Former Chula Vista mayor Steve Padilla was sworn in last week as the newest member of the Port of San Diego's Board of Port Commissioners.
Padilla, mayor of Chula Vista from 2002 to 2006, replaces former port commissioner Mike Najera, who resigned in May. During his tenure as mayor, Chula Vista gained nationwide attention as the largest US city with an openly-elected gay mayor.
Prior to his term as mayor, Padilla was a two-term member of the Chula Vista City Council and the first Latino to win a seat at the city dais.
In addition to working with various environmental and social groups, Padilla has also served as a member of the California Coastal Commission.
A former police officer and detective, Padilla is now president of the public policy and land use consultancy firm the Aquarius Group, which he started in 2007.
The San Diego Port's seven-member commission sets policy and manages tenants along San Diego Bay's tidelands.
