Director Shiloh Ballard's - Biography

Shiloh Ballard was raised in Santa Clara Valley in West San Jose. She was elected by the voters in December 2024 to represent District 2 which generally includes Downtown San Jose, Willow Glen, Rose Garden, portions of West San Jose, and most of Santa Clara.

Shiloh spent 15 years working for the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a high-tech trade association that coordinates policy needs between Silicon Valley companies and public agencies. She then became the executive director for the Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, a nonprofit that works to build communities that foster biking, walking and public transit use as our main modes of transportation. In those roles, she was the center of many critical initiatives to improve public transit and build more affordable housing. She also served as co-chair of Santa Clara Valley Water District’s 2020 renewal of the Safe, Clean Water and Natural Flood Protection Program, which passed overwhelmingly by 75% of voters.

Shiloh has also been active on various commissions, boards and non-profit organizations including the Association of Bay Area Governments Regional Planning Committee, SV@Home, Santa Clara County League of Conservation Voters, San Jose Planning Commission, Sierra Club, Loma Prieta Chapter Board and the Silicon Valley Housing Trust Board. She also graduated from Valley Water’s Water 101 Ambassador Program.

Shiloh has been recognized for her community service and leadership receiving multiple awards including San Jose Parks Foundation Community Hero (2023), Climate Smart Champion, City of San Jose (2020), Women of the Year Trailblazer Award from State Senator Jim Beall (2019), Local Leadership Aware, California Housing Consortium (2015), Women of Influence, San Jose Business Journal (2012), Women in Leadership, YMCA (2011) and 40 under 40, San Jose Business Journal (2008).

Shiloh has a degree in environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz with an emphasis in environmental economics. She is an avid bicyclist and rides regularly up and down the Guadalupe River trail.

Director Ballard may also be contacted by e-mail at: [email protected].

Correspondence to the Santa Clara Valley Water District Board Members may be sent via e-mail to: [email protected].