Kern County Administrative Office

County Administrative Center

1115 Truxtun Avenue, Fifth Floor Bakersfield, CA 93301-4639

Telephone 661-868-3198 FAX 661-868-3190 TTY Relay 800-735-2929

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Allan Krauter

June 23, 2009 661-868-3155

JOHN NILON APPOINTED

COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

Kern County Supervisors today appointed Public Health Director John Nilon as County

Administrative Officer. Nilon will assume his new post on June 29.

Nilon has 24 years of County administrative experience and has headed three County

departments. Before he was appointed as Director of Public Health in December 2007, Nilon served

as Director of Child Support Services starting in 2003 and as Executive Director of Employers

Training Resource from 1998 to 2003. From 1992 to 1998, Nilon was Assistant Director of Human

Services. He held several positions in the County Administrative Office from 1985 to 1992.

Nilon has led County efforts to combat West Nile Virus and H1N1 Flu, and he helped to

implement Healthy Families, a State and federally funded low-cost health care program for children.

Child support collections increased 37% under Nilons directorship, and County workforce training

programs received national recognition when Nilon headed Employers Training Resource.

Throughout his career, John Nilon has shown that he can manage, innovate, and improve

services, Chairman Jon McQuiston said in announcing Nilons appointment. As we navigate the

challenges ahead, Mr. Nilons leadership will be a valuable asset to the County.

Nilon earned a Bachelors degree in Political Science and a Masters degree in Business

Administration from California State University, Bakersfield, whose School of Business and Public

Administration named him its Outstanding Alumni of 1990. Nilons community involvement earned

the Man of the Year Award from the Volunteer Association of Kern County in 1989, and he received a

Regional Merit Award for Distinguished Leadership in Public Service from the Kern Council of

Governments in 2002. A 32-year resident of Kern County, Nilon is married with three children.

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RONALD M. ERREA

County Administrative Officer