Picture of Ryan Coonerty

Supervisor Ryan Coonerty

District 3
FACEBOOK     LINKEDIN    

Ryan Coonerty was elected to the District 3 seat on the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors in 2014 and was sworn in January 2015. After announcing his decision not to run for a third term, Connerty left the board in January 2023.


The former supervisor comes from a family of local business owners and public officials in the Santa Cruz area. When Coonerty won the election for District 3 supervisor, he replaced his father, Neal Coonerty, on the board. Ryan grew up in Santa Cruz and left to attend college at the University of Oregon. He went to law school in Virginia and formerly served as the associate dean of the Monterey College of Law. He continues to lecture on legal studies at UC Santa Cruz, while serving as the host of a popular podcast called An Honorable Profession. He also founded NextSpace, a coworking space in downtown Santa Cruz that was recently sold to Pacific Workplaces. He is the author of two books, including one about famous phrases to be found in U.S. national monuments. Before serving on the Board of Supervisors he performed two stints on the Santa Cruz City Council.


First elected: Nov. 4, 2014


Day job: Podcast host, college professor


Alma maters: University of Virginia School of Law (juris doctor); London School of Economics (master’s degree, international relations); University of Oregon (bachelor’s degree, history)


Notable quote: “We have a lot of great, proven programs. What we haven’t done yet is align those programs, so that when somebody is ready for treatment, they get treatment. Then, when they finish treatment, they then have housing, and then they get job training and childcare.”

Related News

Good Times logo From Good Times...

12/14/2022
Image for display with article titled Farewell to Greg Caput and Ryan Coonerty

The longtime Santa Cruz County Supervisors attend their final city council meeting.

California Local Pin Marker From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

12/12/2022
The mood was sentimental in the Santa Cruz County Board Chambers as outgoing Supervisors Ryan Coonerty and Greg Caput bid fond farewells at their final meeting representing the 3rd and 4th districts, respectively.

California Local Pin Marker From Good Times...

04/29/2021
The sitting county supe won't seek reelection in 2022. No local pols have declared they will definitely run, but few have ruled out the possibility altogether.
Join Us Today!