April 1

No fooling, the Cesar Chavez breakfast presented by the Bomberos de San Diego was a great opportunity to learn more about their volunteer work in the community. The most recent was to beautify Cesar Chavez Elementary. Thanks to SDG&E for the invitation and Warren Ruiz.

Later that morning, I participated in the press conference to announce the work of Census 2020 and the CountMe2020 Coalition. United Way was awarded the contract from the State to do education and outreach to the hard-to-count populations throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties. The census information is used to determine federal funding allocations such as SNAP (food stamps) and Medicare, which are important to our family stability work. We will align the more than 100+ community partners to ensure we are leveraging the underfunded resources to determine the most complete and accurate count possible. Many thanks to Supervisor Nathan Fletcher for kicking off the press conference and for his support for this project.

April 3

What a great way to start my morning meeting with Rosa Ana Lozada, Executive Director, Harmonium. She is promoting wellbeing and self-sufficiency in children, young adults, and families. Her dedication—not only to her organization but to the betterment of our community—was evident in our discussion. I also learned more about the existing collaboration of organizations exploring opportunities to transform systems.

I got to catch up with Donnie Dee, CEO, Rescue Mission, and learn about the broad range of services they are offering. It was a great chance to recall my first experiences at Rescue Mission as they opened their Children’s Center to provide educational opportunities for the children of the homeless who were there for the day. I can only imagine that this early trauma will impact their ability to be ready for kindergarten, but thankfully they the Children’s Center to prepare them.

That evening I participated in a learning discussion with the ACLU and the Museum of Man about Race, Equity, and Privilege. This is such an important topic that can bring up many memories, experiences, and emotions. We will not be able to fully address inequities in our community without holding such open and honest conversations.

April 4

Along with other community leaders, I was asked to participate on Bank of America’s Student Leaders Selection Committee. We read applications from area Juniors and Seniors that confirmed my hope for the future leaders from San Diego. It was a hard decision, but I look forward to watching these young people learn and grow during this experience!

This afternoon I met with Dorothy Zirkle and staff from Santana High School. I was surprised to have a conversation with them about the ongoing traumatic effects this community has endured after experiencing a school shooting in 2001. As a close-knit community, the kids in junior high are the kids of the survivors of that horrific tragedy. The question we pondered was whether the annual commemoration of the shooting was re-traumatizing not only the parents but also the community overall. Feedback from the junior high kids shows some fear of going to Santana High. Have other incidences of such magnitude had the same experience years later?

April 5

Oh my, 6:00 a.m. is really early to be on camera ready and talking! This morning, San Diego Unified School District Superintendent, Cindy Marten, and I were at KUSI studios to talk about Saturday’s event with free pre-school registration and free tax preparation for Earned Income Tax Credits. Many people don’t know about either, and many are missing out on federal and state tax refunds!

April 6

Busy day— I stopped by Chollas Mead Elementary School to see how the event was going. By the time I left, over 100 people had stopped by to learn about free pre-school and to have their taxes done to determine if they were eligible for Earned Income Tax Credits. Feeding San Diego provided fruit and potatoes, and many enjoyed other refreshments as well.

That evening, I attended the reception for Home Start to show our support for the housing they provide, especially for single moms and their kids. I left just in time to make the dinner for the National Conflict Resolution Center, hosted by Bank of America’s Mia Spano. Bank of America has been a long-time supporter of United Way with grants and workplace giving opportunities.

April 8-10

Ian Gordon, Chief Impact Officer, and I attended the ASUGSV Summit in San Diego. It was our first time attending this meeting, and from my perspective, I was really impressed. ASUGSV stands for Arizona State University Global Silicon Valley. Although there was a heavy emphasis on higher education, there was also a new (apparently) interest in early childhood learning. My favorite Sesame Street character – Elmo – was there. (I must admit: it’s a close race with Ernie!) They talked about how much has changed and how much has stayed the same on Sesame Street in the 50 years since it started. One of my favorite discussion panels was with Andre Agassi. Not only because I loved watching him play tennis, but also because of his journey and his role in opening his education academies. One interesting thing he said (among many) was that he isn’t a proponent of charter schools … just the 15% that outperform their public school counterparts.

