San Mateo County officials have selected John Nibbelin, a 20-year employee of the county, to lead its legal team as current County Counsel John Beiers prepares to retire.
“San Mateo County has been on the leading edge of so many issues — financial privacy rights, health care for all, affordable housing,” Nibbelin said in a press release announcing the move. “I look forward to helping to make San Mateo County a better, fairer, safer and healthier place. That motivates me pretty much every day.”
Nibbelin was unanimously selected for the position by the Board of Supervisors out of a list of “outstanding” candidates, board President Don Horsley said who went on to note Nibbelin’s work in support of the county’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the advisory role he played for Chief Equity Officer Shireen Malekafzali as she pursued initiatives around diversity, equity and inclusion.
“It was a tough decision but, ultimately, we chose John for his extensive work with the board on multiple complex legal challenges,” Horsley said.
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Before working with the county, Nibbelin served 28 years as a commissioned Army officer when he also served as a military police and a judge advocate general officer, according to the press release. Nibbelin’s journey into the armed forces started in high school when he enlisted in the Army Reserves and attended basic training, continuing a tradition of military service within his family.
After graduating with a degree in Latin American studies from University of California, Berkeley, where he worked as a community service officer with the campus police department and participated in the Army Reserves Officers’ Training Corps, Nibbelin served in active duty. During his service as a military police platoon leader, Nibbelin became interested in the legal field and returned to U.C. Berkeley for his law degree.
In his new position, Nibbelin will lead a department of 49 employees tasked with providing legal counsel to 20 county departments and 24 school districts, while also overseeing a budget of about $23 million. When not at work, the Pacifica residents and father of three spends time volunteering, serving on the city’s Planning Commission and running.
Nibbelin will be taking over the role April 1 from Beiers, as he prepares to retire after 27 years with the county. Ahead of his departure, Beiers said he feels lucky to have worked with the county and helped build up a legal team that has earned statewide recognition for its work.
Like Horsley, Beiers also offered praise of Nibbelin, calling him a “rare legal talent” and “a top-notch person with natural leadership skills.”
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