Kelley Abbas
Legislative Assistant

Kelley is a long-time resident of the Central Coast, raised in Paso Robles. She started her career working for the City of Paso Robles as an Emergency Dispatcher straight out of High School. She served the City of Paso Robles for 15 years as both a Police Officer and Dispatcher before moving to San Luis Obispo and working for the City of Pismo Beach as an Emergency Dispatcher.

While working, Kelley attended both Allan Hancock College and Cuesta College before transferring to Columbia College. As a student, she explored a variety of areas of study before going on to earn a Bachelor's degree in History and an Associate’s degree in Administration of Justice.

In 2021, Kelley changed careers and went to work as a Field Representative for Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham. As a Field Representative, she assisted constituents with state issues and served as the Assemblyman’s representative at community events and meetings. 

She is excited to be working at the Board of Supervisors for Supervisor Dawn Ortiz-Legg and looks forward to engaging with the community members of District 3. 

When Kelley is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking one of the many San Luis Obispo trails and reading.

  Kristina Simpson-Spearman
  Planning Commissioner

Kristina Spearman began her distinguished federal public service career in 1992, earning recognition as a decorated U.S. Army veteran. Over the following two decades, she served in the Clinton, Bush, and Obama administrations, where she was selected to lead programs and incidents at the field, regional, headquarters, and departmental levels. During this time, she worked for the U.S. Senate, U.S. Army, US Fire Administrator, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the Department of Homeland Security. 

With extensive experience in incident response, Kristina has held senior leadership positions on over 40 federally declared disasters, emergencies, and National Security Special Events. 

Kristina holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and Military Science from the University of South Dakota and a Masters in Public Administration from American University. Additionally, she was selected by the Department of Homeland Security for and completed the Key Senior Executive Service program and the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Leaders in Government program. 

In addition to volunteering in her community on land use planning and fire mitigation efforts, Kristina's primary focus is on her family as a wife, mother, and caretaker of her mom. 

Bruce Hilton
Parks and Recreation Commissioner

Bruce Hilton grew up east of Arroyo Grande on a ranch and attended local schools through high school. He moved away temporarily to attend school in Switzerland and then obtained an undergraduate degree in Engineering Sciences at Harvard University. Bruce moved back home and began a career in engineering while earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from Cal Poly. Feeling fortunate to be a part of this community, Bruce gives back through volunteer work which has always been important to him. He first became a volunteer with the County when he was asked to be a member of the County Trails Advisory Committee in 2003.  Adopting green building strategies, Bruce and his wife Mitra handled the design and construction of their Arroyo Grande home, and their family has resided there since 2007.

Bruce is active in youth sports by coaching soccer and basketball teams and savors the times when he steps back to watch his daughter’s dance performances or is a spectator at his son’s baseball games. Bruce enjoys being outdoors, mountain biking, hiking, and horseback riding, as well as backpacking in local wilderness areas and in the Sierras. Most recent camping trips have been as an assistant scoutmaster for his son’s Boy Scout troop. Having worked at Lopez Lake as a summer job while in college, it is now rewarding for Bruce to be able to help guide a vision for the development of all County Parks as well as advice on budget considerations and be involved in community relations as a member of the County Parks Commission.

Erica Flores Baltodano
Civil Service Commissioner

Erica Flores Baltodano has 20 years of experience as an attorney, policy advocate, professor, and writer in the areas of employment law, environmental justice, civil rights, and non-profit/small business management. After a decade of legal and policy advocacy on behalf of underserved communities in Los Angeles, Ms. Baltodano co-founded and became Managing Partner of a San Luis Obispo-based employment law firm in 2010. In 2017 her firm was recognized locally for its commitment to access to justice, community service, and education.

Today, Ms. Baltodano advises employees and small businesses in the private sector as President of The Baltodano Firm and is a faculty member at San Luis Obispo College of Law where she teaches Constitutional Law and is developing a new course on Voting Rights. In addition, Ms. Baltodano is President of the Board of Directors of San Luis Obispo Legal Assistance Foundation, which provides free legal services to SLO County seniors, veterans, and others in need, and she is a founding board member of the San Luis Coastal Education Foundation. The recipient of prestigious recognitions from the San Luis Obispo County Bar Association, the Women Lawyers Association of San Luis Obispo, and the SLO County Commission on the Status of Women, Ms. Baltodano is comfortable negotiating the complexities of human conflict and relations, in large part because of her diverse personal background, exceptional communication skills, and range of professional experience.

A graduate of UCLA with a degree in Sociology and Public Policy, Ms. Baltodano earned her law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law. She lives in San Luis Obispo with her husband and two children where she enjoys leading civics fieldtrips for schoolchildren, reading non-fiction, hiking in the mountains, and cooking for loved ones.

Tom Ikeda
Agricultural Liaison Advisory Board

Tom Ikeda is a third-generation farmer in the Arroyo Grande Valley.  He is a partner in the Ikeda Bros. farming operation where he serves as Corporate Secretary and Farm Manager. Tom is a graduate of Arroyo Grande High School and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Science and Management from the University of California at Davis.  He is also a graduate of Leadership SLO and the California Agricultural Leadership Program. Tom is a past president of San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau where he continues to serve as one of its directors and chairs their Legislative Committee. He is the past-chairman of the Grower-Shipper Association of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. In 2010, Tom was selected by the San Luis County Farm Bureau as Agriculturalist of the Year. Tom is married to Maureen and they have two children, Brendan and Catherine.