April 8

A fun event to watch the March Madness finals with Insperity at Ballast Point this evening. It was a great way to network with other businesses and nonprofits while Insperity staff also raise funds to distribute to their nonprofit partners.

April 13

Working with community partners on family stability, I stopped by the Feeding San Diego event in Encinitas. Their “Pairing with a Purpose” event raises funds for the food that is distributed to those facing food insecurity. Over 420,000 people in our community are unsure where their next meal will come from. Leveraging our resources is what it will take to make a difference!

April 15

I’ve had the opportunity to work with Jeff Wiemann for many years. As the CEO at Angels Foster Family Network, he has a singular focus on the foster children from 0–5 years of age. We caught up today so I could learn more about the work happening in our community for this age group. He gave me homework: Reading materials to bring me up-to-speed. So much collaboration is already happening in this area, yet still, I see some needs where United Way could align goals and leverage resources!

I ended the day at the San Diego Zoo (no, it wasn’t to say goodbye to the pandas, although I was secretly hoping I could! Instead, the San Diego Zoo commissioned Blair Search Partners to conduct a compensation survey of the largest nonprofit organizations. The focus was on the CEO and fundraising positions. Presented by Trevor Blair, Principal & Founder, and Liliane Lendvai, Director, the findings have already been used to adjust compensation in line with the market. It was also great to have such a discussion with other like-sized organizations.

April 16

Many thanks to UC San Diego – specifically Zachary Schlagel and David Mier – for the invitation to the Padres game tonight! Although they didn’t win, it was great to meet up with others including Vernita Gutierrez, Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest; Nancy Maldonado, Chicano Federation; Jesse – friend of Zach’s; and Jonathan Castillo, PATH San Diego!

April 17

Lots of meetings today, but one I’ve never been to was Casa Cornelia. I’ve heard a lot about their work with asylum seekers, and they have certainly risen to the top of the news! I was impressed with the work they are doing, the problems they overcome, and the special circumstances that impact those seeking asylum in our country. My concern is definitely with the children, who have experienced unfathomable trauma, and who will end up in our education system without having that trauma addressed. The children’s ability to learn and thrive is greatly impacted. We must come together to align our strategies to serve these children, young adults, and families.

April 18

With the theme of Buzz Lightyear – To Infinity & Beyond – all staff at United Way of San Diego County spent most of the day testing and practicing our new messages, learning about new business strategies, bonding/team building, and hearing firsthand about the breakfast presentation and volunteer opportunities!

Alicia Quinn, VP of New Business Strategies, and I also went to hear about Innovation City at the Third Thirsty Impact Thursday gathering. The San Diego Impact Investors Network brings impact investors together to learn about innovative programs in our community. As we look at new business strategies for United Way, we always want to be in the loop with what’s happening!

April 23

Alicia Quinn and I visited at San Diego Oasis in the Grossmont Shopping Center. Once again, I was amazed at the number of programs they are providing for older adults – not only in La Mesa but throughout the County! Alicia & I jumped in on a dance class, but quickly realized we would gain more by talking through potential partnerships with CEO, Simone Valanciute, and VP External Relations, Jolyn Parker. Currently, they have 700+ volunteers, who they have trained to be tutors, working with students to build confidence and success in school!

I also met with Prabha Singh to learn more about her search for the right place that utilizes her strengths and experience. It was impressive to hear how well connected she is and the variety of programs she has worked with, especially in the HIV area. I hope some of my suggestions will be helpful!

I ended the day with Ian Gordon, Chief Impact Officer, at Community Housing Works in National City. Their 201 units at Paradise Creek are offering not only housing but also learning programs for kids who aren’t at grade level, health and wellness activities, plus education experiences for the older adults. I told them about the programs offered by San Diego Oasis and – who knows? – maybe there’s a partnership in the making!

April 24

Congratulations to 211/CIE San Diego for hosting an amazing summit this week. I was invited to participate as a panel moderator on the topic of Mobilizing a Community for Transformational Change. Panel participants included 211 staff Tanissha Harrell and Roxanne Suarez as well as Kenneth Robinson, Cecelia Johnson-Powell from United Way of the Mid-South (Memphis) and Alisa Haushalter from theShelby County Health Department (Memphis). The conversation focused on what it takes to foster person-centered care across a community and service delivery ecosystem.

