Director Ross Pike is a certified mediator and longtime community volunteer. He began his service with the North County Fire Protection District when the Board of Directors unanimously appointed him to fill a vacancy representing North County Fire’s District 1, which encompasses downtown Fallbrook, in July 2022. Fallbrook previously elected Director Pike to the Fallbrook Community Planning Group in 2020, where he serves on various subcommittees, including Circulation (roads, traffic, and sidewalks), Public Facilities (cell towers, water, and energy), and the Ad-Hoc Cannabis Ordinance Committee (advising on the County of San Diego’s draft cannabis ordinance). In the November 2022 election, Director Pike was elected to serve District 1 for the remainder of the term, which extended through 2024, and was then overwhelmingly re-elected to a full term in 2024 with nearly 74% of the vote.

Director Pike worked in business management from 2008 to 2022, when he became involved in numerous political projects and initiatives. Ross began working for the National Conflict Resolution Center in 2023 as the Outreach and Engagement Manager in the Alternative Juvenile Justice Division, working in partnership with the Office of the San Diego District Attorney’s Juvenile Diversion Initiative to disrupt the school-to-prison pipeline. He continued this work until leaving to work for Assemblymember Dr. Darshana Patel, representing California’s 76th Assembly District. In the Assemblymember’s office, Director Pike works as the office’s liaison for local government and advises on policy areas including insurance, agriculture, emergency management, governmental operations, housing and community development, utilities and energy, and public safety. 

Director Pike is originally from western Michigan, where his family owned and operated a dairy farm for nearly 100 years. Following the tragic loss of his mother in 2017, he chose to relocate to Fallbrook to be closer to his sister, who had already moved there, and his niece and nephew. He enjoys Fallbrook’s small-town neighborly atmosphere, often sharing that the town he grew up in only had one stoplight and it was rare to lock your door, so he feels at home in the “Friendly Village.” In his free time, Director Pike enjoys iced coffee, cow jokes, traveling, spoiling his niece and nephew, and going to the movies.

Achievements

Director Pike is proud of his work as a Director for North County Fire, including the following:

• Leading North County Fire to establish the highest bilingual pay for first responders in Southern California at $100 per week for both firefighters and single-role paramedics/EMTs, ensuring the District is attracting top talent and leading the way in communicating with the community it serves.
• Leading North County Fire to become the first fire district in San Diego County to adopt a Climate Action Plan, positioning the district to secure grants for electrical emergency equipment, saving the District over $136,000 in 2024.
• Successfully advocated for a second ambulance at Station 1 as 49% of area 911 calls are from District 1, so this improves North County Fire’s Standards of Coverage to this busy area.

Education

Director Pike attended Grand Rapids Community College (Michigan) and Bellevue University (Nebraska). Director Pike holds certificates in Leading Diverse Teams from the University of California, Irvine, and in People & Business Leadership from Bellevue University, as well as a certification in mediation from the National Conflict Resolution Center.

North County Fire Leadership

• Board of Directors, North County Dispatch Joint Powers Authority (2024-present)
• Finance Committee, North County Fire Protection District (2024-present)
• Board President, North County Fire Protection District (2024)

Affiliations, Membership, and Community Leadership

• Elected Member, Fallbrook Community Planning Group
• Associate Director, Mission Resource Conservation District
• Member, Community Advisory Committee, San Diego Community Power
• Member, Fallbrook Fire Safe Council
• Member, Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce
• Member, Maie Ellis Elementary PTSA
• Advisor, Board of Directors, Fallbrook Village Association
• Member, North County Group, San Diego Sierra Club
• Member, Young Elected Officials Network
• Member, American Association of Political Consultants
• Out for America, highlighting LGBTQ+ elected officials, Victory Institute
• Member, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
• Member, American Management Association

Awards

• J. Douglas Scott Award for Political Action for outstanding political action in support of the LGBTQ+ community (2024)
• Volunteer of the Year Award for outstanding dedication and service to the community (2023)
• Awesome Award on behalf of Rady Children’s Hospital for his Children’s Miracle Network fundraising campaign (2021)
• Benham Service & Civic Engagement Award for civic activism and community organizing (2012)

Certifications and Training

• San Diego Water Academy, San Diego County Water Authority (2025)
• San Diego Regional Energy Academy (Cohort 2), San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative, University of San Diego (2025)
• Theory and Practice of Mediation, National Conflict Resolution Center (2024)
• Fire District Leadership, Certificate of Achievement, Fire Districts Association of California (2023)
• Special District Leadership Academy, California Special Districts Association (2023)

What is the board’s biggest challenge?

Director Pike believes the biggest challenge is ensuring our residents are protected from wildfire risk and the skyrocketing cost of insurance. That is why Director Pike has advanced policies to save the District money and update aging infrastructure to reduce response times, keeping Fallbrookians safe while delivering culturally competent healthcare to a diverse and thriving community.