Jon Lewis brings over 30 years of municipal government experience to Bob Murray and Associates. Jon began his career in public service in 1991 with the City of Newport Beach, an iconic coastal community of 53 square miles in Southern California. After successfully working his way through the ranks of the Police Department, he honorably retired in December of 2022 after serving as the Chief of Police for nearly seven years. Jon is known for his commitment to selfless service, ethical leadership and maintaining longstanding community partnerships. During his tenure as Chief of Police, the Newport Beach Police Department achieved reduction in crime to historic lows through effective, data-driven community policing strategies as well as excellence in emergency response and 911 call answer times. The Department developed innovative wellness initiatives in collaboration with national experts, fostering morale, productivity and unparalleled police service. Jon developed recruiting and promotional processes that successfully identified hundreds of talented candidates committed to maintaining a standard of greatness in the organization.
Jon graduated with honors from California State University Long Beach with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice and Speech Communication, and holds a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Chapman University. He is a graduate of several advanced law enforcement training courses including the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Command College. Jon has authored two university-level textbooks in criminal justice and is an instructor with the Center for Criminal Justice Research and Training at California State University Long Beach.
Jon has held executive leadership positions at the local, county and state levels including: Orange County Chiefs’ and Sheriff’s Association President, the Orange County Commission to End Homelessness and the California Police Chiefs Association Board of Directors. He also was selected by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) as a subject matter expert with the Collaborative Reform Initiative. He is a member of the International Executive Council, a global organization of highly diverse business leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators making a positive impact in business and a lasting difference in our world. Jon volunteers as a member of the Visit Newport Beach Executive Committee and serves on the Mary’s Path Advisory Council, a nationally accredited residential therapeutic program for pregnant and parenting youth from the foster care system.
He and his wife, Darcy, have two children and reside in Orange County.
