Meet Ed Musgrove

Ed has dedicated his life to public service.

After graduating from Poway High School, Ed joined the Army to serve his country. His first assignment took him to the Federal Republic of Germany, where he served in an Intelligence Unit. While he valued the experiences from his initial enlistment, Ed sought to broaden his horizons and reenlisted, securing an assignment in Texas. There, he worked in various roles before the Army leveraged his Top Secret clearance, reassigning him to a new mission.

It was during this pivotal assignment that Ed discovered his passion for law enforcement. Determined to pursue this path, he returned home to San Diego County to attend the sheriff’s academy. After graduating as a deputy sheriff, Ed gained valuable experience in diverse roles, including patrol, traffic, field training officer, and as a detective. His dedication and skill earned him a promotion to sergeant, where he supervised operations in the jails, on patrol, as an internal affairs investigator, and as the leader of a homicide detective team. He later advanced to the rank of lieutenant.

As a patrol lieutenant at the sheriff’s busiest station and later as the sheriff’s emergency response manager, Ed honed his leadership abilities. His promotion allowed him to take on roles in courts, personnel, and his most cherished assignment: serving as the Sheriff's Captain for the City of Santee. This role also included oversight of the communities of Lakeside, Flinn Springs, Alpine, Crest, unincorporated El Cajon, and primary responsibility for the Barona, Sycuan, and Viejas Indian reservations.

After retiring from the sheriff’s department, Ed transitioned into the private sector as the security manager for an international non-profit trade school in Carlsbad. He was later recruited to the Metropolitan Transit System, where he rose to the role of deputy director of transit security.

Throughout his career and beyond, Ed has been deeply involved in his community. He has volunteered with numerous non-profit boards, agencies, commissions, and committees in San Marcos, where he and his wife, Carole, reside. His work supporting regional governments sparked his interest in local governance, leading to his successful election to the San Marcos City Council in 2020.

In his continued service to the community, Ed serves on several local and regional committees and boards, focusing on initiatives that improve the quality of life for all residents. His dedication has earned commendations from local and regional leaders, the San Diego Sheriff, the American Legion, and the National Sheriff’s Association.

Ed holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in organizational leadership. He and Carole are proud parents of two grown daughters, both of whom live in North County.