In the afternoon a small group of us – Sean Kerafin, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, and Haney Hong, San Diego Taxpayers Association, met with representatives from Corporation for SupportiveHousing to discuss the strategic plan they have been contracted to provide for the San Diego Housing Commission on behalf of the City of San Diego. Insights, hope, and frustrations were all expressed in an effort to create a unified plan that our community can get behind and implement!

April 25

What an honor! I was asked to emcee a short program at the CIE Summit this evening! I got to welcome the guests who had come to the conference from 35 different states! I also introduced Supervisor Greg Cox, a longtime champion of 211, and Councilmember Chris Ward, also a champion for 211! Finally, I introduced CEO John Ohanian who closed out the brief program. After the reception, Jim Woods, VP of Resource Development, Alicia Quinn, VP of New Business Strategies, and I met up with our colleagues from United Way of St. Louis. We took the opportunity to learn more about some of their new business strategies, and how they implemented them at their organization.

Mar 1

Today we celebrated Read Across America Day in celebration of Dr. Seuss’s birthday! I was at Edison Elementary School and tagged along with Xiomara Arroyo from Wells Fargo while she read to the students. The book she read was about sharks and she asked the kids about their favorite shark at the end of the book!

That evening I caught up with Nancy Jamison, former CEO at San Diego Grantmakers. Although she is enjoying her retirement for now, I will be excited to see where she lands next. Her insights and invaluable perspective on the role of philanthropy will always be important to our community.

Mar 2

Congratulations to Nancy Maldonado on her appointment as the CEO of the Chicano Federation! Many thanks to hosts Mario and Linda Sierra for opening their home and to Chicano Federation board chair, Ted Martinez, and his wife, Lidia Martinez, Community Affairs & Grassroots Manager at Southwest Airlines, for their leadership. I’m looking forward to finding ways to partner with Chicano Federation, especially around early childhood success.

Mar 4

We celebrated Employee Appreciation Day one workday late. Pizza and board games livened up the party! I work with the best staff. They are hardworking and very dedicated to our mission!

Although I’ve been asked to meet with someone exploring the nonprofit area, it was a first to be asked to be shadowed! Diana Grant-Davie, Department Assistant in the Offices of Strengths and Vocation at Point Loma Nazarene University, accompanied me to two of my meetings today. One was a conference call with United Way Worldwide talking about next steps after CEO Brian Gallagher’s visit to the border. The second meeting was to talk about the upcoming breakfast and some of the strategies we are considering. I hope it was useful for her!

I closed the day having happy hour with Don Stump, CEO, North County Lifeline. As we’re looking to bring our work and strengths to all areas of the county, I wanted to get Don’s feedback on what’s going on in education in his area. We’ve ended our relationship with the Vista Partnership for Children as Vista Unified School District begins to coordinate more of those activities.

Mar 5

Jim Woods, VP Resource Development, and I headed north to meet with GEICO leadership this morning. As a real all-time first, we were turned away because the road was blocked due to a gas leak! Come to find out that the gas leak was at GEICO! Timing is everything and we will reschedule…

But we were successful in meeting with Manuel Rodriguez, Market President; Rockette Ewell, Community Development Manager Southern CA; and Jennifer Roane, District Manager at US Bank. Their workplace campaign reaches 100 of their staff, so we explored ways of reaching even more and bringing in some employee volunteer/employee engagement options as well. I’m really looking forward to our upcoming campaigns!

Mar 6

Oh so fun to meet up with Ginny Merrifield, to get her feedback on our salon strategy, and learn more about her insights to the work at United Way. I’ve been working with Ginny since her days at the Gary & Mary West Foundation and my days at Alliance Healthcare Foundation. Once again, we find ourselves in a place where we have mutual and overlapping ideas of how we can have a greater impact!

I also met up with Andrea Yoder Clark, Senior Director, Marketing Analytics, Bridgepoint Education, to get more insights into what she’s doing and how we can use data to drive decisions. Ian Gordon, Chief Impact Officer and I are exploring ways we can either expand our data capabilities or work with our community to connect with data resources.

