Commissioner Profiles
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 President and Chief Executive Officer— conducts its daily operations.
Ann Moore - Chair
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Ann Moore was sworn in to the Board of Port Commissioners on Jan. 13, 2011, to represent the City of Chula Vista. She is a senior partner in the law firm of Norton Moore & Adams. Before joining the firm, Moore served as Chula Vista's City Attorney. She has practiced law for more than 20 years and has extensive experience in land use, real estate, redevelopment, environmental, and municipal law. She represents both developers and governmental agencies in processing land use entitlements for large scale residential, commercial, and industrial projects. Her areas of expertise include the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), Subdivision Map Act, eminent domain, inverse condemnation, Endangered Species Act, public infrastructure financing, the Brown Act, and Conflict of Interest laws. Moore graduated from San Diego State University with a Public Administration degree and she earned her law degree at the University of San Diego law school.
Bob Nelson - Vice Chairman
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Bob Nelson was sworn in January, 2011, to represent the City of San Diego on the Board of Port Commissioners. Nelson has served in government and politics for 40 years. Mr. Nelson served as President Clinton's representative on the U.S. Competitiveness Policy Council. He has been chair of the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, the LGBT Community Center, and City of San Diego Revenue Review and Economic Competitiveness Commission. He has also served on the City of San Diego Public Utilities Advisory Commission, and in various advisory capacities to the Mayor of San Diego and the San Diego County District Attorney. He is a member of the Port Commission's Advisory Committees on Maritime Industry, Cruise Industry, and Environment. He is a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the World Trade Center San Diego. Prior to public service, Nelson built one of America's largest independent public relations agencies, now part of Porter-Novelli Group. His principal clients have included American Water, Anheuser-Busch Companies, the Association of American Railroads, California Teachers Association, The Irvine Company, San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Dan Malcolm - Secretary
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Dan Malcolm was sworn in to the Board of Port Commissioners on January 5, 2011 to represent the City of Imperial Beach. President and CEO of Malcolm Properties, he has extensive experience in the field of commercial real estate brokerage, investment, finance and commercial property development. He also maintains a separate law practice specializing in commercial real estate contract, transactional, entitlement and land use law. Commissioner Malcolm has previously served on numerous public and private boards including the Imperial Beach City Council, Metropolitan Transit Development Board, San Diego County Commercial Association of Realtors, South County Economic Development Council, SANDAG Shoreline Erosion Committee and as Chairman of Sweetwater High School District Bond Oversight Committee. He currently serves as Chairman of Sharp Coronado Hospital and as a director on the master board of Sharp Healthcare. Commissioner Malcolm holds an undergraduate degree in real estate finance from San Diego State University and was awarded a Juris Doctorate of Law from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.
Lou Smith
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Lou Smith was sworn in to represent the City of Coronado on January 5, 2010. 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, 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. 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, 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.
Robert “Dukie” Valderrama
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Robert “Dukie” Valderrama was sworn in to represent the City of National City in January, 2005. In 2009, he served as Chairman of the Board of Port Commissioners. 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.
Rafael Castellanos
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Rafael Castellanos was sworn in to the Board of Port Commissioners on April 15, 2013, to represent the City of San Diego. Castellanos is a partner with the law firm Solomon Minton Cardinal Doyal & Smith LLP in San Diego, where he specializes in commercial real estate and business transactional law. His professional affiliations include having served as General Counsel to, and a member of, the Board of Directors of MANA de San Diego. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the San Diego La Raza Lawyers Association, currently as its President. Castellanos is a member of the California State Bar Association, the San Diego County Bar Association, and the Mexican American Business and Professional Association. He was named one of the San Diego Daily Transcript's Top Young Attorneys in 2008, and in 2011 was named one of San Diego Metro Magazine's 20 Men Who Impact San Diego. Castellanos graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree and he earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Chicago Law School as a Cornerstone Scholar.
Marshall Merrifield
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Marshall Merrifield was sworn in to the Board of Port Commissioners on April 15, 2013, to represent the City of San Diego. Merrifield serves as President/CEO and majority shareholder for Bluewave Security, which manufactures high-tech equipment for video and door-access surveillance. He previously was President/CEO and majority shareholder for the security company General Lock and Clark Security Products, the largest privately held security hardware business in the United States, until 2010. His past business affiliations have involved industries ranging from animation to investment banking. Merrifield cofounded Pacific Ridge School in Carlsbad and has been a Board Member for the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA in Encinitas and for former San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders' Economic Advisory Council. He serves as a member of the Campaign to End Homelessness' leadership team. Merrifield graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
