Kimiko Burton, Vice President

Kimiko Burton of San Francisco was appointed to the Board in 2012, and was reappointed in 2019. Burton was elected to serve as Board Vice President for 2026. Burton had previously served as the Board’s President for 2017. After over 34 years with the City and County of San Francisco, the last 22 of which she spent as the manager of the San Francisco City Attorney’s Dependency and Mental Health Team, Burton retired in June 2025. She previously served as chief of the San Francisco City Attorney Office’s Dependency and Mental Health Team, which represents the interests of abused and neglected children in child dependency hearings and handles mental health proceedings pursuant to the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, the CARE Act and Laura’s Law. Burton dedicated her career to the practice of law for the public good. Prior to joining the City Attorney's Office, Burton was San Francisco's first female public defender, leading the office through a period of unprecedented change, expanding leadership opportunities for women and minorities. Prior to that she served as the director of the San Francisco Criminal Justice Council, where her work with community groups, grassroots organizations and public agencies secured more than $46 million in state and federal funding for innovative and effective criminal justice programs and initiatives throughout San Francisco. She worked as a Deputy Public Defender upon graduation from law school.

Burton also works on state legislation affecting child welfare with other attorneys, interest groups and legislative staff. She has also served on various workgroups for the Administrative Offices of the Courts regarding the drafting of Judicial Council forms and helping to formulate child welfare policy.

Burton is a member of the Board of Directors for John Burton Advocates for Youth, which improves the quality of life for youth in California who have been in foster care or homeless by advocating for better laws and policy solutions.

She is a native San Franciscan and a proud graduate of Lowell High School, the University of California at Davis, and UC Law San Francisco. Prior to law school she lived in Japan for a year. She looks forward to more traveling during retirement.