Aaryn Abbott will serve as the 2026 SLO Chamber Board Chair, bringing his expertise in all things development and housing to the table. We sat down with him to learn more about his professional life, how he spends his free time and what he has planned for the Chamber heading into 2026.
Who would play you in a movie of your life?
According to my wife, the obvious choice is Ryan Gosling — and I’ve learned not to argue with her casting decisions.
How long have you been on the Central Coast? What brought you here?
I came to San Luis Obispo in 2001 to attend Cal Poly while serving as an enlisted member of the 148th Space Operations Squadron in the Air National Guard at Vandenberg. What began as a college chapter quickly became home — the community’s character, scale, and sense of connection drew me in and never let go.
Tell us about your career history. How did you get to where you are today?
Just a couple of years into my full-time career, the construction and development world came to a screeching halt. The industry I’d worked hard to enter was suddenly in chaos. Getting through those years took grit, adaptability, and more than a little luck, but they also shaped me. They pushed me to grow, to take risks, and ultimately to build a business and career out of the ashes of a collapsing market.
My work ethic started early, at 15, servicing log trucks at my grandfather’s logging company — a job that taught me responsibility and how to show up even when the work was challenging. I was admitted to the U.S. Air Force Academy for Aerospace Engineering, but after some soul-searching, recognized a long-term military career wasn’t the right path. I chose Cal Poly instead and enlisted in the Air National Guard to continue serving and help support myself through school.
Living in San Luis Obispo sparked a deep interest in the built environment — how the places we design influence the lives we lead. I switched majors to Construction Management, setting the foundation for a long-term career in real estate development.
While at Cal Poly, my future business partner, Shawn Reed, hired me as an intern at Centex Homes, giving me exposure to nearly every facet of development. I joined full-time after graduation, but when the Great Recession hit and the Central Coast division closed, I pivoted: I earned my Master’s in Real Estate Development at USC and launched my first entrepreneurial venture.
Around that same time, Shawn asked if I wanted to collaborate on an RFP to complete three partially built subdivisions on the Central Coast. We won the bid, built a team, and ultimately delivered more than 250 homes. That success became the foundation of what would eventually grow into Abbott | Reed Inc. Over time, we expanded into mid-rise, commercial, mixed-use, student housing, entitlement work, and partnerships with affordable housing developers — broadening both our expertise and our impact.
As it stands today, our team at Abbott | Reed is united around a long-term mission to advance the built environment in service to a stronger community – a statement that reflects both our purpose and our responsibility.
What is the career accomplishment you are most proud of?
I’m especially proud of our ongoing partnership with HASLO (the Housing Authority of San Luis Obispo). Together, we’re creating development projects that thoughtfully integrate market-rate and affordable housing — separately owned, but planned within the same entitlement. It’s a model that strengthens community cohesion and housing stability, and it reflects the kind of impact-driven work that matters most to me.
What’s the most important lesson life has taught you?
That resilience paired with humility is often more valuable than being right. Plans shift, assumptions break, and the world keeps changing. Staying grounded, curious, and adaptable has helped me navigate uncertainty while staying true to my values.
What gets you excited about going to work each day?
I love thoughtful questions — the kind that challenge assumptions and deepen understanding. I’m energized by meaningful problems, by helping people succeed, and by work that creates momentum for our community. At its best, my job blends ideas, people, purpose, and action, and that’s a combination I never take for granted.
What do you do to unwind?
I play soccer in a local men’s league. The focus and flow of the game clears my mind completely — for 90 minutes, everything else fades away.
Do you have any favorite pastimes?
I love holiday puzzles and family gatherings. My extended family is spread across the country, so I genuinely cherish the times we’re able to come together. I also enjoy trail running with podcasts or audiobooks, and bike rides with my family to downtown — simple things that connect me to the people and place I love.
As the 2026 SLO Chamber Board Chair, what are you hoping to focus on?
In 2026, I want to advance an Abundance Agenda — a vision rooted in possibility, inclusion, and long-term opportunity for the people who call this region home.
At its core, this means expanding housing choices so more young professionals and families can build their lives here. It means embracing thoughtful, well-designed density that strengthens, rather than erodes, our community character. It means growing our economy and supporting our education and innovation infrastructure so local companies can thrive and new ideas can take root.
Ultimately, I want San Luis Obispo to be a place where our children and grandchildren can choose to stay — with access to good jobs, attainable housing and a sense of belonging in a community that believes in their potential.
This vision aligns with our key priorities for the year:
- Housing & RHNA Cycle: Supporting responsible, inclusive growth that meets the needs of our workforce and future generations.
- Diablo & Clean Energy Ecosystem: Leveraging regional strengths to advance clean, reliable energy.
- Innovation, Jobs & Economy: Strengthening collaboration between the City, County, Cal Poly and the Hothouse to grow high-quality jobs and support business expansion.
- Government & Infrastructure: Championing crucial investments, from downtown revitalization and a potential conference center to self-help funding measures, that enable long-term prosperity.
My hope is that 2026 becomes a year of momentum — a year that expands opportunity, strengthens connection, and helps more people imagine a future right here on the Central Coast.