An Arroyo Grande native, Jimmy Paulding knows every street, playing field, ice cream shop, house of worship and mom-and-pop business in his community. This comes from having grown up, studied, worked, married and settled in a place that shaped who he is.
Jimmy loves Arroyo Grande, and will defend its values and way of life. He’s a man with a vision designed to nurture and improve what’s best about his home.
Jimmy, 32, represents a new generation that is devoted to local civic mindedness, informed by being a lifelong resident of SLO County whose parents taught him right from wrong, kindness, compassion, generosity, faith in God and the practical application of hard work and common sense.
An attorney licensed to practice law in the state of California, Paulding attended Arroyo Grande primary schools, graduated from Arroyo Grande High School and holds a Bachelor’s degree in City and Regional Planning from Cal Poly.
The son of a local police officer and a high school teacher, Paulding today analyzes, negotiates, and resolves disputes for a large design and construction management firm.
Solving land use issues is in Jimmy’s blood. While at Cal Poly, he interned with the City of Arroyo Grande Community Development Department, where he processed permit applications, performed plan checks, drafted staff reports and delivered presentations to staff, the Architectural Review Committee, Historic Resources Committee, and Planning Commission. While at the City, Jimmy was acknowledged for his hard work in addressing – through public outreach and zoning policy research – the controversial issue of “mansionization” that was impacting the historic neighborhoods of the Arroyo Grande village.
Upon graduation, Jimmy worked for seven years for Vanir Construction Management, Inc. as a planner and project manager. Always contracting with government clients, such as the City of Santa Monica, SLO County, Del Norte County, Butte County, Kings County, and the State of California, Jimmy gained strong first-hand knowledge of local and state government operations. Helping local governments plan, budget, design, bid and build multi-million dollar public works projects such as wastewater treatment plants, road improvements, jail expansions, and airport redevelopments is Jimmy’s expertise. His private sector training has been an asset in his ability to find creative, cost-effective solutions for government projects.
When Jimmy sets his mind to something, he gets it done. While working, he attended night school at the Santa Barbara and Ventura Colleges of Law where he commuted three nights a week to Santa Barbara and back.
He earned a Juris Doctorate degree in 2016 and passed the California Bar exam in February 2017 on his first try. Jimmy, now a project manager, claims analyst, and attorney, currently works for Arcadis North America Inc., a global design and consultancy firm.
Make no mistake, Jimmy's endeavors fuel his passion for public service. He strongly believes that together we can continue to make our world a better place to thrive!
