Valero

Respondent Board of Retirement of Tulare County Employees’ Retirement Association (the Board) denied the application of appellant Joe Valero for a service-connected disability retirement. Valero petitioned the superior court for an administrative writ of mandate directing the Board to grant him a service-connected disability retirement. He contended that a disabling psychiatric condition, a panic disorder which the Board concedes he suffers from, was service connected. The Board contended that the condition was not service connected. The court denied Valero’s petition. Valero has appealed from the superior court’s denial order, and contends that the *962 superior court’s order is not supported by substantial evidence. As we shall explain, we find his contention without merit, and affirm the superior court’s order denying the petition.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Certain basic facts are undisputed. Valero was hired as an “Office Assistant II” by the County of Tulare Health and Human Services Agency (the County) in April of 1999. In that position, he had interaction with members of the public, sometimes in stressful situations. On February 6, 2007, he submitted an…