Jerry Sanders (politician)

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For the Advanced Micro Devices founder and former CEO, see Jerry Sanders (businessman).

Jerry Sanders

Mayor of San Diego
Incumbent
Assumed office December 5, 2005
Preceded by	Toni Atkins (acting)

Born	July 14, 1950 (1950-07-14) (age 57) San Pedro, California
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Rana Sampson (?-present)
Children	2
Residence	Kensington, San Diego, California
Alma mater	San Diego State University
Profession	Police Officer

Gerald Robert "Jerry" Sanders (born July 14, 1950) is a Republican politician, Mayor of San Diego, California, and former Chief of Police.

1 Personal
2 San Diego Police
3 Community service
4 Mayor
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Personal

Sanders was born 1950 in San Pedro, California. He went to San Diego State University and was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He lives in the neighborhood of Kensington with his wife Rana Sampson. He has two daughters, Lisa and Jamie.

[edit] San Diego Police

During his senior year at San Diego State University, Jerry Sanders became a police officer with the San Diego Police Department. He served in the Police Department for 26 years, 1973–1999, ultimately serving as Chief of Police from 1993 until 1999. He was commander of the San Diego SWAT team during the 1984 San Ysidro McDonald's massacre, and his management of the tragedy, which resulted in twenty-two deaths, earned him criticism from the city's Mexican-American community.^[1] During his tenure as chief, he and the department's employees gained national recognition for their pioneering work with community policing and, with active assistance from the community, achieved a more than 40% decrease in crime during the six-year period he led the department. He also re-organized the department, making it more responsive to the community, reaching out to neighborhoods, and utilizing more than 1,000 volunteers to address San Diego's public safety needs.

[edit] Community service

Sanders left the Police Department to become president and CEO of the United Way of San Diego County (April 1999). During his tenure, the local United Way dramatically increased fundraising and decreased overhead costs.^{[citation needed]} In addition, he served as the United Way Community Campaign Chair in 2002.

Sanders was appointed to the board of the American Red Cross San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter (July 2002) after the local CEO was fired by the national headquarters in the aftermath of controversy concerning the Alpine Fire. He helped recruit Navy Rear Admiral Ronne Froman to be CEO, and oversaw the turnaround of the local chapter, which resulted in support for victims of the Cedar Fire, praise from former critics for the transparency of fundraising efforts, and a staff re-organization that substantially reduced overhead costs.

Sanders had also been active in the private sector, serving as founding partner and consultant for local high-tech start-ups involved with homeland security and infrastructure assessment. He is currently board chair of the San Diego Police Foundation, established to raise private funds for SDPD equipment and programs. He serves on the board of STAR/PAL, the San Diego Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, San Diego State University's Dean's Advisory Board, and Coronado First Bank (in organization). Sanders has served on the Wells Fargo Community Bank Board, the Mediation Center's Board, the National Conference for Community and Justice Board, the Vera Institute of Justice's Advisory Board on Foster Children, and the Children's Initiative. Sanders has been nominated to the National Red Cross Board of Governors.

[edit] Mayor

Jerry Sanders in the 2005 4th of July Parade in the Mira Mesa neighborhood of San Diego with John Witt, County Board of Education, driving.

Jerry Sanders was elected mayor in a special run-off election held 2005-11-08, receiving 54% of the vote against city council member Donna Frye. Sanders is the first mayor under the new "strong mayoral" form of city government. He is a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition,^[2] an organization formed in 2006 and co-chaired by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston mayor Thomas Menino. He appointed Ronne Froman as Chief of Staff.

He is a Republican who has strong conservative views on many issues.

On September 19, 2007, Sanders abruptly reversed his public opposition to same-sex marriage before signing a City Council resolution aimed at overturning the state's ban on same-sex unions. He gave a speech in which he explained that he could not tell his daughter Lisa, who is gay, that her relationship with a partner is not as important as that of a straight couple and that he had "decided to lead with my heart. . . to take a stand on behalf of equality and social justice."^[3] "He provided a moral witness, a living testimony, of a person thinking deep and the power that gay people have to change minds when they speak to people like him and get them to look deep in their heart," said Freedom to Marry's Evan Wolfson.^[4] Sanders faces reelection versus successful businessman Steve Francis in 2008. On April 24th, Jerry Sanders was quoted in the San Diego Tribune as acknowledging saying "F--- you, Steve" to Francis during an attempted handshake initiated by Francis at candidates forum.^[5]