VMS is pleased to announce that Eric Nuñez is joining the organization as director of security effective Monday, April 11, 2022. Mr. Nuñez replaces Carlos Rojas, who was recently promoted to director of operations in the CEO/General Manager’s Office.
Mr. Nuñez comes to VMS from the City of Los Alamitos, where he served as police chief for the past six years until retiring last month. Los Alamitos, which is similar in size and population to Laguna Woods Village, boasts low violent and property crime rates, indicating that public safety expectations center around quality-of-life issues, such as code enforcement, traffic safety, neighbor disputes and social services issues, as they do in the Village.
Geographically, Los Alamitos is adjacent to Rossmoor Seal Beach, a county island policed by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD). The Los Alamitos Police Department was often the first to respond to crimes in progress, providing Mr. Nuñez significant opportunity to build a level of great trust and partnership with OCSD, which will serve him well in his new role at Laguna Woods Village.
Before serving as Los Alamitos police chief, Mr. Nuñez spent 25 years with the City of La Palma, rising through the ranks from police officer to sergeant to captain and ultimately serving as that community’s police chief for six years. Mr. Nuñez also served as the La Palma emergency service coordinator, training and managing a large department-associated volunteer group and the Community Engagement Response Team. We look forward to his oversight of the Village Emergency Response Plan.
Mr. Nuñez holds a Bachelor of Science in public administration from the University of La Verne and an executive Master of Leadership from the University of Southern California. He teaches criminal justice at California State University, Long Beach and is a past president of the California Police Chiefs Association and the Orange County Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Association.
Mr. Nuñez, having served at the highest levels of law enforcement as a collaborator, an innovator and a leader, brings his signature competencies of leadership, risk management, community outreach, relationship building and emotional intelligence to enhance the quality of life for all Laguna Woods Village residents as our new director of security.
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