Rudy Escalante Named as New Janus CEO

Edison Jensen to take over as Board Chair For Santa Cruz Company

Janus of Santa Cruz, the county’s leading provider of substance use disorder treatment services, announced today the appointment of Rudy Escalante as their new Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Escalante replaces outgoing CEO, Rod Libbey, who recently retired after a successful 7-year tenure at Janus. Local attorney and current Janus board member, Edison Jensen, will replace Mr. Escalante as Chair of the Janus of Santa Cruz Board of Directors. Mr. Escalante will take on the Janus CEO position effective October 2, 2017.

Mr. Escalante brings his many years of experience working in law enforcement and his active participation as a member on several local non-profit boards to the position. As the former Chief of Police for the City of Capitola, Mr. Escalante worked to foster exceptional relationships with local non-profit organizations, city and county leaders, elected officials, and community interest groups.

“Rudy will provide focused and critical leadership to Janus’ continuing role in dealing with the opioid crisis and its effects on our community,” said Edison Jensen, Janus Board Chair.

“I am blessed to have the opportunity of working with amazing people who are committed to providing a high level of compassionate treatment services to those suffering from the disease of addiction. The opioid crisis and community issues that arise as a result of addiction are a priority for our community. Janus will continue to strengthen our partnerships with local and state resources so we can carry on our mission of offering effective treatment services,” said Mr. Escalante.

Mr. Escalante earned his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from San José State University He was a member of the Santa Cruz County Criminal Justice Council and has volunteered for 20 years as a member of the Janus Board of Directors, serving for the last eight years as its Chair.

Mr. Jensen earned his Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Santa Cruz and his Juris Doctor from the Santa Clara University School of Law. Mr. Jensen is a past Chairman of: Dominican Hospital, Salud Para La Gente (a Federally Qualified Health Center) and the Pajaro Valley Community Health Trust. He is currently a member of the Janus Board of Directors.

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For more than 40 years, Janus of Santa Cruz has provided compassionate and effective substance use disorder treatment while guiding thousands of people toward wellness and recovery. As a private nonprofit organization, Janus offers quality programs to over 2,500 clients annually. For more information about Janus of Santa Cruz, visit www.janussc.org.