricultural land in the country in Corralitos, Freedom and the Pajaro River basin, and parts of Capitola and Watsonville.

“Representing this county has been the nonpareil opportunity of a lifetime,” Friend said. “We are a region blessed with the most caring people, unrivaled natural gifts and unmatched innovation. The privilege of representing our area has been remarkable.”

Friend’s decision will leave a void in terms of knowledge and experience but will create an opportunity to bring diversity to county board.

Ever since his wife, Tina Friend, previously known as Tina Shull, left her job as Scotts Valley city manager in September 2021 to be city manager in Coronado –population 19,550-- in San Diego County, locals have wondered if Friend, too, would head to Southern California. The couple has a 7-year-old son.

Friend’s next gig is not known but Linked bio in positions him a “government affairs public policy senior communications advisor” with more than 500 connections.

In January, when epic rain and ocean swells sank the pier to the historic Cement Ship in Seacliff, caused an estimated $100 million in damage to Seacliff State Beach,

He Actually Works for the Common Good

Rene Schlaepfer

Pastor, Twin Lakes Church, Aptos Ikeep hearing about the American public no longer trusting their elected officials. Good people won’t run for office. If there’s a politician in a movie, you know they’ll be a villain. Well, if our politicians were all like Zach Friend, trust would be soaring, our kids would all want to grow up to be in government, movie politicians would be our new action heroes, and stuff would actually be getting done all across the nation.

When I learned Zach wouldn’t seek reelection, I thought about the floods, fires, storms, budget crises, water emergencies, and housing shortages he has led us through. Zach has the force it takes to move bureaucracies, and the empathy it takes to make individuals feel heard.

How does someone with such biting sarcasm enjoy so many friends? I don’t know, but he pulls it off. I think it’s because Zach embodies what everyone longs for in an elected: He’s totally candid, funny, authentic, wise, doesn’t take himself too seriously (yet takes his responsibility very seriously), and actually works for the common good, not just some interest group.

Everyone knows Zach represented his district exceptionally well. He’s also been a trusted confidant. Never has an elected enjoyed a more fitting name. n broke the historic Capitola Wharf in two, stranding businesses, and flooded the restaurants on the Esplanade in Capitola, Friend swung into action.

He had connections with state and federal officials — early in his career he served the White House Council of Economic Advisers, U.S. Senate, the U.S.

A Very Caring Individual

Jess

Brown

Santa Cruz County Farm Bureau

Many people may not know that the 2nd District has more agricultural land than any of the other four supervisorial districts. Supervisor Friend has been able to effectively balance the needs of agriculture, beach communities and residential areas. His political acumen, professionalism, and great sense of humor makes him an effective and approachable leader.

Supervisor Friend is a unique elected official for our County because he came with national political experience. This experience helped Santa Cruz County throughout his terms. Most recently, it played a role in his ability to secure federal funding for the Pajaro River improvements and, also, in getting the President to visit our area after the recent floods.

Zach is very caring individual. He takes a genuine interest in his constituents. There are many examples, for instance, he was interviewed many times by Noel Smith of the Aptos Times. Although they had different political views Zach appreciated Noel’s perspective. When Noel was terminally ill, Zack would visit him and chat about politics and life in general. That’s a rare quality in an elected official.

Zach will truly be missed in Santa Cruz County when he leaves office. n

House of Representatives and was press secretary for the Obama presidential campaign in 2008 and media surrogate for the Biden campaign in 2020– and soon Gov. Gavin Newsom was visiting Capitola’s Esplanade and Seacliff State Beach, creating photo opps for reporters and TV cameras.

Eight days later, President Joe Biden visited Capitola’s Esplanade and Seacliff State Beach, drawing even more media attention.

In March, when the Pajaro River levee, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 1949, breached, flooding homes of 3,000 people –mostly farmworkers-- and some of the most productive farmland in the Pajaro Valley, once again federal help was needed. As chairman of Food 7 Flood Control and Water Conservation District, he lobbied state legislators who approved $400 million in state funds for the Pajaro River levee project to meet the federal “local share” that Pajaro residents could not afford to provide themselves. His advocacy helped secure millions of new federal funding for ongoing broadband expansion in rural Santa Cruz County, where some neighborhoods are Internet desert

“Friend” page 10

A Force for Cohesion

Robley

Levy

Second District supervisor, 1982-92

Zach Friend has served the 2nd District and Santa Cruz County exceptionally well during his time on the Board of Supervisors.

Zach has been directly responsive to his constituents and always well-informed. He has been a force for cohesion on the Board that will be greatly missed.

Zach’s many close connections with officials at the State and Federal level, together with collegial relationships with his fellow local officials has been a great benefit to our County.

How many local politicians can wrangle the President of the United States, as well as numerous cabinet members, to a small county like Santa Cruz? That’s what Zach did this year in response to the disastrous storms and flooding, with so many of our neighbors forced out of their homes.

I particularly appreciate that work since during my time on the Board, we also faced major disasters; in the early 80’s, coastal flooding and landslides, including the Love Creek Slide where so many died; and the 1989 San Francisco Earthquake which hit Santa Cruz hard, with its epicenter in the Second District.

Thanks so much, Zach, for all that hard work this winter on disaster response and recovery. We will miss you, but know you will enjoy all the new adventures ahead of you. n