To: Board of Supervisors
From: Monica Nino, County Administrator
Report Title: APPOINTMENT of Risk Management Director - Exempt - Susan Brajkovic
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPOINT Susan Brajkovic as Director of Risk Management - Exempt of Contra Costa County at step 4 of 5 ($20,062.09/month) of the salary range, including all benefits as provided in the current Management Resolution that apply to the position of Director of Risk Management - Exempt, effective February 3, 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The estimated annual County Cost for the position of Director of Risk Management - Exempt is $337,000, of which $44,634 is attributable to the employer share of pension costs. All costs are funded by Risk Management Internal Service Funds.
BACKGROUND:
On September 24, 2025, former Director of Risk Management, Karen Caoile, announced her retirement from Contra Costa County effective January 22, 2026. Ms. Caoile held the position since January 14, 2020.
On November 30, 2025, the executive recruitment was opened for the Director of Risk Management - Exempt and lead by CPS HR Consulting, a public sector executive recruiting firm. The recruitment was opened with a first review of applications scheduled for November 28, 2025.
CPS HR received 89 applications by the November 28, 2025, review deadline. Of those, four (4) candidates were advanced to the County for interviews, 11 were considered but not selected for advancement, and 74 were not considered for the position. On January 12, 2026, interviews were conducted for the four (4) finalists. The interview panel was composed of Supervisor John Gioia, Supervisor Ken Carlson, County Administrator Monica Nino, and Risk Manager of Sacramento County Donna Abbott. At the conclusion of the interviews, the panel unanimously recommended Susan Brajkovic for appointment as Director of Risk Management - Exempt. On January 22, 2026, Susan Brajkovic signed a conditional offer letter from the County and was subsequently entered into a background evaluation process, which has been successfully completed.
Susan Brajkovic has over thirty years of healthcare and public-sector experience, including over 15 years of executive leadership in enterprise risk management, liability and property claims oversight, workers’ compensation collaboration, insurance and self-insurance program administration, and regulatory compliance within complex environments. Susan has a Master of Jurisprudence, and bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public Law. Serving as Director of Risk Management at Level I trauma-designated Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital from 2015-2023, Susan led a comprehensive risk management program and redesigned the Root Cause Analysis (RCA) process, achieving a 95% completion within 72 hours and increased implementation of evidence-based corrective actions by more than 50%. Previously, Susan served as the Director of Risk, Regulatory and Safety for Alameda Health System from 2013-2015 and as a contractor since 2023.
Today’s action formally appoints Susan Brajkovic as Director of Risk Management - Exempt effective on February 3, 2026, at step 4 of 5 on the salary range, which equates to an annual salary of $240,745.06, or $20,062.09 per month.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The Director of Risk Management - Exempt will not be formally appointed.