Ryan Coonerty
Encyclopedia
Ryan Coonerty is an American businessman, academic, author, politician, who serves as mayor of Santa Cruz, California
in 2008 and 2011.
In addition to serving on city council, he co-founded NextSpace Coworking in Santa Cruz in 2008. Coonerty is also a lecturer in the Legal Studies department at the University of California, Santa Cruz
and in the Political Science department at Cabrillo College
. Coonerty is the author of Etched in Stone: Enduring Words From Our Nation's Monuments from National Geographic.
In 2010 and 2011, he is the Second Harvest Food Bank’s Holiday Food Drive co-chair. In 2010, the drive set a record by raising 2.2 million pounds a food.
, where he graduated from the Honor's College. He received a master's degree from the London School of Economics
and a law degree from the University of Virginia
School of Law. Prior to attending law school, he managed a school bond
campaign for Santa Cruz City Schools that raised $86 million to repair and remodel school facilities and served as an outreach coordinator for Assemblyman Fred Keeley
. Following law school, he served as legislative counsel for the Markle Foundation Task Force on National Security in the Information Age in Washington, DC. In 2000 he was on the professional staff for the National Commission on Federal Election Reform
. Coonerty has been involved in community activities including serving on the board of the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, Dientes Community Dental Care, Santa Cruz Education Foundation, and the Locally Owned Business Alliance.
in 2003, as a lecturer in the Legal Studies department. Coonerty teaches several courses including Civil Liberties in the Age of Terrorism; Jews, Anti-Semitism and the American Legal System; Law and Democracy; and Constitutional Law. In 2006, he began teaching courses at Cabrillo College
, also located in Santa Cruz County
. Coonerty taught International Relations and American Government in the Political Science department at Cabrillo. Students gave Coonerty generally positive ratings on a website based on a set of qualifications such as helpfulness and clarity of instruction.
In 2007, he considered running for the California State Assembly
for the seat of John Laird who was forced out by term limits. He opted out of the state race in April 2007.
As mayor in 2008, he served as the lead city negotiator in an agreement with the University of California Santa Cruz related to their Long Range Development Plan. The agreement ended half a dozen lawsuits. The agreement was adopted unanimously by the City Council, County Board of Supervisor and the citizen group. For this effort, he was profiled as a Santa Cruz Sentinel
Newsmaker of the Year in 2008. He also coauthored the Clean Oceans, Rivers and Beaches initiative which passed as an initiative in the November 2008 election. In 2008, he was selected to be a Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership at the Aspen Institute
.
He also served as mayor in 2011.
In 2011, he serves again as Mayor of Santa Cruz. 9] In his term, he has work to balance the city budget, launch the Mayor’s Academy and appoint a Technology Task Force to improve the use of technology by the city. As a result of this effort, Code for America Code for America
selected Santa Cruz as one of its six partner cities in 2012.
In his terms on the Santa Cruz City Council, Coonerty expressed his intention to bring together labor union members, social service providers, environmentalists, and local businesspeople to promote innovative strategies to improve the quality of life in Santa Cruz. Some of his efforts have received national attention, including the creation of an Ayuda Linea (Help Line) for day laborers to report incidents of abuse. Coonerty led an effort to invest part of the City’s reserve funds in local financial institutions to stimulate the local economy — an effort praised by the National Center for Local Sustainability as a model practice. Coonerty also founded Santa Cruz NEXT, a non-partisan organization dedicated to engaging the next generation of Santa Cruzians in the civic life of the community. He continues to serve on the board.When gay marriage was legalized in California, Coonerty officiated several same sex marriages. He also voted to have the city join the lawsuits challenging Proposition 8 and supporting San Francisco's challenging the constitutional ban on same sex marriage.
Responding to complaints of illegal behavior in downtown Santa Cruz, Coonerty (with fellow council members Cynthia Mathews and Lynn Robinson) advocated for more police patrols with cooperation with merchants.
He also worked with local artists to streamline the city’s permitting process so that musicians could play in restaurants and cafes without having to seek a permit from the Police Department.
In 2011, Coonerty led the council in supporting a 125-room condominium and hotel project even though it was 14-feet taller than zoning limits permitted.
