Ron Cottingham has been continually employed by the San Diego Sheriffs Department since 1973 and holds the rank of Lieutenant.  During his career with the Department, Ron has worked every assignment including: Detentions, Patrol, Investigations, Internal Affairs, and Administration. 

During his career he specialized in child abuse/sexual assault investigations and domestic violence investigations. In 1986 Ron was selected by the Sheriffs Department to establish and supervise the department’s centralized investigative unit for child abuse/sexual assault. Then in 1997 Ron was selected to establish and supervise the department’s centralized domestic violence investigative unit for the Sheriffs Department.

Ron has graduated from the POST Supervisory School and the POST Management School and obtained a degree in Criminology from Southwestern Community College.

Ron was elected president of the Peace Officers Research Association of California (PORAC) in November 2003 and has been unanimously re-elected to consecutive terms.

PORAC was established in 1953 and is a federation of Local, State, and Federal public safety associations. PORAC currently has a membership of over 775 public safety associations comprising a total membership of 60,000 individual members.  PORAC is the largest statewide association for public safety in the Nation.

Ron is currently on full-release from the San Diego Sheriffs Department to serve as President of PORAC.