The Port of San Diego welcomed Sid Voorakkara as the newest commissioner to be appointed by the San Diego City Council in a Feb. 20 ceremony at which he was sworn in by San Diego Councilmember Kent Lee.
The port is governed by a seven-member board, of which three members are appointed by the San Diego City Council, and one each is appointed by the city councils of Chula Vista, Coronado, Imperial Beach, and National City.
The board of port commissioners is responsible for setting the policies by which the port conducts its day-to-day operations, under the guidance of its president and chief executive officer.
“Sid brings a deep well of knowledge and vast experience to the board of port commissioners. He will hit the ground running and be of great service to the people of California and help us deliver on our promise to all San Diegans,” said board Chairman Frank Urtasun.
Voorakkara is a senior partner at ArroyoWest LLC, a minority-owned small business, providing communications, public affairs, and strategic planning for public, private, and nonprofit clients. Earlier in his career, he was field director at the United Nations Foundation; deputy director for external affairs at the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development under Governor Jerry Brown’s administration; and a program manager at The California Endowment.
Voorakkara also serves on California’s Commission on Health, Safety, and Workers’ Compensation and is a board member at Jewish Family Service of San Diego. He also recently chaired the San Diego City Ethics Commission and was a member of the San Diego Community College Trustees Advisory Council. He has served on numerous community boards and associations, including the San Diego City College Foundation, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, the San Diego LGBTQ Center, the San Diego Museum of Us, and Business for Good.
The port manages San Diego Bay and 34 miles of its waterfront for the people of California.
