2022 Lifetime Achievement Award
Ron Roberts spent two decades as a successful architect, serving as managing partner at SGPA, one of San Diego’s most successful architectural firms, while volunteering on local design review boards before being appointed to the San Diego City Planning Commission. He eventually leveraged all that experience to become a champion of design and vision on a broader scale - as a public servant in the role of an elected official.
In the late 1970's the AIA was having one of its recurring conversations on how architects can have a greater role in public policy on the design of the built environment. Ron took up that challenge and was appointed to the Old San Diego Design Review Board. By 1982, Mayor Pete Wilson appointed him to the City Planning Commission.
Ron brought design thinking to the commission. He instituted educational programs for the commission which included field trips to other cities. He created the Planning Commission PANDA (Planning and Design) awards to those projects that have raised the bar for other projects that would come before the commission, adding to the quality of the community where they were located.
He subsequently brought this approach to the County Board of Supervisor when he was elected in 1995. Projects he championed included transforming the bayside County Waterfront Park; leading the campaign to create the County Operations Center, the San Pasqual Academy, the nation’s first residential campus for foster youth; and grants to community organizations for small neighborhood projects.
For over three decades, Ron Roberts would strive to improve the common good for the San Diego region. He spent seven years on the San Diego City Council and 24 years as a member of the County Board of Supervisors. Of the multitude of successes over those years, Ron is credited with vision, persuasion and patience.
Join us as we celebrate the achievements and impact of our lifetime achievement award honoree, Ron Roberts, on November 16th.
