David W. Roberts (born 1960) is an American politician from Solana Beach, California. He was the county supervisor for
San Diego County
San Diego County (), officially the County of San Diego, is a county in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 3,298,634, making it California's second-most populous county and the f ...
from 2012 to 2016, representing district 3, which includes portions of
San Diego
San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...
and most of
north San Diego County
North County is a region in the northern area of San Diego County, California. It is the second-most populous region in the county (after San Diego), with an estimated population of 869,322. North County is well known for its affluence, especial ...
. He was formerly the Mayor of Solana Beach. He is a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
.
Early life and education
He was born and raised in
Riverton, Connecticut
Riverton is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Barkhamsted, Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is in the northwest corner of the town, bordered to the north by the town of Hartland in Hartf ...
, in 1960. His family has resided in Connecticut for 11 generations since 1629. After graduating from Northwestern Regional #7 high school he attended
The Citadel
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one of six senior military colleges in the United States. ...
, but left after he was beaten by a fellow cadet because of his sexual orientation. He wound up at American University in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, where he earned a BA in political science/economics and an MPA. He is also a graduate of the
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United States, with highly selective ad ...
Harvard Kennedy School
The Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), officially the John F. Kennedy School of Government, is the school of public policy and government of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school offers master's degrees in public policy, public ...
for State and Local Leaders, and the
U.S. Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...
’s Air Command and Staff College and Squadron Officer School.
Career
He was a Vice President for Government Relations with the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), an international non-profit, but retired from that position when he was sworn in as county supervisor. Before that he worked as a Corporate Vice President in the healthcare business unit at
Science Applications International Corporation
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Inc. is an American technology company headquartered in Reston, Virginia that provides government services and information technology support.
History
The original SAIC was created in 19 ...
(SAIC). Earlier he served as a budget analyst for the Department of Defense and as a staffer for Senator
Lowell Weicker
Lowell Palmer Weicker Jr. (; born May 16, 1931) is an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the 85th Governor of Connecticut. He unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for president in 1980. He was ...
.
He has also served as a federal advisory commission member in the administrations of President George W. Bush and Barack Obama in the
Department of Health and Human Services
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...
. He used to be co-chair of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Advisory Panel of Outreach and Education. Since becoming a county Supervisor in 2013, he has gained more state and national experience.
In 2014, he was elected Second Vice President of the
California State Association of Counties The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) is a lobbying, advocacy and service organization representing the state's 58 counties at the state and federal level. Areas of focus include the state budget, health-care reform, corrections refor ...
(CSAC). In addition, he serves as co-chair of both the
National Association of Counties
The National Association of Counties (NACo) is an organization that represents county governments in the United States.plastic bag ban, and support for the arts and North Coast Repertory Theatre.
San Diego County Board of Supervisors
He was elected to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 2012 to represent District 3, replacing retiring supervisor Pam Slater-Price. He narrowly defeated Republican Steve Danon, chief of staff to Congressman
Brian Bilbray
Brian Phillip Bilbray (born January 28, 1951) is an American Republican politician who represented parts of San Diego County in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 2001 and again from 2006 to 2013.
Bilbray was Chairman of the House ...
, in the November 2012 runoff election. The race was so close that Danon did not concede until nine days after the election. The final tally was 51.14% for Roberts to 48.86% for Danon. He was sworn in on January 7, 2013.
Roberts was the only Democrat on the Board of Supervisors, which had consisted only of Republicans for more than two decades. (Local elections are nonpartisan under California state law, but most officeholders do identify themselves as Democrats or Republicans.) As supervisor he hoped to strengthen the county's mental health services and launch a solar energy initiative.
From June to November 2015, Roberts chaired the San Diego County Behavioral Health Advisory Board Suicide Reduction Workgroup, which made 10 recommendations to the Board of Supervisors to reduce suicides in San Diego County. Two of the 10 recommendations were implemented. In November 2015, he was unanimously elected First Vice President of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC). In February 2016, he was unanimously elected as one of two California representatives on the National Association of Counties (NACo). In January 2016, Roberts' colleagues unanimously elected him as Chair Pro Tem of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, his third year in a county board leadership position.
In 2016 he ran for re-election. His opponent was Republican
Encinitas
Encinitas (Spanish for "Small Oaks") is a beach city in the North County area of San Diego County, California. Located within Southern California, it is approximately north of San Diego, between Solana Beach and Carlsbad, and about south o ...
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
Kristin Gaspar. The result was too close to call for more than a week after the election. At first Roberts was in the lead by 2,200 votes, then Gaspar pulled ahead by 15 votes with many ballots still to be tallied. By Thanksgiving, Gaspar's lead had grown to 1,090 votes, after steady gains throughout the preceding week. Roberts conceded on November 27.
Allegations of hostile work environment
In May 2015, two of Robert's former staff members filed claims against the County of San Diego seeking monetary relief while alleging various acts of wrongdoing by Supervisor Roberts including misuse of County resources and employee favoritism. A third former employee filed a similar claim in June 2015. Roberts denied all of the allegations made against him. Roberts he conceded that he sent what he termed to be "jovial texting" to county staff stating that a particular employee should keep him warm on a county trip and claimed he would sleep in the same bed with him on a separate trip. That employee subsequently filed a lawsuit against two of the former staffers who had filed claims against the county regarding Robert's alleged behavior, for spreading “salacious rumors in the workplace.” Roberts was not named in the lawsuit.
On September 15, 2015, the ''San Diego Union Tribune'' and ''Los Angeles Times'' newspapers reported that the Board of Supervisors had agreed to settlements totaling $310,000 for three of Roberts' former staffers in relation to various claims that he had created a hostile work environment. The four presiding county supervisors who agreed to the settlement also released a statement, "In the opinion of the Board, activities that occurred in the District 3 Supervisorial office, at a minimum, showed poor judgment by the Supervisor. And, although not conclusive, the investigative material surrounding the inappropriate use of County funds, promoting a hostile work environment, an alleged bribe, campaigning on County time, improper use of a County vehicle and retaliation against District 3 staff members is significant and a matter of concern for the Board of Supervisors."
Personal life
Roberts is a married gay man; he and his spouse Wally Oliver have five adopted children. They live in Solana Beach in the former home of singer Patti Page. Roberts and his oldest son are both Eagle Scouts. Roberts and his spouse are active members of North San Diego County Adoptive Parents Association and Friends of the Solana Beach Library. In 2014 amid the statewide drought, they removed over 6,000 square feet of turf and installed artificial turf to save over 165,000 gallons of potable water per year.