SPEAKERS

Supervisor John J. Benoit represents the eastern two-thirds of Riverside County on the Board of Supervisors.  Incorporating nearly 5,000 square miles, the 4th District stretches from Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs, south to the Salton Sea and east to Blythe and the Colorado River.

 

John has a life story of exceptional service to the public.  John is a veteran of 31 years in law enforcement, starting with the Corona Police Department.  He attended the FBI National Academy and served as a volunteer fire captain with the Sunset-Whitney Fire Department.  His 29 years with the California Highway Patrol took him up and down the state, working patrols in Los Angeles, in Sacramento and in Bakersfield.  In 1988, he made the Coachella Valley his home when he was promoted to commander of the California Highway Patrol’s Indio Station.

 

Long active in community service organizations as past president of both the United Way of the Desert and Indio Rotary, John served on the Desert Sands School Board.  Having retired from the Highway Patrol in 2001 and driven to make a positive impact and serve his community, he ran for the State Assembly in 2002.  John served three full terms in the California State Assembly, representing the 64th District from 2002-08 and then representing the 37th District in the California State Senate in 2008-09.

 

As a state lawmaker, John was successful in having 40 pieces of legislation signed into law, including the landmark “Aryanna’s Law” to protect children in daycare centers.  He was known for his ability to reach across the aisle to improve public safety, transportation and education.  He was awarded Legislator of the Year honors by the California School Boards Association, the School Transportation Coalition, the California Narcotics Officers’ Association and the Chief Probation Officers of California.

 

Following the death of his friend and mentor, Supervisor Roy Wilson, John was appointed to the Board of Supervisors in 2009.  He was elected to a full, four-year term on June 8, 2010.

 

A graduate of Riverside’s Notre Dame High School and Riverside City College, John holds a bachelor’s of science degree in public safety at Cal State Los Angeles and a master's degree in public administration at Cal State San Bernardino.  Having participated in language immersion programs in Mexico and Costa Rica, his bilingual skills are invaluable to his work in Riverside County’s largest and most diverse district.

 

John and his wife, Sheryl, married in 1978.  They are committed parishioners of Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church.  They have a daughter, Sarah, and son, Benjamin, and a beautiful granddaughter, Abrielle Benoit.

 

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