Coronado Appoints Garry Bonelli to Port District Board of Commissioners

City Council appointed Coronado resident Garry Bonelli to the Port District Board of Directors. Bonelli, who experience spans military and public policy as an executive with SANDAG and the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, will represent the city on the board.

The city interviewed five candidates and made the appointed Rear Admiral Bonelli at a public meeting on Tuesday in the City Hall Council Chambers.

Bonelli will serve a 4-year term on the San Diego Unified Port District Board of Commissioners. The term expires Jan. 2, 2018.

Admiral Lou Smith notified council last month that he would not seek reappointment as the city's representation on the Port District Board of Commissioners.

"The City of Coronado will miss the distinguished leadership of Admiral Lou Smith as our Port Commissioner, but we are fortunate to have another gifted retired flag officer, Garry Bonelli, ready to serve," said Mayor Casey Tanaka in a statement. "He has an impressive combination of command experience in the SEAL community and executive experience in regional government, most recently at SANDAG." 

In addition to Bonelli, Patricia Ann Yim Cowett, John Reeves Martin, Doug Metz and Garland P. Wright submitted applications for the position.