Below are the candidates running for the three available director positions on the 2021 DSA Board. Class 1 active DSA members will receive their ballots by mail the week of December 14. Contact the DSA at info@dsasd.org or (858) 486-9009 if you have not received your ballot.
Eric Garcia
Detective, Alpine Station
My name is Eric Garcia and I am hoping to earn your vote to represent you as a Director for the DSA. I have been a Deputy Sheriff since 2012 and have had the pleasure of working at the Poway, Ramona, Santee, Lakeside and Alpine Stations during that time. I am currently an Area Investigator at the Alpine Station. Over my career, I have been fortunate to hold a variety of positions and collateral duties including Field Training Officer, Corporal, Explorer Advisor and Station Media Relations Deputy as well as being a member of the Department’s Peer Support Team. I also am the current Region IV Representative to PORAC’s Communications and Technologies Committee. In my personal life, I have dedicated the last several years to being an outspoken advocate for the rights, treatment, safety and mental health of our country’s law enforcement personnel. I have had the honor of traveling the US and meeting with law enforcement officers of all ranks from agencies across the country including agencies in California, Alabama, Tennessee, Colorado, Arizona, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Texas and Washington DC. I have worked side by side with numerous law enforcement non-profit organizations including Humanizing the Badge, The Relentless Defender Foundation, Backing the Blue Line Foundation, and Concerns of Police Survivors. I am passionate about my brothers and sisters in this profession regardless of whether they serve in the streets, in our court houses or in our jails. I believe the cohesion of our law enforcement systems is vital to the safety of our County and that each and every Deputy working a beat, a court room or a module is important to our overall mission of Keeping the Peace. I have spent time traveling the country supporting and fighting for the rights of LEOs. I have spoken out for better training opportunities, better mental health services, better working environments, better compensation and common-sense politics which directly affect our LEOs from Departments across the country. The time has come for me to do the same for YOU, the Deputy Sheriffs of San Diego County. It is an honor to serve with you, and it will be an honor to serve you. I am humbled to have your consideration for a position on the Board of Directors for the DSA.
Ashley Lewis
Sergeant, Santee Station
My name is Ashley Lewis and I am running for the DSA Board of Directors. I have been in law enforcement for over 13 years. I was hired as a Detentions Deputy in 2007 and worked at the Las Colinas Detention Facility and the George Bailey Detention Facility.
In 2011 I graduated from the Law Enforcement Academy and was assigned to the Poway Patrol Station and later the Lemon Grove Station.
In 2015, I relocated to the Sacramento area to care for a family member. I spent 10 months in Sacramento, working for the Elk Grove Police Department. After the unfortunate passing of my family member, I returned to the Sheriff’s Department in 2015.
Upon my return, I worked as a patrol deputy for the Rancho San Diego Sheriff’s Station, Special Purpose Deputy, Area Investigator and Detective on the Human Trafficking Task Force. In March 2020, I was promoted to Sergeant and I am now assigned to the Santee Patrol Station.
In 13 years, I’ve never considered running for the DSA Board of Directors. I always voted for those I felt would uphold the obligations set forth by the DSA to become a Director.
Recently, I attended a DSA Zoom meeting where an issue related to compensation was discussed. To my surprise, I witnessed DSA board members, whom I felt did not represent the best interests of our members. Each board director should represent all deputies regardless of their bureau assignment and in this instance, this was not my experience.
Those elected to these positions should serve the membership, not personal agendas. Although it was this singular interaction that brought this “failure of leadership” to my attention, I see it as an opportunity to help ensure this doesn’t happen again. As result of this experience, I have decided to run for the DSA Board of Directors, and “be the change” I would like to see, and our members deserve.
My goal is to assist in overcoming the differences between law enforcement and detentions, and ensuring we are viewed not by our bureau assignment, but as DSA members. My tenure as a Detentions Deputy helped me tremendously in transitioning to law enforcement. I believe my experience in both bureaus offers perspective in making sound decisions in the best interest of all members of the association. I ask for your support and sincerely appreciate your vote.
Marlon McCurdy
Detentions Deputy, Vista Detention Facility
Incumbent Director
Over the last 3 years on the board, I have held my current position as the Secretary/Treasurer for two years, and I hold positions on the Finance/Budget committee, as well as the Insurance committee. I have also been on the Charitable Donations Committee, The accomplishment I’m most proud of is being a part of transition of our Retirement Medical Trust to the new Healthinvest system, making it easier to file claims for our retired members.
I’ve volunteered my time for events like stuffing backpacks for the youth of the La Presa Elementary School. The Boomers/Family fun center event where members were able to take their families for a night of family fun, as well as our Memorial Golf Tournament, the main charity event used to raise money for our DSA Foundation which does good for members and their families.
With your vote, I hope to continue to bring forward new ideas and strive to keep representing all members. I look forward working with the staff and other directors to ensure members are appreciated and valued.
Thank you for your consideration,
Marlon McCurdy
Benjamin Nazerian
Detentions Deputy, San Diego Central Jail
Greeting everyone,
My name is Ben Nazerian and I am asking for your vote to elect me to the DSA board. I have 12 years on the department, all spent at the lovely SDCJ, but I have had the pleasure of working with many of you department wide. My stay at SDCJ gives me a unique and beneficial perspective where I can talk to every deputy and officer that stops by to hear grievances from not only many patrol stations, jails and courts, but also other agencies to compare us to.
This unique perspective makes my purpose for running very simple. I would like to see better working conditions, negotiations, staffing and retention in the profession that seems to get more demanding every single day. Doing more with less should not be a common saying for our department yet here we are. We lose amazing deputies to outside agencies and fail the deputies that do stay when we constantly battle with less than appropriate staffing, equipment and underwhelming negotiations. My goal is to fight for every single deputy by making the county and command understand how important we all are and what we need to succeed. It’s only going to get worse in these trying times, so we need to stand together. I am a firm believer in morale being the driving force behind good deputies and I want to address that for all of us.
Thank you for your consideration.
Timothy Richards
Detentions Deputy, San Diego Central Jail
Hello, I am Timothy Richards, 12 years on the department. I’d like your vote for DSA Director. I am passionate about representing every member with equality and fairness. We have a unique association that is tasked with representing two classifications that overlap responsibilities. The DSA Directors should be willing to represent both classifications with integrity and transparency.
I think the members should have more control over how their money is spent. I don’t believe taking on risky business ventures, even if well meaning, is within the purview of a DSA Director. Additionally, I don’t believe the DSA has provided a convincing argument that our current RMT is the best we can get. These are a few of the issues I’d like to address during my time as a DSA Director. Thank you.
Derek Sanders
Deputy, San Marcos Station
My name is Derek Sanders and I am a Sheriff’s Deputy currently assigned to the San Marcos Station. I have been a Deputy Sheriff and a DSA member for over 14 years. Having previously been assigned to the Special Events Unit – Del Mar Fairgrounds, I planned and organized the law enforcement component for very large events, and I have gained a solid understanding of how large organizations operate. During my tenure there, I believe I have shown the proven ability to work as part of a team and develop new and innovative ideas. This organizational management experience directly translates to me being an effective board member. My goals if elected is to focus on protecting and improving pay, benefits, and working conditions for all members. In my opinion, we can do a better job in these areas, and I will work to be the change we need. It is my primary goal, as your representative, to ensure that this Board is looking out for the members. I believe in the mission of DSA and what it represents and have no hidden agenda or underlying reasons for running besides bettering the association for the members. It is my desire to be your voice and look forward to serving you.