Emily Wight, a human services program planner with the Public Administrator, Guardian, Conservator (PAPGPC) office, has been recognized with a prestigious statewide honor for her dedication to public service. Photo courtesy of the California Association of PAPGPC

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) – Sacramento County is celebrating a major achievement by one of its own. Emily Wight, a human services program planner with the Public Administrator, Guardian, Conservator (PAPGPC) office, has been recognized with a prestigious statewide honor for her dedication to public service.

Wightreceived the President’s Award of Excellence from the California State Association of Public Administrators, Guardians and Conservators — an award presented annually to just one member out of more than 950 across California. The recognition highlights exceptional commitment to serving vulnerable populations and advancing the field.

“For me, to be recognized by my peers is perhaps the biggest achievement of my 20-year career thus far. I am proud to bring this award to the Sacramento County PAPGPC office as this reflects not only on me, but my office, my department and all of Sacramento County as I would not be where I am in my career without them,” Wight said.

Over the years, Wight has held a variety of roles, beginning as a deputy handling Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) mental health conservatorships. She later worked in LPS investigations, was promoted to supervising deputy overseeing multiple units, and in 2021 stepped into a new challenge supporting the public administrator unit, managing decedent estates. In 2023, she advanced to program planner, where she now focuses on policy development, implementation and staff training.

“My favorite part of the job is helping people,” Wight said. “I have enjoyed helping conservatees — some of Sacramento County’s most vulnerable and underserved population — advocating for them to receive appropriate care and treatment, administering decedent estates, and making sure that individuals who pass away in Sacramento County with no will or no known next of kin have last rites and their disposition is handled with dignity and respect. Now I enjoy supporting our team by researching and developing policy and procedures as well as training staff including PAPGPC across the state.”

The work of PAPGPC is often behind the scenes but critically important to the community.

“PAPGPC is a very unique role,” she said. “In Sacramento County we are a small but very mighty office that helps adults with severe and persistent mental health conditions, older adults with major neurocognitive disorders and decedent estates. Oftentimes we are the unsung heroes in the background working hard to care for conservatees and decedent estates where there is no one else to advocate or step up to do the right thing.”