Jason Smith

Board Member

Jason grew up in Santa Cruz and is a proud husband and father of two children, both of whom have either graduated or are nearing graduation from Southern California state colleges. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice administration from Columbia Southern University and brings nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience to his role.

Jason’s career spans service as a police officer in the cities of Soledad and Capitola before joining the Gilroy Police Department in 2006. During his tenure in Gilroy, Jason has held numerous specialized assignments, including detective, hostage negotiator, and field training officer. Rising through the ranks, he was promoted to Captain in 2020 and has since overseen every division within the department.

Jason is a graduate of respected leadership programs such as the Sherman Block Leadership Institute (SLI) and California POST Command College. A proud alumnus of the Leadership Gilroy Class of 2017, he served on the Board of Directors from 2018 to 2023, contributing to the organization’s mission of developing community leaders.

In his spare time, Jason enjoys spending quality time with his family and following sports, especially football and basketball.