The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved Greg Cox as chairman, succeeding Dianne Jacob, during the governing body's first meeting of 2020.
This will be the fifth term as chairman for Cox, who has represented the South Bay's District 1 since 1995.
Supervisor Jim Desmond was voted in as vice chairman, and his colleague Nathan Fletcher will serve as chair pro-tem.
Before nominating Cox, Jacob reviewed 2019, which she called a "game-changer" year in part because of new board members Jim Desmond and Nathan Fletcher.
She said the board tackled a wide range of challenges and fresh ideas, including affordable housing, behavioral health system improvements, giving residents more choice on their energy provider, adding more open space, and senior-friendly emergency rooms.
Jacob is entering her final year as supervisor for District 2, after serving 28 years. "And God willing, I'll work just as hard," she said. "I'm very excited to be part of this team."
Cox commended Jacob for her work in 2019 and said her last term as chair "will be a record no one will ever achieve again" because of term limits.
"Although we've had differences of opinion, we've done some outstanding things," Cox said. "Dianne, you're amazing."
Tuesday also marked the board's first meeting in the remodeled county Administration Building, located in downtown San Diego. When the remodeling began in August, the board met at the county Operations Center in Kearny Mesa.