The California Coastal Commission
voted against the project in August 2011.
, the Local Government Commission Local Government Commission
, CoreNet Global, and at the Founders’ Institute. In 2011, NextSpace announced that it had raised $700,000 in an equity round for expansion.
and photos from photographer Carol M. Highsmith
. Upon its release, Etched in Stone was profiled in the Wall Street Journal and Coonerty was interviewed on National Public Radio.
When asked in April of 2005 if he thought he was more conservative than some of the older council members, Coonerty responded, "I think I have a fundamentally different outlook on the role of government, on important battles that need to be fought. A lot of people came of age in a time of direct conflict and the issues they were fighting were huge. Protecting the North Coast. Lighthouse Field. I believe we're in a different era. It's time to make the table a little bigger, to maybe not have big fights but instead look at a number of targeted policies. I don't see symbolic battles happening. I see it more about making sure the city operates within a set of core values in a way that brings more people into the process."
In 2006 Coonerty co-sponsored a law prohibiting loitering in Santa Cruz city-owned parking garages. The local newspaper Santa Cruz Sentinel
quoted him as saying "Parking lots are meant for nothing more than parking cars and bikes".
In November 2007, Coonerty co-sponsored a law extending the loitering ban to all parking lots. The law came principally at the request of city staff, their union representatives, city Redevelopment Agency, and Santa Cruz Police Department.
In early 2006, Coonerty voiced support for Santa Cruz police after it was reported that undercover officers had infiltrated community meetings to organize a New Year's parade without obtaining a permit. Coonerty supported an internal investigation, which cleared the police of any wrongdoing. Coonerty stated, "The most important thing is to move forward and to design a policy that allows the police to do their job and at the same time protect civil liberties."
After the Sentinel noticed his supporters wrote an "admittedly glowing Wikipedia profile that they hoped might hook Web-savvy young voters.", he was quoted as saying "Given it all, I would rather just not have a Wikipedia page". Like many other politicians, including Hillary Clinton, Coonerty has struggled to stop the spread of misinformation as anyone can edit a page on wikipedia.
Santa Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
in 2008 and 2011.
In addition to serving on city council, he co-founded NextSpace Coworking in Santa Cruz in 2008. Coonerty is also a lecturer in the Legal Studies department at the University of California, Santa Cruz
University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
and in the Political Science department at Cabrillo College
Cabrillo College
Cabrillo College is a public community college offering associate degrees and certificates in more than 70 fields of study such as: engineering, computer science, allied health , public safety, marine biology and the visual and performing arts. The college itself is named after the explorer Juan...
. Coonerty is the author of Etched in Stone: Enduring Words From Our Nation's Monuments from National Geographic.
In 2010 and 2011, he is the Second Harvest Food Bank’s Holiday Food Drive co-chair. In 2010, the drive set a record by raising 2.2 million pounds a food.
Background
Ryan Coonerty graduated from Santa Cruz's public school system and attended the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
, where he graduated from the Honor's College. He received a master's degree from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and a law degree from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
School of Law. Prior to attending law school, he managed a school bond
Municipal bond
A municipal bond is a bond issued by a city or other local government, or their agencies. Potential issuers of municipal bonds includes cities, counties, redevelopment agencies, special-purpose districts, school districts, public utility districts, publicly owned airports and seaports, and any...
campaign for Santa Cruz City Schools that raised $86 million to repair and remodel school facilities and served as an outreach coordinator for Assemblyman Fred Keeley
Fred Keeley
Fred Keeley is a politician in California, U.S. Keeley was a member of the California State Assembly, representing District 27 which included parts of Santa Cruz County and Monterey County from 1996 to 2002. He is currently the Treasurer of Santa Cruz County.-Early life and career:Keeley was born...
. Following law school, he served as legislative counsel for the Markle Foundation Task Force on National Security in the Information Age in Washington, DC. In 2000 he was on the professional staff for the National Commission on Federal Election Reform
National Commission on Federal Election Reform
The United States presidential election, 2000 was one of the most controversial ever. Legal challenges were taken all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States before Al Gore conceded the election to President George W...
