Board of Supervisors appoints interim SLO County administrator

April 26, 2023

By JOSH FRIEDMAN

The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors appointed retired Kern County Administrative Officer and Cambria resident, John Nilon, to serve as interim CAO for at least three months. 

Nilon will temporarily fill the vacancy left by County Administrative Officer Wade Horton, who recently announced his resignation. Horton agreed to remain with SLO County for the remainder of April. Nilon will take over as interim CAO on May 1.

The retired executive worked for Kern County for 32 years. He served as CAO for the final eight years of his tenure with Kern County.

Nilon previously served as interim chief executive officer of the Kern Medical Center, public services director, director of child support services and executive director of employers’ training resources. Since retiring in Feb. 2017, Nilon has served on several boards and commissions, including the North Coast Advisory Council Board of Directors, the Cambria Community Healthcare District and the California State University Bakersfield Foundation.

“The transition between leadership can be traumatic for any organization,” Nilon said in a statement. “To lessen the trauma, an independent, experienced interim can have great value. I am honored to serve the San Luis Obispo County community in this capacity and am pleased to offer my experience to the County team to set the stage for the new, permanent CAO.”