Top San Diego County finance official Ebony Shelton will likely become the county’s next chief administrative officer, Chair Nora Vargas announced Wednesday, ending a hiring process that spanned more than a year and had recently drawn unusual political pressure over whom to pick for the job.
Shelton would become the first Black woman to serve as the county’s top executive, succeeding the first woman ever named to the job. The Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on the appointment and approve Shelton’s employment agreement, which includes a start date of June 14.
“I’m so proud that our board unanimously agreed upon the hiring process that allowed us to find such a highly regarded and eminently qualified candidate from our own community to be the next CAO of San Diego County,” Vargas said.
She said the board unanimously decided last week to extend a job offer to Shelton, who has worked for the county for nearly 30 years, after wrapping up interviews with finalists for the role.
County spokesperson Michael Workman declined to comment until after the board takes action Tuesday, and Shelton could not immediately be reached for comment. It’s not yet clear what her salary will be.
Finalists were also interviewed by a panel of 10 community members — two from each supervisorial district — who provided feedback to the board on the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate.
The CAO reports to the Board of Supervisors, overseeing the county’s budget of more than $8 billion and workforce of about 20,000, executing policy, managing labor agreements and negotiations and directing operation of county departments spanning health, land use, finance and more.
They also supervise all the county’s non-elected department heads and work closely with elected officials, including the sheriff and district attorney, as well as other local governments.
“Ebony N. Shelton brings with her decades of experience in financial and administrative leadership, along with a deep understanding of our community and working families,” Vargas said. “I know she is the right person to oversee county operations and execute the board’s vision, and I look forward to working with her in this new leadership role.”
As deputy chief administrative officer and chief financial officer, Shelton oversees the county’s fiscal and financial operations, manages the budget and helps the CAO provide administrative leadership and supervision of county business.
Previously, Shelton served as the county’s financial policy and planning director and group finance director. She lives in San Diego with her husband Cecil and their three daughters.
She holds an undergraduate degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix and an executive master’s degree in public administration with an emphasis in public sector leadership from California State University at Northridge.
Vargas said that Shelton, as a native San Diegan and proud Afro-Latina of Black and Salvadoran ancestry, understands the impacts of history on the county’s Black and Latino communities, and that that understanding is at the foundation of her commitment to the county’s health, prosperity and overall well-being.
And she said Shelton’s leadership style has earned her respect and admiration among colleagues and beyond.
Shelton’s apparent hire caps a more than year-long search for someone to succeed Helen Robbins-Meyer, who recently retired after more than a decade in the top position.
The hiring process began early last year but was complicated by Supervisor Nathan Fletcher’s resignation in the face of sexual misconduct allegations.
At the time, supervisors had recently made Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez a conditional job offer. They withdrew it after deciding to start the search over once Fletcher’s successor was in place.
Chavez later reapplied but was removed from consideration, prompting a torrent of public criticism from local labor unions representing county workers.
For weeks now, local labor unions have been calling for more public input, including at a rally earlier this month. A lawyer for Chavez told the county she was considering suing and complained of “numerous irregularities.”
The board continued to conduct its interviews with candidates in private, as it typically does, and discussed the recruitment only in closed session.
SEIU 221 President Crystal Irving — who had pushed for Chavez — criticized what she called an “ultra-conservative county culture” and “opaque selection process” but said she was optimistic. “We stand ready to collaborate with Ms. Shelton to build a new culture in the organization and ensure that workers have a strong voice,” she said.
