Santa Barbara Names New Director of Sustainability and Resilience Department

By the City of Santa Barbara

The City of Santa Barbara has named Alelia Parenteau as Director of the Sustainability and Resilience Department. Ms. Parenteau has been the Acting Sustainability and Resilience Director since September 2021. 

“Ms. Parenteau has been an asset to the City and to the Santa Barbara community with her passion and dedication. She has been instrumental in building many of the programs within the department and we are excited to see her take the lead,” said City Administrator Rebecca Bjork.

Ms. Parenteau has worked for the City since 2006 where she began her career in the Environmental Services Division implementing business recycling programs. She was promoted to become the City‘s first dedicated energy professional in 2009 and helped build the robust energy and climate program the City has today, including Santa Barbara Clean Energy—the City’s innovative community choice aggregation program. 

Ms. Parenteau said she is looking forward to continuing her collaborative efforts with the Sustainability and Resilience team.  

Alelia Parenteau (courtesy photo)

“I am so excited to be able to continue to work with the amazing team of professionals and innovators that make up the Sustainability and Resilience Department. The City has truly cemented its position as a leader in the fight against climate change and I am humbled to be chosen to lead this team,” Ms. Parenteau said. 

The Sustainability and Resilience Department is comprised of the Environmental Services Division and the Energy & Climate Division, with the recent addition of the Creeks & Water Quality Division. Ms. Parenteau has overseen several large scale sustainability efforts undertaken by the City including the development of the City’s Strategic Energy Plan (a roadmap to achieving 100% renewable electricity for the community), the launch of Santa Barbara Clean Energy which provides 100% carbon-free electricity to the entire city of Santa Barbara, coordinating the City’s first Carbon Neutral Community strategy, and more recently has been managing the negotiations for the City’s new solid waste collection contract. 

Ms. Parenteau graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies and literature. In her free time Ms. Parenteau enjoys cooking, reading, and camping with her family.