Mar 7

I just recently joined the board at 211 San Diego, though I’ve been connected to the work of 211 since 2011. Did you know that in most United Ways, 211 is an internal program? Some years ago, we separated company, but it still makes a lot of sense for us to be working together. Thanks Jon Grissom, Board Chair, John Ohanian, CEO, and Bill York, EVP, for the orientation today!

Mar 8

Jim Woods, VP Resource Development and I met with Brian Newman, Regional Vice President for Enterprise, this morning. We explored ways to introduce more of the district staff to the benefits of United Way as well as ways to encourage giving.

Mar 11

My first meeting with the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Execs Connect! Definitely an impressive group of leaders meeting over dinner to learn about some of the issues we are all facing. Tonight’s guest speaker was Mayor Kevin Faulconer. I had the opportunity to network with many business leaders, many of whom know about the work of United Way. Many thanks to Rana Sampson, Community Relations Ambassador at Union Bank, for shepherding me through my first meeting! Did you know the mayor likes to sail?

Mar 12

Jim Woods, VP of Resource Development and I met with Chris Henn at the Wawanesa offices this morning. Their services focus on California and especially Southern CA! They have a very active campaign with United Way and we explored ways to do more with them and their employees!

Mar 13

When a United Way colleague in South Dakota asked me to talk with his daughter about working in the nonprofit field in San Diego, it was my pleasure to help. I met with Betsy Powell today who is looking to transfer her education in kinesiology into the world of nonprofits! Of course, I thought of all the great organizations creating active lifestyles for the people they’re working with. Our whole community benefits when we’re able to keep talent in our region!

Mar 14

This morning I presented before our Emerging Leaders group to talk about our work with the brand assessment survey, messaging, and shaping a direction for the organization into the future. I tailored the presentation to talk about how I was creating and thinking about the work that needed to be done from a leadership perspective. Hopefully, I imparted some useful tools for them to use in their leadership positions!

Mar 15

Ian Gordon, Chief Impact Officer and I had lunch with Nancy Gannon Hornberger, CEO, SAY San Diego. I have been in this role for six months now and I am still learning about our partnerships in the community. I’m learning many positives and also some lessons about how we can be strong partners with community organizations. SAY San Diego has been our partner since the beginning of the Partnership for Children and more recently with the Census 2020 work. Thank you SAY San Diego!

I also met with Executive Coach David Highly who is looking to give back to the nonprofit community, especially in organizations working with children. Thank you, Pat Libby, for sending David my way! I hope I was able to give him some good leads for pro bono executive coaching…

This afternoon we celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in the office. All week the Employee Action Team hid a leprechaun in the office, and staff were encouraged to take a selfie with the leprechaun. Your selfie was your entry for a prize drawing at the celebration. Thank you to Mitchell for leading the effort!

Mar 18

I caught up with Jose Cruz, CEO, San Diego Council on Literacy, this afternoon at his office in Mission Valley. The work he is doing envisioning literacy for all is directly related to the work United Way is doing in partnership with other organizations.

Mar 20

Back when I was with the Foundation, I was looking for a SME (small-medium enterprise) on foster children that was not conflicted with one of the applicants. I was connected to a woman named Sarah Pauter! Sarah, the CEO of Phenomenal Families, and a real dynamite leader in our community. We had a chance to grab some lunch today and talk about foster care and her passion for making the system work for the children and youth it is trying to serve. I look forward to seeing what she creates for herself and the results of her tireless enthusiasm for making a difference!

Many thanks to Paul Johnson, Union Bank, for the invitation to join his table at the Kyoto Prize ceremony. I was so impressed with the innovation and accomplishments of those receiving the awards. The young people who were given scholarships were just as impressive! Most had started a nonprofit, many had created products that were innovative, less costly to make and more transportable, as well as exploring complex issues and asking provocative, in-depth questions!

Mar 21

This morning I hosted a “Kearny Mesa Nonprofit District” breakfast! As I’m new to this area in my role, and as others have moved into the area, I thought it would be fun to meet each other. Many thanks to Michael Hopkins, Jewish Family Service; Dan Chavez, San Diego Health Connect; Teresa Stivers Liong, Walden Family Services; Adama Dyoniziak, Champions for Health; Beth Sirull, Jewish Community Foundation; Ed Quinlan, CHIP; Deb Martin, ElderHelp; Sean Mahoney, American Red Cross; Stephanie Ortega, COO, Promises2Kids; and me!

