Steve Padilla
| 38th Mayor of Chula Vista | |
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In office 2002–2006 |
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| Preceded by | Shirley Horton |
| Succeeded by | Cheryl Cox |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1967 (age 49–50) |
Steve Padilla (born 1967) is a public policy, advocacy and communications consultant and a noted California politician. He served as Mayor of the City of Chula Vista, CA (Pop. 240,000) from 2002 to 2006 and as a member of the California Coastal Commission from 2005 to 2007. He most recently served as a member of the Board of Port Commissioners of the Unified Port of San Diego, as Board Secretary and Vice Chairman-Elect from 2009 to 2011.
Chula Vista is the second-largest city in San Diego County, after San Diego proper. The Coastal Commission is California's powerful coastal protection authority which regulates land use along all 1,100 miles (1,800 km) of California's coastline. The Unified Port of San Diego governs the tidelands trust lands of San Diego Bay which span the five bay front cities of San Diego, Coronado, National City, Chula Vista and Imperial Beach. Mr. Padilla served two terms on Chula Vista's City Council from 1994 to 2002 prior to being elected Mayor, and held numerous local, regional, state-wide and national posts during his term as mayor and since including; the board of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), the League of California Cities and the United States Conference of Mayors. Padilla lost his bid for reelection to Republican Cheryl Cox in November, 2006. A Democrat, he is also noted for being one of the state's increasing number of openly gay political leaders. Padilla remains active in local, state and national public affairs. He is President of Aquarius Group, Inc. a consulting business he began in 2007, and has been a published public affairs columnist for various local publications in San Diego. He was asked to serve as a member of The Independent Task Force on U.S. Immigration Policy by the Council on Foreign Relations in 2008-2009.
The eldest of four children, Steve Padilla was born at the U.S. Naval Hospital, San Diego. Raised in Chula Vista since age 5, Padilla showed an interest in community at an early age, becoming active in organizations throughout his early life, which would later lead him to seek public office.
Padilla's first career venture was into law enforcement. After graduating from Bonita Vista High School, he became the youngest cadet accepted into the Southwestern Police Academy. A police officer for thirteen years, he served as a Detective, specializing in domestic violence and child abuse before entering the public arena.
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