Civil Service Commission Clerk
Human Resources Department
1055 Monterey Street, Suite D-250
San Luis Obispo, CA 93408

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Phone: (805) 781-5959
Fax:  (805) 781-1044
Email: [email protected] 

 I am an attorney whose practice has emphasized representation of private and public employees in employment counseling and litigation. I have represented hundreds of clients in discrimination, harassment, whistle-blower claims and other wrongful termination litigation. As such, I met my clients at low points in their lives, when careers had been lost and the future was challenging. In achieving favorable resolutions for clients by way of verdicts and settlements, I was able to assist them in moving forward with their lives. I have also periodically represented private and public employers (but to a much lesser degree).

I grew up in the Los Angeles area and practiced law in Pasadena for many years, but my wife and I have always loved the central coast. We began vacationing in Cambria in the early nineties and decided to relocate to the central coast in 2002. After moving to SLO County, my practice continued to focus on representation of employees in employment litigation. I represented many public employees before various commissions, boards, and hearing officers, including the SLO Civil Service Commission. While I did not win every case before the Commission, I won my share and always felt that the Commissioners listened carefully to the evidence and tried to provide a fair playing field for both sides.

Since 2016, I have been working as a mediator, arbitrator, and workplace investigator. I have also served as a court appointed special master and discovery referee and I periodically serve as a Temporary Judge for the SLO County Superior Court.

When I am not working or serving as a Civil Service Commissioner, I love reading, walking/hiking, and writing mystery thriller books.  Four of the books that I have written are from the perspective of an employment litigator.

I am motivated to serve as a Civil Service Commissioner because of my extensive background as an employment attorney and because the Commission performs functions critical to public employees and the County. As an arbitrator and as a Civil Service Commissioner, my priority is to assure a fair hearing, in which both parties know that they have had the opportunity to be heard and know that all of the evidence will be fairly considered. I find it rewarding to be a member of the Civil Service Commission and I feel privileged to serve in this role.

I was born in Burbank, California, and raised in the San Fernando Valley. The oldest of three daughters, my childhood was marked by a love for school, 10+ years of Girl Scouting, and memorable family road trips with my Mexican-American father from Arizona and immigrant Jewish mother from England to places like Solvang and the Apple Farm in a blue minivan with the license place “2CDWLD.”

At UCLA, I studied sociology and public policy and then earned my law degree at UC Berkeley, where I also happened to meet my future business-partner/husband. I spent the first decade of my career doing cutting-edge legal and policy work at a non-profit civil rights firm in Los Angeles, quickly advancing from intern, fellow, and staff attorney to Assistant Director and Counsel. My work focused on the fair distribution of public resources, like parks, beaches, rivers, and forests, and led to the creation of numerous urban parks, including Rio de los Angeles State Park and Los Angeles State Historic Park, and helped pave the way for statewide legislation in support of environmental and tribal justice.

In 2011, after our two children were born, we relocated to San Luis Obispo and immediately planted roots in our new community, which placed us midway between my family in Southern California and my husband’s family in Northern California. My husband and I merged our talents and opened a successful plaintiff-side employment law firm, helping diverse clients resolve employment disputes stemming from discrimination, sexual harassment, wrongful termination, and illegal wage practices. Nearly 8 years later, my husband became a Superior Court Judge (he is now an Appellate Court Justice), and I shifted my focus to public service and education.

In 2019 I joined the faculty at San Luis Obispo College of Law (SLOCL), teaching Constitutional Law and developing a new course on Voting Rights. SLOCL is a California-accredited law school serving students who work full-time or are raising families during the day while obtaining their law degree in the evening. Teaching afforded me an opportunity to delve deeply into constitutional principles, including due process protections for public employees. I recently transitioned to the role of Campus Dean at SLOCL, serving as the liaison between the law school and our local bar (attorneys), bench (judges), and institutions of higher education (Cal Poly, Cuesta Community College, etc.).

I am a founding board member of the San Luis Coastal Education Foundation, which supports equitable educational opportunities and innovation in SLO County K-12 classrooms, and I’ve served on an advisory board to the San Luis Coastal Unified School District Superintendent since 2017. I make time to mentor students and frequently serve as a guest speaker in law school, college, and K-12 classrooms. For years I have facilitated civic-education field trips for local elementary school students to help them learn first-hand how our city and county governments and state Superior Court operate. I have also dedicated countless hours as a board member and board president, overseeing significant expansion of San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation, which provides free legal services to SLO County residents.

