Bill Nash served as the first Public Information Officer for the county of Ventura’s County Executive Office, where he supported the board of supervisors, the County Executive Officer and 25 County agencies in their public information efforts. He was also responsible for managing the Joint Information Center for the County’s Office of Emergency Services during major emergencies like the Thomas Fire, Woolsey Fire, Borderline Shooting and Camarillo Springs Mudslide.

Bill devoted his career to advancing public sector communications. In this role, he spent 22 years demonstrating exceptional leadership, dedication to mentorship, and incredible achievements resulting in innovation and collaboration in the public sector.

Before his time with the county of Ventura, Bill served as the Public Information and Marketing Officer for the Ventura County Fire Department. He worked as the International Advertising, Marketing and public relations manager for a major agricultural company in the private sector.

Bill was a veteran newspaper columnist, photographer, award-winning writer, and former volunteer firefighter. During his career, he wrote a historical book about the Santa Paula Fire Department, three mystery novels and more than 1,100 columns written over the spans of 21 years for the Santa Paula Times and Ventura County Star.

Among his many notable achievements, Bill was the mastermind behind the nationally acclaimed “Ready, Set, Go!” fire preparedness program, which was adopted and implemented by the National

Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) and has been utilized internationally as well, most notably in Australia. Most recently, his work was recognized by CAPIO in 2020 when he was awarded “Best Annual Report – Large County”, for his work in the County Executive Office in Ventura.

Sadly, Bill passed away after a brief battle with liver disease May 15, 2021. The tragic news was sudden and shocked many. Those who knew Bill would say he was a thoughtful friend, patient, and always the first to help during a crisis. Even when the going got rough, his calm demeanor and positive outlook never wavered.

“Bill stood for everything this award represents, and his loss will be felt throughout our profession for many years.” Scott Summerfield, SAE Communications 

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To learn more about the Paul B. Clark award or the California Association of Public Information Officials, visit www.capio.org. 

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