The Port is governed by a seven member Board of Port Commissioners; one commissioner is appointed by each of the city councils of Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach and National City, and three commissioners are appointed by the San Diego City Council. The Board establishes policies under which the Port's staff - supervised by the Executive Director - conducts its daily operations.

Robert “Dukie” Valderrama - Chair

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Robert “Dukie” Valderrama was sworn in to represent the City of National City in January, 2005. He served for two years as a Director on the San Diego County Water Authority Board and served on the agency’s Engineering and Operations Public Affairs Special Budget Committee. His past appointments within the City of National City include serving on the agency’s Planning and Environmental Professional Committees. He has also served on the City of National City’s Park and Recreation Commission and as Chairman of the agency’s Planning Commission. Active in civic affairs, he has served as Chairman of the Board of San Diego Construction Council, Inc. He is President of A-D & D Drywall, Inc. and of WestCoast Scaffold, Inc.

Scott H. Peters - Vice Chair

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Scott H. Peters was sworn in to represent the City of San Diego in January, 2009. He served for eight years on the San Diego City Council, including as Council President from 2006 through 2008. Active in civic service, he was also a member of the California Coastal Commission, co-chair of San Diego's Clean Water Task Force and a member of the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority. He holds an undergraduate degree from Duke University and attended New York University School of Law. He has a long career in environmental law with international law firms, government, and his own firm, representing businesses, local governments and public interest groups.

Stephen C. Padilla - Secretary

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Stephen C. Padilla was sworn in to represent the City of Chula Vista in October 2009.  Commissioner Padilla served as Chula Vista’s Mayor from 2002-2006 and prior to that, was a city council member, serving two consecutive terms from 1994-2002.  In 2005, he was appointed to the California Coastal Commission and dealt extensively with significant coastal resource issues.  A life long resident of Chula Vista, he is currently the President/Principal of Aquarius Group Inc., a consulting company that he began in 2007.   He also served on the Executive Board of the San Diego Association of Governments and was active in the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  His other civic experience includes serving on the governing board of Walden Family Services, a non-profit foster family agency serving special needs children in California, and he was a member of the Independent Task Force on U.S. Immigration Policy for the Council on Foreign Relations. 

Michael B. Bixler

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Appointed to the Board of Port Commissioners in June 2002 to represent the City of Imperial Beach, Commissioner Bixler is a vice president of Merrill Lynch Private Client Group. Active in civic service, he served as mayor of Imperial Beach from 1990 to 1998. During this time, he was also chairman of the San Diego Association of Governments and president of the California Council of Governments. A Naval aviator, he earned his master of science degree at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and is a graduate of UC Berkeley.

Lee Burdick

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Lee Burdick was appointed on June 8, 2009 by the San Diego City Council to represent the city on the Board of Port Commissioners. A partner with the San Diego law firm Higgs, Fletcher & Mack, she has extensive experience in government affairs, regulatory compliance and land use planning. Commissioner Burdick also served as director of government affairs and general counsel for Jimsair Aviation Services. Active in civic affairs, she served on the board of directors for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, was chair of the Chamber of Commerce Working Group on the City of San Diego General Plan Update, chair of the Chamber of Commerce Legal Committee and chair of the Chamber of Commerce Legislative Committee. She is a past member of the National Aviation Transportation Association Airports Committee, the board of directors and chair of Program Committee for the Forum for Women Entrepreneurs and is a current member of the working group on the County of San Diego's General Plan Update.

Stephen P. Cushman

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Stephen P. Cushman was selected to represent the City of San Diego in January 1999 and served as Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners in 2002. He was reappointed to a third term in March, 2007. As a fourth generation San Diegan, Commissioner Cushman has continued the Cushman family tradition of service to the community. He has served on more than 60 boards and commissions and currently serves as Chairman of the College of Business Administration Board for San Diego State University, Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, and as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, San Diego Hospital Association (Sharp HealthCare). A recognized leader in the automotive sales industry, he was president of Cush Automotive Group until 2006.

Louis M. Smith

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Louis M. Smith was sworn in to represent the City of Coronado on January 5, 2010. Commissioner Smith is a career naval officer, beginning in the Navy's Civil Engineer Corps. He completed three tours in Vietnam, supervising construction of combat facilities for the Marines. Later in his naval career, he was sent to Washington, DC where he worked with the Department of Defense and Congress on military base construction projects. Following his Washington assignment, he ran the Navy's Public Works Office in Keflavik, Iceland. Retiring from the Navy in 2000 as a two-star Admiral, Commissioner Smith was directly responsible for more than 360 major naval bases throughout the world. After retiring, he chose to work in the public sector, serving as Chief Administrative Officer for San Diego City Schools. He had a major role in the execution of Proposition MM, a $1.5 billion school bond. Commissioner Smith most recently served as Vice President of Facilities for Sharp Healthcare in San Diego. During his tenure there, he was involved in the construction of two new hospitals, each with a construction value of more than $150 million. He retired from Sharp in 2008. A registered professional civil engineer, Commissioner Smith is a Fellow and Past National President of the Society of Military Engineers. His civic experience includes serving on the Board of Directors of the San Diego County Taxpayer's Association, and the Board of Sharp Coronado Hospital. 

Charles D. Wurster - President/CEO

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Retired U.S. Coast Guard Vice Admiral Charles D. Wurster was appointed as the Port's President/CEO by the Board on January 5, 2009. Wurster is a three-star Admiral who served 37 years in the Coast Guard. Before serving as Coast Guard's Commander of the Pacific Area from 2006-2008, he served as Commander of the Fourteenth District in Honolulu. He also served as the Chief of Acquisition in Washington, DC; Chief of Staff for the Pacific Area in Alameda, CA; Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard base in Kodiak, Alaska; and Commanding Officer of the Facilities Design and Construction Center in Seattle, Washington. Wurster holds a Master's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois and graduated with honors from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.