All of this means that I bring to my role as a SLO County Civil Service Commissioner a unique combination of professional training and personal experience. Through my combined work leading non-profit organizations in Los Angeles and San Luis Obispo and serving as Managing Partner of my own law firm in San Luis Obispo I have gained valuable experience hiring, training, coaching, evaluating, and supervising employees. These skills, on top of my work representing employees suffering the consequences of poor management and employer misconduct, inform and guide my work as a Civil Service Commissioner today. I understand the power dynamics inherent in employer/employee relations and the due process rights of public employees, as well as the need for clear policies, practices, and communication in the workplace.

My upbringing in a bicultural and religiously blended home also makes me a natural-born bridge builder who approaches challenges with a quest for understanding and collaboration. I am both intellectually curious and mindful of the societal, systemic, and individual socioemotional dynamics that influence any work environment. I am skilled and comfortable negotiating the complexities of human conflict and relations, but also deeply committed to excellence, maintaining high expectations for myself and others. This means I put in the work, come prepared, ask difficult questions, and expect accountability.

The work of a Civil Service Commission is both quasi-legislative and quasi-judicial in nature. Once appointed, five Civil Service Commissioners work independently from our appointing Supervisors to collectively prescribe, interpret, and enforce the rules of employment that govern county employees. I am drawn to the work of the Commission because healthy workforce management and a healthy workforce that feels valued and respected are key components to a thriving community.

I personally rely on my communication skills and emotional intelligence when I consider the issues before the Commission, be it a county proposal to amend a job specification or an employee’s grievance or appeal. I seek understanding of the relevant facts, rules, and policies, draw on my professional understanding of best practices for employer-employee relations, and maintain focus on the due process protections to which public employees are constitutionally entitled. If there is a disagreement between Commissioners, I make every effort to listen, understand, and find common ground, but I feel strongly that my role as a Commissioner is not to rubber stamp a county recommendation or decision or follow in line behind my fellow Commissioners. I am not afraid to speak up and dissent, when necessary, in the name of fairness.

It is an honor to serve as the District 3 Civil Service Commissioner, alongside my work as President of the Baltodano Firm, Campus Dean at San Luis Obispo College of Law, and my most important job as Mom-in-Chief, but I have other interests as well. I am an avid reader (especially non-fiction) and I enjoy traveling and hiking with my husband and our two high school-aged children. I still get excited about family road trips “2CDWLD” and while I love spending time in big cities, I relish coming home to rural San Luis Obispo. Cooking and baking are (conveniently for my family) therapeutic for me, exercise is a drag, and while our local coastline is gorgeous, the mountains make me happiest.

John E.D. (Jed) Nicholson received his B.S.F.S. degree in International Politics (with a certificate in Asian Studies) from Georgetown University in 1990. He received his J.D. degree (cum laude) from University of
San Diego in 1997. From 1990 until 1994 he was a Surface Warfare Officer in the United States Navy stationed in San Diego.

In 1997, Mr. Nicholson was admitted to practice in California and
joined the Los Angeles office of Ropers, Majeski, Kohn & Bentley, where he specialized in civil litigation. He moved to San Luis Obispo in 1999, where he was an associate at Sinsheimer, Schiebelhut & Baggett. In 2001 Mr. Nicholson left that firm to help found Adamski Moroski Madden Cumberland & Green LLP as an associate. In 2004 Mr. Nicholson became a partner in that firm.

In 2013, Mr. Nicholson started his own law office in Paso Robles.  Mr. Nicholson handles both trial and appellate litigation in federal and state courts. He represents clients in a wide range of disputes including all aspects of family law as well as civil litigation matters including breach of contract, insurance, business, real property, and construction.

Mr. Nicholson is a member of the State Bar of California and the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association.  He served on the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association's Board of Directors from 2013 until 2015.  He is admitted to practice before all the state and federal courts in California.

Mr. Nicholson has served on the San Luis Obispo County Civil Service Commission since January 2017 when he was appointed to the position by Supervisor John Peschong.  He is serving as President of the Commission for calendar year 2023.  