. Coonerty has been involved in community activities including serving on the board of the Santa Cruz Community Credit Union, Dientes Community Dental Care, Santa Cruz Education Foundation, and the Locally Owned Business Alliance.
Teaching
Coonerty began his teaching career at the University of California, Santa CruzUniversity of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz, also known as UC Santa Cruz or UCSC, is a public, collegiate university; one of ten campuses in the University of California...
in 2003, as a lecturer in the Legal Studies department. Coonerty teaches several courses including Civil Liberties in the Age of Terrorism; Jews, Anti-Semitism and the American Legal System; Law and Democracy; and Constitutional Law. In 2006, he began teaching courses at Cabrillo College
Cabrillo College
Cabrillo College is a public community college offering associate degrees and certificates in more than 70 fields of study such as: engineering, computer science, allied health , public safety, marine biology and the visual and performing arts. The college itself is named after the explorer Juan...
, also located in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
. Coonerty taught International Relations and American Government in the Political Science department at Cabrillo. Students gave Coonerty generally positive ratings on a website based on a set of qualifications such as helpfulness and clarity of instruction.
Politics
In 2004 and 2008, Coonerty was elected to four-year terms on the Santa Cruz City Council, finishing first in a field of 10 candidates in 2008. He served as mayor from November 2007 through 2008.In 2007, he considered running for the California State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...
for the seat of John Laird who was forced out by term limits. He opted out of the state race in April 2007.
As mayor in 2008, he served as the lead city negotiator in an agreement with the University of California Santa Cruz related to their Long Range Development Plan. The agreement ended half a dozen lawsuits. The agreement was adopted unanimously by the City Council, County Board of Supervisor and the citizen group. For this effort, he was profiled as a Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz Sentinel
The Santa Cruz Sentinel is a daily newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California, covering Santa Cruz County, California, and owned by MediaNews Group Inc....
Newsmaker of the Year in 2008. He also coauthored the Clean Oceans, Rivers and Beaches initiative which passed as an initiative in the November 2008 election. In 2008, he was selected to be a Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership at the Aspen Institute
Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1950 as the Aspen Institute of Humanistic Studies. The organization is dedicated to "fostering enlightened leadership, the appreciation of timeless ideas and values, and open-minded dialogue on contemporary issues." The...
.
He also served as mayor in 2011.
In 2011, he serves again as Mayor of Santa Cruz. 9] In his term, he has work to balance the city budget, launch the Mayor’s Academy and appoint a Technology Task Force to improve the use of technology by the city. As a result of this effort, Code for America Code for America
Code for America
Code for America is a non-partisan, non-political 5013 organization founded in 2009 to bring web-industry professionals to work with city governments in the United States in order to promote openness, participation, and efficiency in municipal governments....
selected Santa Cruz as one of its six partner cities in 2012.
In his terms on the Santa Cruz City Council, Coonerty expressed his intention to bring together labor union members, social service providers, environmentalists, and local businesspeople to promote innovative strategies to improve the quality of life in Santa Cruz. Some of his efforts have received national attention, including the creation of an Ayuda Linea (Help Line) for day laborers to report incidents of abuse. Coonerty led an effort to invest part of the City’s reserve funds in local financial institutions to stimulate the local economy — an effort praised by the National Center for Local Sustainability as a model practice. Coonerty also founded Santa Cruz NEXT, a non-partisan organization dedicated to engaging the next generation of Santa Cruzians in the civic life of the community. He continues to serve on the board.When gay marriage was legalized in California, Coonerty officiated several same sex marriages. He also voted to have the city join the lawsuits challenging Proposition 8 and supporting San Francisco's challenging the constitutional ban on same sex marriage.
Responding to complaints of illegal behavior in downtown Santa Cruz, Coonerty (with fellow council members Cynthia Mathews and Lynn Robinson) advocated for more police patrols with cooperation with merchants.
He also worked with local artists to streamline the city’s permitting process so that musicians could play in restaurants and cafes without having to seek a permit from the Police Department.
In 2011, Coonerty led the council in supporting a 125-room condominium and hotel project even though it was 14-feet taller than zoning limits permitted.
