Editor’s note: Ricky Hoyt filed for candidacy on July 23. The Coronado News will consider publishing one letter to the editor from each candidate running in the November elections. Submit letters, no longer than 700 words, to sofie@thecoronadonews.com by Oct. 1 for consideration.
When the Navy brought me to Coronado in 2015 to serve at Naval Air Station North Island, I expected it to be another stop in my career. Instead, it became home.
I grew up in New Hampshire before attending the U.S. Naval Academy, where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Economics while competing in NCAA Division I cross country and track. I later earned my Masters of Business Administration from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. Throughout my Navy career, I’ve served as an H-60 helicopter pilot, V-22 Osprey production test pilot, instructor pilot, and department head, leading teams ranging from small divisions to hundreds of sailors. Along the way, I was given the call sign “Rabbit,” a name many friends and fellow aviators still know me by today.
I now continue to serve as a Navy Reserve V-22 Osprey pilot while also owning and operating a small business here in our community. Those experiences have reinforced the values of service, accountability, fiscal responsibility, and leadership that I hope to bring to the City Council.
While I’m proud of my military career, what inspired me to run for City Council isn’t my résumé — it’s this community.
It’s the community where my wife and I work, where we met, where we got engaged, and where we were married. But it’s also so much more to us. It’s the community where neighbors became front row of our wedding family, where Sunday summer evening concerts and Fourth of July celebrations became lifelong memories with lifelong friends, and where a duty station became the place we hope to call our forever home and raise a family.
Coronado is unlike any other city in America. We are home to Naval Air Station North Island — the birthplace of Naval Aviation — yet we also preserve the character of a true small town. We are a place where military families and longtime residents build lives together, where neighbors know one another, local businesses thrive, civic organizations are strong, and generations of people have invested in making this island extraordinary.
I often describe Coronado as the California exception. In a state that is constantly changing, Coronado has remained a community that values public safety, responsible stewardship, civic engagement, and an exceptional quality of life. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people care enough to protect what makes this city special.
I’m running for City Council because I want to give back to the community that has given my family so much.
Protecting Coronado’s quality of life means addressing the challenges that matter most to residents. My priorities are straightforward:
- Fighting for a permanent solution to the Tijuana sewage crisis.
- Improving traffic and pedestrian safety, including practical solutions to address e-bike challenges.
- Ensuring major infrastructure projects are planned responsibly, transparently, and with a long-term view toward future generations.
- Strengthening Coronado’s leadership role in working with regional governing agencies.
I also believe one of Coronado’s greatest strengths is its partnership with the United States Navy. For generations, military families and longtime residents have built this community together. Our children attend the same schools, we volunteer in the same organizations, we support the same local businesses, and we all share a common goal: preserving the community we love. Having served much of my career at Naval Air Station North Island while building a life in Coronado, I’ve experienced firsthand how important that partnership is to the future of our city.
I’ve been fortunate to become involved in the Coronado Rotary Club and other community organizations, and when I’m not flying or working, you’ll often find me out for a run enjoying the same streets, parks, and waterfront that make Coronado such a special place to live.
My commitment is simple: to protect what makes Coronado exceptional, improve what needs improving, and always put the long-term interests of our community first. I believe our responsibility isn’t simply to enjoy this incredible city, but to leave it even better for the next generation.
The Navy brought me here.
The people kept me here.
Now I’d be honored to give back by helping keep Coronado the California exception.