Mr. Nicholson has served on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Luis Obispo County since 1999 and is a past Chairman of the agency.  He was a board member of the North County Boys and Girls Club from 2007 to 2019.  He has served as the President and Vice President of Legacy United Soccer Club.  He was a founder and serves as Secretary of the Shelby Sudbrink Memorial Scholarship Foundation.  He has been a member of the American Legion for over 25 years.  For more than 30 seasons he coached youth soccer, basketball and baseball in Templeton and is currently the assistant coach for the Templeton High School girls junior varsity basketball team.

As professionals, we wear a lot of hats – parent, caregiver, volunteer. 
It can be challenging to take on more responsibility, but when I was approached to join the County of San Luis Obispo Civil Service Commission, I jumped at the opportunity because the work strongly resonates with my personal values. And, it has become one of my great pleasures to serve our County in this capacity for a few specific reasons.

First, through my career in the nonprofit sector, I have gained a deep appreciation for San Luis Obispo County employees and how their work directly benefits the safety and well-being our community enjoys. Much of the good work nonprofit organizations aspire to achieve would not be possible without the close partnership of the County and its employees. It’s important to me to help ensure that those same employees have the educational opportunities, supervisorial support, and fair compensation they need to be successful in their professional roles.

Second, writing and reviewing policies and protocols is something I’ve always enjoyed. I am firm believer in the importance of having clear, comprehensive, and thoughtful guidelines to govern organizational operations. Well-designed and consistently implemented policies lead to objectivity in resolving conflicts, healthier work cultures, widespread equitability, and greater financial efficiency. Everyone deserves the benefit of working for an organization with good policies.

Third, I welcome new challenges and opportunities to learn. Working alongside my fellow Civil Service Commissioners, each of whom offers unique personal perspectives and professional knowledge from a variety of industries, inspires me to reconsider many of my previous assumptions. I enjoy working together as a team to help the County find new solutions for developing and sustaining a diverse, high-performing workforce.

And, lastly, for a purely sentimental reason, serving as a Commissioner allows me to continue a legacy of public service in my family that started with my grandfather, a heavy equipment operator for the San Luis Obispo City Street Department (as it was known) for more than 30 years. No matter how many times I asked, he never grew tired of telling me about the day he used a tractor to rescue a woman and child from the big flood (he couldn’t swim!) of January 1973 (for which he received a citation from City Council). The pride he had in his public service career was palpable and inspired my father, a civil engineer and land developer, to build his own career through meaningful, mutual relationships with elected representatives and city, county and state employees throughout California. Now, in a small way, the County Civil Service Commission offers me an opportunity to follow in their footsteps. I am grateful to Supervisor Bruce Gibson for allowing me to serve in this capacity.

It is a great honor to be of service to County employees and the residents who benefit from their work. I hope I prove to serve them well.

I grew up west of Paso Robles and my wife and I currently live in that area. My grandparents from both sides immigrated west of Paso Robles in the 1890’s and were cattle ranchers and farmers. 

I am and have been a Realtor in Paso Robles for over 40 years. I managed a real estate office for 18 years and was a co-owner for several years. Previous to that I joined the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 12 as an apprentice and obtained my journeyman status working as a heavy equipment operator. I worked on many area highways and construction projects. I was a member of the Teamsters Union Local 381 during the 1970’s. I also do all of the maintenance and upkeep on our ranch.

As a Realtor, I have had opportunity to work alongside many colleagues as well as supervise many agents. The real estate field is one where disputes between agents can take place periodically. I have always strived to bring fairness and resolve to settle issues. Early in my career, I served as our real estate association’s Professional Standards Committee chairman for over 10 years.

I am a firm believer in giving back to one’s community. I served as an elected director of the Templeton Community Services District for 27 years. I am a member of the SLO County Sheriff’s Aero Squadron where I have served for over 35 years. I take my role as a commissioner very seriously. There is a true balance to be found between employer and employee relationships and disputes. I try to bring a common sense approach to the legislative portion of our meetings as well as a trier of facts during hearings.

A highlight in life for me is traveling. My wife and I have taken many trips to Europe and have taken many cruises. We also enjoy long distance car and RV trips. I have a larger family orchard and enjoy taking care of it and giving out the produced fruit to family and friends. I also spend a lot of time hanging out with my good friend Max, a Jack Russell Terrier.