John joined the County Attorney’s Office as a Deputy County Attorney in 2001, and he became a Chief Deputy in 2011.  In March 2022, John was appointed by the Board of Supervisors as County Attorney.  In addition to representing and advising the Board of Supervisors, John also represents the County Executive Officer, County department heads and board members and officers of other local public agencies.

In the community, John served for over eight years as a Planning Commissioner for the City of Pacifica, twice serving as the Commission Chair.  He is also active in his church, the First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame, where he has served as an usher, deacon and as a member of the church’s personnel committee and governing session. 

John was also an Army officer, both on active duty and in the Reserves and California National Guard.  He served in a variety of assignments, including as military police platoon leader, military intelligence team leader, and judge advocate officer, with service in the United States and overseas, including in Korea and Iraq. 

John is a member of the Rotary Club of Pacifica and is active in Kairos Prison Ministries, serving on the San Quentin Advisory Council.

John’s past experience in the County Attorney’s Office includes helping to manage the legal support for the County’s response to the COVID -19 pandemic, overseeing litigation of civil cases in state and federal court, advising on the County’s efforts to expand access to affordable housing and to develop key capital projects, and representation of the following County departments and outside local government agencies:

• County Executive’s Office
• Chief of the County Health System
• San Mateo County Medical Center and Clinics
• Real Property Services
• Procurement Department 
• Boards and Commissions
• Sequoia Union High School District
• San Mateo Union High School District
• Woodside School District
• Multiple school districts in special education matters

Education

• Undergraduate: UC Berkeley, B.A. Latin American Studies (with High Honors)
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Order of the Golden Bear
• Law School: UC Berkeley School of Law
  • Order of the Coif
• Other Education:
  • United States Army Military Police Officer Basic Course
  • United States Army Judge Advocate General School Advanced Course
  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Prior Experience

Before coming to the County Attorney’s Office, John was employed as an associate with Sullivan & Cromwell in Washington, D.C., and he served one year as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Maxine M. Chesney, of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.  He was also an associate with Heller, Ehrman, White & McAuliffe and an Assistant District Counsel with the Immigration and Naturalization Service, both in San Francisco.