SLO County Supervisor Adam Hill dead at 54. ‘This county has lost a champion.’
San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill, 54, has died, county officials confirmed Thursday evening.
“It is with sadness that we have been informed that Supervisor Adam Hill has passed away,” the county wrote in a statement. “This is shocking and tremendously painful news. While we are unaware of the details at this time, we ask everyone to let the proper authorities do their jobs and investigate. Please respect his family’s privacy at this time.”
The circumstances of Hill’s death are unclear.
Hill, who won re-election to his Third District seat in March, has been open about his experiences with depression.
He stepped back from his duties to seek treatment in 2018.
In late March, he confirmed he attempted suicide on March 11, the same day the FBI conducted a search of Hill’s office at the County Government Center.
In July, he announced he was seeking “specialized care” for his mental health at a residential health program.
“While I have been working closely with county staff on the many challenging issues our community faces, I have not been able to recover and heal as sufficiently as needed, and chose to seek specialized care at this time,” Hill said in a statement at the time.
“Many people are suffering right now, and the way forward for all of us, ultimately, is to overcome polarizing and alienating tendencies that fuel suspicion, antagonism and violence,” Hill said. “Our common humanity is injured badly by this, but renewed every time we show compassion and a willingness to understand and respect others.”
Hill’s career in public service: ‘A fine supervisor.’
Hill, a Democrat, was first elected to the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors in 2008. Prior to joining the board, he taught literature and writing at Cal Poly.
During his tenure in office, Hill was known as an advocate for mental health and homelessness issues. More recently, he was an active participant in the ongoing talks around the shuttering of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, and the economic impact the closure would have on the region.
District 2 Supervisor Bruce Gibson on Thursday evening said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of his fellow board member.
“He was a fine supervisor,” Gibson said. “He cared so much about people who had so little in this world, and he tried to make government for everyone.”
Gibson described Hill as “courageous” in both his commitment to the public and in his willingness to openly talk about his struggle with mental health.
“He wanted to do the right thing for people,” Gibson said. “For everyone.”
Tom Fulks, a Democratic strategist and Tribune columnist, met Hill during the supervisor’s first campaign for office, and both worked with and became friends with him over the years.
“I can tell you, we’ve lost a good man,” Fulks said late Thursday. “He was kind, he was literate, funny, generous. And he was tortured.”
Fulks said Hill’s obvious legacy in San Luis Obispo County will be his work on behalf of not only the poor, but the very poor, and those struggling with barriers such as mental illness.
One of his earliest endeavors was his work with the SLO County Food Bank, a nonprofit he worked tirelessly for until he began facing his own mental health hardships this winter.
“He literally fed the poor. He always cared for the least among us, not just the lower among us, and that cohort in this county has lost a champion,” Fulks said. “Goodness and kindness has lost a champion.”
“That’s where his heart truly was,” Arroyo Grande Mayor Caren Ray Russom said.
Ray Russom said she first met Hill at the Economic Vitality Corp. and they soon found common ground as “business-friendly Democrats.”
“He called us pink unicorns,” Ray-Russom said. “In that way we became political friends.”
Ray-Russom came to be his colleague on the Board of Supervisors when she was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to succeed former supervisor Paul Teixeira, who died of a heart attack while in office in 2013.
She said that for whatever controversies he attracted, no one could question Hill’s devotion to using his office to benefit the low-income community.
“I don’t think anyone would argue the effect he had and passion. I think anybody who is trying to affect systemic change needs someone who is passionate,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot of passion in the news right now, and that’s an important thing. But passion is a fiery emotion, and it takes a lot out of you.”
SLO County leaders react to Hill’s death
In their remembrances, political leaders on both sides of the aisle noted Hill’s commitment to the public.
Rep. Salud Carbajal, a Democrat, on Thursday described Hill as a “fervent advocate for the most vulnerable among us and a champion of the environment.”
“He was always a kind and collaborative partner who was committed to meeting the needs of his constituents,” Carbajal said in a statement. “My heart goes out to his family and loved ones. Rest in peace, Adam.”
Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham, a Republican, noted Hill’s work to protect the Diablo Canyon workforce and improve the lives of Central Coast residents.
“He leaves a legacy of passion and commitment to public service,” Cunningham said in a statement. “My condolences to his family and friends during these difficult times.”
District 1 Supervisor John Peschong told The Tribune he was shocked by Hill’s death and called the situation “very, very sad” and “a tragedy.”
Peschong said he and Hill argued over policy but always managed to get along as people.
“We were not political allies,” he said. “We were political opponents, but I certainly respected him for his opinions.”
Peschong said he will be praying for Hill’s family and friends.
District 4 Supervisor Lynn Compton also said Thursday evening that she was shocked by the news and was praying for his family.
This story was originally published August 6, 2020 at 6:35 PM.
%20Cropped.jpg)