Meet Clint Holtzen. A long-time SACOGian and manager of the agency’s planning team. Beginning at SACOG as an intern in 2008, Clint did not imagine a career in regional government and like many, he didn’t know what regional government was before he started. Looking to gain more experience in geographic informational systems (GIS), he was intrigued by how the data and analysis collected by SACOG was used to help inform the regional environment. That curiosity has only grown since then.

With a degree in environmental science from University of California Santa Cruz, and a Masters of Urban Planning from Sacramento State, Clint sees the built environment as an ecosystem, “When trying to solve the problems with planning, everything has a tie back to something else; whether it’s wildfire risk, housing, maintaining existing transportation options, all of these things have a nexus back to each other,” he said.

Clint was at one time a member of the transportation team, coordinating and later managing a long list of projects that serve as the backbone for the region’s long-range plan, the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). His interest in how all the aspects of planning came together plus his natural tendency to take the initiative and say yes to new opportunities led him to his current role at the agency.

As a manager, Clint is focused on putting his team members first. He believes that trust starts with building relationships with his colleagues and reminding them that he has their back. The training and education he has access to through SACOG has helped him continue to build his skills and grow into the exceptional manager he is today.