Meet the Orchids & Onions Jury: A Look at Ron Roberts

As our loyal audience, you answered our call for Orchids & Onions jurors. Now the jury is taking shape! We’ll be shining a spotlight on O&O jurors bit by bit as they’re chosen. First in our juror spotlight is former San Diego County Supervisor Ron Roberts, who served in public office for 31 years.

Elected to the San Diego County Board of Supervisors in 1994, Roberts was deeply involved in San Diego civic life for more than three decades. The impacts of his advocacy can be seen countywide. Most notably, Roberts advocated for San Pasqual Academy, a unique residential campus for foster teens. He also threw his support behind Waterfront Park, helping to transform parking lots and weedy plots into a seaside asset.

A former member of the San Diego City Council and the San Diego Planning Commission, Roberts is a professional architect by trade. Before being elected to City Council in 1987, he had a 20-year career as an architect, serving as managing partner of a large firm. He earned his bachelor’s degree in social sciences from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in architecture from the University of California, Berkeley.

As an Orchids & Onions juror, Roberts brings a knowledge of architecture and a commitment to the San Diego landscape, one he has helped shape through three decades of thoughtful decision making.

“Ron’s deep background in architecture and San Diego government makes him a great fit for the Orchids & Onions jury,” said Orchids & Onions committee member Brandon Nash. “He understands the impact that design has on the urban landscape, for better or worse, and his three decades of decision making as a civic leader will bring a valuable perspective to Orchids & Onions 2020.”