Santa Clara County /CALIFORNIA
County of Santa Clara County Executive Jeffrey V. Smith, M.D., J.D., has announced the appointment of Deputy County Executive John P. Mills to the position of Deputy County Executive/Director of the Employee Services Agency. Mills has served as the Acting Deputy County Executive/Acting Director of the Employee Services Agency since September 2015. The appointment is effective immediately.
“John’s management style and organizational knowledge are an asset to the County of Santa Clara and our 18,000 employees,” Smith said. “He demonstrates fairness and builds trust among his peers and employees, and will continue providing effective leadership to the Employee Services Agency.”
Mills will continue to lead the Employee Services Agency and its departments, including Human Resources, Labor Relations, Employee Benefits, Executive Recruitment, and Agency Administration. He is working with department leadership to determine critical needs and long term goals in the areas of human resources, recruitment, employee performance, benefits, and overall organization structure.
Mills has served as Deputy County Executive since May 2014, overseeing and guiding the implementation of the Office of Cultural Competency, Office of LGBTQ Affairs and the Office of Immigrant Relations. He also provided oversight, on behalf of the County Executive, to Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Public Safety and Justice Committee, Probation, Office of the Sheriff, Medical Examiner-Coroner, Pretrial Services, Office of Human Relations, and the Registrar of Voters.
“I’m committed to leading the Employee Services Agency in supporting the long-term growth and development of our County organization,” Mills said. “Employees are our most valuable asset in providing quality service to our residents and the community.”
Mills has served Santa Clara County residents for more than 15 years through County of Santa Clara, City of San Jose, and the California State Assembly. He served as Chief of Staff to District 4 County Supervisor Ken Yeager for eight years. As Chief of Staff, Mills advised the Supervisor on all policy matters, including social services, health and hospital system, labor and employment, housing, land use, environment, transportation, public safety and justice, finance, government operations, and state and federal legislation. He also was responsible for managing and supervising the operation of the District Office.
Prior to joining the County, from 2004 to 2006, Mills honed his skills with the City of San Jose as District 6 Chief of Staff, working on a wide range of policy issues, including public safety, transportation, capital budget, cultural services, planning and land use. From 2001 to 2004, Mills was the District Director for 24th District Assemblymember Rebecca Cohn, where he managed all district office operations and designed and coordinated a constituent service and outreach plan to keep residents informed of the Assemblymember’s activities, legislative hearings and community events.
During his personal time, Mills has made substantial contributions to community life by serving on various public advisory groups, including the City of San Ramon’s Parks and Community Services Commission, Housing Advisory Committee, and Economic Development Advisory Committee. Mills also served on the First 5 Contra Costa Children and Families Commission.
Mills holds a Master of Science in Genetics from the Stanford University School of Medicine. He received his Bachelor of Science in Genetics from the University of California at Davis in 1996. His minor was in history. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, Phi Sigma Biology Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and Golden Key Honor Society. Mills also was a finalist for the University Medal, the highest honor awarded a graduating senior, and received a Genetics Department Citation for his achievements within his major field of study.
The 41-year-old Mills lives in Contra Costa County with his husband of more than seven years, Nathan Lawrence, and their two young sons.
