Supervisor Bob Nelson is RCRC’s Second Vice Chair and represents District Fourth on the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors.

Bob and his wife, Jamie, have been married for over 25 years and live in Orcutt, where they raised their three children—Andrew, Avery, and Zeke—who are now in college. A lifelong resident of Orcutt and a graduate of Righetti High School, Bob is deeply committed to serving the community he proudly calls home.

After earning a degree in Business Administration from Vanguard University and a teaching credential from Chapman University, Bob began his career as an educator, teaching business education at Pioneer Valley and Righetti High Schools. He also coached swimming and water polo, earning the Teacher of the Year distinction from the Santa Maria Sun in 2003.

Following his time in education, Bob transitioned into the private sector, where he gained valuable experience as a small business owner. He and Jamie launched and managed successful businesses, navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship while raising their family.

In 2013, Bob entered public service as Chief of Staff for Fourth District Supervisor Peter Adam. During this time, he and Supervisor Adam championed fiscal responsibility and the prioritization of deferred maintenance. Bob also contributed to developing two citizen-driven ballot initiatives: increasing funding for deferred maintenance and establishing citizen-led redistricting.

Since being elected Supervisor in 2020, Bob has focused on public safety, protecting agriculture, significant capital investments, and tackling big community problems.  His efforts have led to the creation of one of the region’s most successful homeless temporary housing projects, the clean-up of the Santa Maria Riverbed, the opening of the new Northern Branch Jail, as well as funding of an EMS Dispatch Center, Public Safety Radio System and a Sheriff’s Office Community Resource Deputy for Orcutt and Los Alamos.

Bob’s leadership roles include serving on the Workforce Development Board, the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO), and the Santa Barbara County Association of Governments (SBCAG). He is also Vice Chair of the California Vanpool Authority (CalVans), a California transit agency and one of the nation’s biggest vanpool providers, serving predominantly agricultural workers and rural California communities.

In 2024, Bob was honored with the Community Angel Award by Angel’s Foster Care for his commitment to supporting resource families in Santa Barbara County.