July 21, 2010 - Lt. Tony Ruelas, a resident of Palmdale and an alumnus of CSUB - Antelope Valley, will be sworn in as San Fernando City's Police Chief on Aug. 2.

The 24-year veteran of the San Fernando Police Department credits his bachelor's in economics from CSUB-AV for preparing him to lead the business side of operating the public service organization. He also holds a master's of business administration from UC Irvine.

"Law enforcement is being asked to conduct itself more like a business. We are being asked to do more with less and to be concerned with issues such as return on investment," Ruelas said.

His business education and experience certainly impressed city officials.

"I was particularly impressed with Lieutenant Ruelas' can-do attitude and innovative proposals to address our shrinking city budget without compromising citizen safety," said San Fernando Mayor Mario Hernandez in a police department press release. "His talents and leadership skills will serve the department and city well."

The new chief has served every assignment within the department including patrol, training officer, detective and sergeant. Most recently, he has been Lieutenant of Support Services, overseeing the department's day-to-day activities. He has also served two tours of duty in the U.S Marine Corps and is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute.

Ruelas, 48, said his wife and three children have been very supportive over the years as he commuted to his full-time job with the police department and attained his higher degrees. He started at Antelope Valley College in 1998, attended CSUB-AV from 2004 to 2008, then commuted to UC Irvine for his MBA, which he finished last month.

Ruelas said he felt ahead of the curve at UC Irvine because of the high quality of his bachelor's program.

"I can't emphasize enough how much I appreciate the economic training I received at CSUB-AV," he said.