Civil Service Commissioners

Will Rodriguez-Kennedy -- (he/him/his) is a public servant, community leader and an award winning former reporter, organizer and veteran of the United States Marine Corps; Commissioner Rodriguez-Kennedy has more than a decade of demonstrated service to community, county, and country. He brings to the Commission significant experience as a manager and has served as a chief executive to a number of non-profit and community organizations.

Commissioner Rodriguez-Kennedy first became civically active in his fight against the unconstitutional “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy which led to his honorable though involuntary separation from the United States Marine Corps because he was outed as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Since then he has been a prominent advocate for racial justice, social justice, economic justice, and equity in public policy. He also serves on the San Diego Convention Center Board of Directors and the San Diego Police Chief’s LGBT Advisory Council.

A. Melissa Johnson -- Attorney; Managing Partner at Johnson Heeder LLP; President, San Diego County Bar Association; Executive Board, California Employment Lawyers Association; President, County of San Diego Civil Service Commission; United States Air Force veteran; graduate of University of California San Diego and Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

P. Kay Coleman – Angel Investor; Community leader and volunteer; Former Board Chair of San Diego Foundation; Former Board Chair of San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center; National Board Member of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network; Chair Emerita of the American Cancer Society SoCal Area Board; Board Member of Access Youth Academy; Long-time advocate for Health Equity and Racial and Social Justice; Graduate of and Masters in Counseling Psychology from the University of Tennessee and MBA in Finance and Strategic Planning from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

Peter B. Smith -- Partner at Ekard Smith & Associates, and Member of the County of San Diego Audit Committee.  Former Director of the County of San Diego Capital Asset Leasing Corporation (SANCAL), longtime Manager/Chief Administrative Officer of the Rancho Santa Fe Association, Manager of Operations at the Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club, Independent Consultant specializing in client relationships with the Resolution Trust Corporation, and worked in the banking industry in San Diego County for 15 years.  Graduated from San Diego State University with a degree in Finance, and the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.