District Governor-Elect Brian Pellis is a lifelong resident of the Inland Empire and of Rotary District 5330. He was born at March Air Force Base Hospital in Riverside County and raised in Redlands. Brian was first introduced to Rotary in 1994 when he was selected by the Rotary Club of Yucaipa to participate in a Rotary Youth Exchange program in Newmarket, England. In 2020, Brian joined his current club—the Rotary Club of San Bernardino—which was founded in 1918 and is the oldest club in District 5330. He held several club-level positions including President, Director, Foundation Trustee, Program Chair, Sergeant-at-Arms, and author of his club’s weekly newsletter, the Orange Peal.

Brian’s commitment to volunteerism and the concept of Service Above Self took root in 1996, when he decided to attend the police academy and become a volunteer Reserve Police Officer with the San Bernardino Police Department. Over the next decade, Brian volunteered many of his weekends to serve as a Reserve Police Officer while he completed college and law school, and while practicing law as an attorney handling police civil rights litigation and employment law matters in state and federal courts. Brian was later appointed as the Acting Assistant Inspector General for the Los Angeles Police Commission where he was responsible for monitoring and oversight of LAPD operations. In 2008, Brian decided to make law enforcement his full-time career, working a wide variety of assignments as a police officer, serving in every division of the San Bernardino Police Department, and rising to the executive level of Police Captain. Following the conclusion of his law enforcement career in May 2024, Brian resumed practicing law and formed his own law practice in Redlands where he represents clients in estate planning and related matters.

Brian is a 1995 graduate of Yucaipa High School and he holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Government from Claremont McKenna College, a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) Degree from the University of Southern California, a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree from Loyola Law School, and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Wealth Management from Texas A&M University School of Law.

Five Fun Facts

1. Brian credits his approach to leadership to Captain Jean Luc Picard: stay calm, listen, respect every voice, and maintain integrity.
2. Brian enjoys traveling and visited 8 countries in 2026.
3. Brian loves animals and has two red Siberian Huskies named Kayuqtuq and Kunik, who are both proud members of the Polio Plus Kennel Klub.
4. Brian’s dream job would be exploring the world as a food critic and travel writer.
5. Brian’s athletic highlight was an unassisted triple play, achieved at age six while playing tee ball.