November 8, 2021

County Behavioral Health Directors Association Announces Gail Gronert as New Director of Strategic Initiatives

Sacramento, CA—County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California (CBHDA) today announced that Gail Gronert has joined the team as Director of Strategic Initiatives. Gronert will help lead budget and advocacy efforts in this role and provide strategic guidance to advance CBHDA’s mission. She will be part of the association’s senior leadership team.

“We are extremely fortunate to be adding Gail to our team,” said Michelle Doty Cabrera, Executive Director for CBHDA. “She brings a tremendous amount of legislative, budget and policy experience to the association. Her expertise working on human services as a key advisor to Legislative Leadership makes her an immediate asset who can hit the ground running.”

Gronert has spent over two decades working in and around the California State Capitol. Most recently, she was a Special Assistant to the Speaker of the California State Assembly, serving as a member of the leadership policy team for the tenure of eight Speakers. Gronert provided guidance in crafting and advocating for safety net programs to lift up vulnerable communities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped champion the safety net for vulnerable Californians, including the Golden State Grant Program, supporting those who participate with Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Gronert also advocated for transitional housing for foster youth and the successful enactment of AB 12/After 18 program to support foster youth ages 18 to 21. She also worked to establish the CalFood program and helped staff the Assembly Blue Ribbon Commission on Early Care and Education, which recommends a framework to address the needs of the whole family.

Prior to the Assembly, Gronert worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services on the heels of welfare reform passage. Gronert graduated from Stanford University and earned a law degree from the UC Davis School of Law (King Hall).

The County Behavioral Health Directors Association (CBHDA) is a statewide non-profit association representing all 58 county behavioral health directors and two city mental health programs (Berkeley and Tri-City). CBHDA is dedicated to advocating for public policy and services on behalf of people who are living with substance use disorders and mental illness.