Santa Barbara County names Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta as new public information officer

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – News Channel 3-12's own Chief Meteorologist Kelsey Gerckens Buttitta has been named as the new public information officer for Santa Barbara County.

In this new role, Buttitta will step away from the weather green screen and address communication needs countywide, building a proactive system of communications and engaging community stakeholders.

She will also engage the community in emergency communications to ensure that all residents are well informed when disasters hit and make sure that residents know what programs and facilities are available to them.

“As the Communications Manager/Public Information Officer for the County of Santa Barbara, I look forward to being the connector between the County’s Executive Office, government officials, community leaders, and business, as well as residents,” said Buttitta.

“As a member of the Santa Barbara community since 2011 and media reporter for KEYT-News, I have witnessed our County retain and uplift its historical roots while celebrating and uplifting the diversity of our region, from North to South County. Professionally, I truly care about our community and look forward to keeping our residents informed and engaged."

Buttitta joined the News Channel 3-12 team in 2011 and has worked her way up from reporter to chief meteorologist for the ABC, CBS, and Fox affiliates. She is leading an effort as the only meteorologist on a corporate team to modernize and distribute a new graphics package for KEYT's sister stations nationwide.

She won two Emmy awards for team reporting and coverage of the Thomas Fire and the best newscast covering the Refugio oil spill. She won the prestigious Golden Mike award for the best weather segment four years in a row, from 2017 through 2020.

"Kelsey has been an incredibly valuable member of our team - providing coverage during major weather events including the Thomas Fire, Montecito Mudslide, and countless other fires and storms," said News Channel 3-12 News Content Manager Lindsay Zuchelli.

"Our team will miss her a lot, but we know she'll be a huge asset to Santa Barbara County and we can't wait to see her succeed in her new role."

Buttitta is a lifelong Central Coast resident and lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, former News Channel 3-12 morning anchor Joey Buttitta, and two children.

"It's bittersweet to see Kelsey moving on to this new opportunity. She's spent the past decade working hard to inform our viewers on news stories and more recently on the weather forecast," said News Channel 3-12 General Manager Jim Lemon.

"She is an immensely talented individual and we will miss her very much."

Buttitta graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism.

“We are very excited to welcome Kelsey to the Santa Barbara County team and look forward to working with her to advance communications for our residents, the media, community, and business organizations,” said Terri Maus Nisich, assistant county executive officer for the county.

“Kelsey has a passion for serving the community, and that, combined with her work ethic, positive attitude, and excellent public speaking skills, make her a great fit for the position.”