Ricardo Sanchez, CSLEA Foundation Treasurer
President - California Association of Law Enforcement Employees (CALEE)
Chief Financial Officer - California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA)
Ricardo Sanchez is starting his third decade in law enforcement on behalf of the people of California. He started his career with the former State Police department shortly before it was legislatively merged with the California Highway Patrol. Right afterwards, he joined the California Department of Motor Vehicles as an investigator.
During his 20 years with DMV, Mr. Sanchez has won numerous awards for his undercover work, including the Department’s gold and silver commendations. He has taught defense tactics to fellow sworn peace officer DMV investigators, as well as assisted his Department in educating Spanish-speaking Californians about identity theft.
In addition to his occupational duties, Mr. Sanchez’s professional ones include serving as Chief Financial Officer for the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA), which represents 7,000, police, fire, investigator, inspector, and emergency personnel employed by the state of California. He also serves as president of the CSLEA-affiliate California Association of Law Enforcement Employees, which represents a variety of public safety professionals at the state departments of Justice, Food and Agriculture, and Parks and Recreation, as well as at agencies such as Museum, Science, and Industry and the State Fair.
A native Californian, Mr. Sanchez was born in McFarland in Kern County. He grew up in Gilroy where he was a competitive wrestler, winning the Santa Clara County championship in 1979. He received an associate degree in criminal justice from Hartnell College in Monterey County and later a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management from Union Institute and University in Sacramento. Mr. Sanchez has attended the FBI Academy’s defensive tactics and range master training seminars in Ventura and he serves on the California Council of Criminal Justice.
For his community, Mr. Sanchez is a member of the San Benito County Fair Board and San Benito Masonic Lodge, where his portrait hangs next to the father of author John Steinbeck. He has also taught wrestling at the local junior high school.
