The Camarillo Health Care District Board of Directors is pleased to announce the selection of Blair Barker, CSDM, MPH, as the District’s next Chief Executive Officer, succeeding longtime CEO Kara Ralston, who has served the Camarillo community since 1998, specifically as CEO since 2015.

Serving the area since 1969, the Camarillo Health Care District is recognized as an innovative, award-winning district throughout the state of California. It offers a broad range of interactive health and wellness programs designed to promote community health through service, education and empowerment, transforming lives through inspiration and innovation, and helping guide people toward healthy life choices to improve overall quality of life.

Barker, who holds a master’s degree in public health from California State University, Northridge, and is working on her Doctor of Public Health at Tulane University, has served the District since 2013 in increasingly responsible positions, most recently as Program Officer.  Barker has extensive experience in grants management, program development, delivery and oversight, and strategic planning. She represents the District on numerous advisory boards and collaboratives, including the Ventura County Community Health Improvement Collaborative and the Ventura County Human Services Agency - Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council.

In addition to her leadership at the District, Barker serves as adjunct faculty in the Health Sciences Department at California State University, Channel Islands, where she has been a member of the team developing CI’s first Master’s in Health Administration Program with an optional Gerontological Certificate Program.  The development of this program was informed by numerous stakeholder meetings with feedback from a variety of stakeholders that serve the older adult population, including the District. She is a Certified Special District Manager, a designation from the California Special District Leadership Foundation, and a Certified Case Manager.

As CEO of the District, Barker will be responsible for overall operations through the effective administration of approved policy, budget and operational standards within the California Health and Safety Section, applicable law and regulation, and in partnership with the Board of Directors. She will also provide key leadership in issues of budget, finance, strategic planning, legislative issues, daily operations, and program and service delivery.