The California Coastal Commission
California Coastal Commission
The California Coastal Commission is a state agency in the U.S. state of California with quasi-judicial regulatory oversight over land use and public access in the California coastal zone....
voted against the project in August 2011.
NextSpace
In 2008, Coonerty co-founded and is the chief strategist of NextSpace Coworking + Innovation, a shared workspace with locations in Santa Cruz, Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco. Coonerty and NextSpace have been profiled by Fast Company ] as an example of a new approach to job creation and economic development. Coonerty and his business partner are frequently asked to write and speak about coworking and the future of work. Coonerty has spoken at Renaissance WeekendRenaissance Weekend
Renaissance Weekend is an American retreat for leaders in business and finance, government, the media, religion, medicine, science, technology and the arts. Conversations are off the record and subject matter ranges widely, tending to focus heavily on policy and business issues.-History:Founded in...
, the Local Government Commission Local Government Commission
Local Government Commission (Sacramento, California)
The Local Government Commission is a private, non-profit organization in Sacramento, California. Its website says it: "provides inspiration, technical assistance, and networking to local elected officials and other dedicated community leaders who are working to create healthy, walkable, and...
, CoreNet Global, and at the Founders’ Institute. In 2011, NextSpace announced that it had raised $700,000 in an equity round for expansion.
Etched in stone
Coonerty is the author of a book from National Geographic, entitled Etched in Stone – Enduring Words From Our Nation’s Monuments. The book chronicles America's aspirations by surveying the words engraved on 50 public spaces across the United States. The book features a foreword by historian Douglas BrinkleyDouglas Brinkley
Douglas Brinkley is an American author, professor of history at Rice University and a fellow at the James Baker Institute for Public Policy. Brinkley is the history commentator for CBS News and a contributing editor to the magazine Vanity Fair...
and photos from photographer Carol M. Highsmith
Carol M. Highsmith
Carol M. Highsmith is a photographer, author, and publisher who has photographed all 50 of the United States, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico for 30 years...
. Upon its release, Etched in Stone was profiled in the Wall Street Journal and Coonerty was interviewed on National Public Radio.
Criticism
Some business owners felt the increased law enforcement improved the area, while others called it a "crackdown" and "they didn't need to be so heavy-handed".When asked in April of 2005 if he thought he was more conservative than some of the older council members, Coonerty responded, "I think I have a fundamentally different outlook on the role of government, on important battles that need to be fought. A lot of people came of age in a time of direct conflict and the issues they were fighting were huge. Protecting the North Coast. Lighthouse Field. I believe we're in a different era. It's time to make the table a little bigger, to maybe not have big fights but instead look at a number of targeted policies. I don't see symbolic battles happening. I see it more about making sure the city operates within a set of core values in a way that brings more people into the process."
In 2006 Coonerty co-sponsored a law prohibiting loitering in Santa Cruz city-owned parking garages. The local newspaper Santa Cruz Sentinel
Santa Cruz Sentinel
The Santa Cruz Sentinel is a daily newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California, covering Santa Cruz County, California, and owned by MediaNews Group Inc....
quoted him as saying "Parking lots are meant for nothing more than parking cars and bikes".
In November 2007, Coonerty co-sponsored a law extending the loitering ban to all parking lots. The law came principally at the request of city staff, their union representatives, city Redevelopment Agency, and Santa Cruz Police Department.
In early 2006, Coonerty voiced support for Santa Cruz police after it was reported that undercover officers had infiltrated community meetings to organize a New Year's parade without obtaining a permit. Coonerty supported an internal investigation, which cleared the police of any wrongdoing. Coonerty stated, "The most important thing is to move forward and to design a policy that allows the police to do their job and at the same time protect civil liberties."
After the Sentinel noticed his supporters wrote an "admittedly glowing Wikipedia profile that they hoped might hook Web-savvy young voters.", he was quoted as saying "Given it all, I would rather just not have a Wikipedia page". Like many other politicians, including Hillary Clinton, Coonerty has struggled to stop the spread of misinformation as anyone can edit a page on wikipedia.