Tri-Counties Regional Center names Dr. Jesse Weller as executive director

Tri-Counties Regional Center has appointed Dr. Jesse Weller as its next executive director, replacing retiring leader Dr. Omar Noorzad after a 25-year run. The transition follows a nationwide search and comes as the nonprofit prepares for continued growth across Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties.

Why it matters: - Tri-Counties Regional Center serves more than 22,000 people with developmental disabilities and their families across three Central Coast counties. - The leadership change comes as the organization navigates continued growth, evolving regulations and a multioffice regional service system. - Dr. Noorzad’s retirement ends a 25-year tenure that shaped the agency through periods of growth, recession, wildfires, floods and COVID.

What happened: - The Tri-Counties Association for Developmental Disabilities Board of Directors named Dr. Jesse Weller as the new executive director of Tri-Counties Regional Center. - Dr. Weller will succeed Dr. Omar Noorzad, who is retiring. - Dr. Weller will officially assume the role before Dr. Noorzad’s final day to support a smooth transition. - The appointment was announced Oct. 14, 2026.

The details: - Dr. Weller most recently led San Gabriel/Pomona Regional Center as executive director for four years. - Before that, he spent many years at North Los Angeles County Regional Center and left as associate executive director. - Dr. Weller serves on multiple Association of Regional Center Agencies committees and state working groups. - The board launched a nationwide search in February 2026. - Community feedback from people served, families, providers and staff helped shape the job description and interview process. - Board President Mark Wolfe thanked Dr. Noorzad for his service and said Dr. Weller’s regional center background makes him well suited to lead the organization. - Dr. Weller said he plans to spend his first months meeting employees, service providers and people supported across TCRC’s eight offices and communities in Ventura, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. - The board thanked community stakeholders, regional center executives, ARCA and consulting firm Kinetic Flow for guidance during the search. - TCRC said members of the community are invited to upcoming public Board and Committee meetings, available in person and via Zoom. - Heather Wennergren is listed as the media contact for Tri-Counties Regional Center at +1 805-453-5543.

Between the lines: - The board’s use of a nationwide search and broad community input suggests the organization wanted a transition that balanced continuity with outside experience. - Dr. Weller’s statewide committee work signals he arrives with relationships and familiarity across California’s regional center system, not just local management experience. - The emphasis on public meetings suggests TCRC wants to keep stakeholders engaged during the leadership handoff.

What's next: - Dr. Weller will begin meeting staff, providers and people served across the region in his first months on the job. - TCRC’s board and committee meetings will give the community a chance to follow the transition and raise questions. - The organization is expected to continue under a new leader while maintaining services across its three-county footprint.

The bottom line: - TCRC is handing the reins to a veteran regional center leader at a moment when the nonprofit is balancing growth, staffing, regulation and community trust.