Mar 22

Mel & Linda Katz are community connectors extraordinaire! Today they hosted a table at the Las Manitas Breakfast focused on the Ceasar Chavez Service Clubs and the Chavinistas work in many schools around the county. Once again, I was impressed with the talents and strengths of these young people!

Mar 25

Many years ago, I used to work with Tad Parzen when he was starting the City Heights Partnership for Children. It’s funny how some people come back into your life after years pass by. It was great to tell Tad about all the things I am doing at United Way in my new role. Getting his insights is always welcome as well.

Mar 26

I attended my first meeting of the Count Me 2020 coalition today with Michele Silverthornleading the collaborative. It was great to see so many familiar faces in the group and to meet so many new people. Michele confirmed the contract award to the coalition to do the outreach needed to ensure the hard-to-count populations are included in the 2020 census. There was also great input from the community as it becomes more and more clear that we are all committed to doing this work, but the dollars still fall short. That said, this is the first time the State has allocated money just for the education and outreach effort! Working groups were also established, and more will be coming back to the full coalition. If you want to get involved, please email Michele at .

Mar 27

I missed the opportunity to join the #WomenUnited group at the Women Who Wine on Wednesday get-together! If you don’t want to miss out on all the wonderful activities of Women United, make sure you join here.

Mar 28

A few months ago, I met Haney Hong, CEO, San Diego County Taxpayers Association, at a meeting. We agreed to get together and today was the day! It was good to learn more about what the Taxpayers Association is doing and how they have changed over the years. I’m starting to hear about more and more organizations that are re-evaluating their role, re-positioning themselves in the community, and clarifying their messages. The more I talk with them, the more I learn about the continuum and pathway we each follow to do this work! Are you on this pathway, too?

Many thanks to California Bank & Trust and especially Jacob Richards for the invitation to Opening Day with the Padres! I was hoping to see a hit by Manny Machado, but I will definitely settle for a WIN!

After the game, I changed and headed over to the Educational Cultural Center to hear Senator Toni Atkins and others talk about the priorities in the State budget. I’m definitely keeping my eye on the strategies that will be developing in the budget regarding early childhood education and career pathways!

Mar 29

Congratulations to Laura Kohn, San Diego Workforce Partnership, for bringing together the coalition addressing career pathways and childcare needs with Third Sector. Much more to come from this group as they outline the areas of greatest need and the strategies to address them.

More congratulations are in order for my former colleague, Nancy Jamison, who was honored today as a Girl Scouts “Cool Woman”! Nancy has been an impressive leader and visionary in our community as she led San Diego Grantmakers. It was also impressive to hear from the Girl Scouts about their goals and activities. Creating pathways for young people to learn from cradle to career needs to be as smooth and efficient as possible!

Fresh Starts and New Beginnings

January 1

Sports fan? I’m a huge Texas Longhorn fan – Hook ’em! Texas played Georgia in the Sugar Bowl – aw honey, honey – and won! They came out strong and stayed strong throughout the game. What a great way to start the new year!

January 3

It’s a quiet week but what a great lunch meeting today with Jodi Jacobson, CEO of Rewire.News. My former colleague and friend, Bryan Howard, email introduced us and suggested we meet while she was in town. Jodi was visiting so she could volunteer with organizations working along the border. She loves to get outdoors as well, so there could be a hike in my future!

Week of January 7-11

This week I’m in Alexandria, VA, for the United Way Worldwide’s (UWW) New President’s Forum. It’s my opportunity to hear from the leaders at UWW about Worldwide’s direction, goals, and future. I also got to meet many of my new colleagues. We have over 1100 United Ways in this country—from 2 to 240—and over 1400 worldwide! Of course, the work and challenge can be similar but the resources available determine each local United Way’s ability to address them. We heard from Brian Gallagher, CEO, UWW, and Mary Sellers, U.S. President, UWW. A lot of discussion focused on digital strategies and brand requirements. We also spent a morning on “The Hill” talking with Congress members and their staff. We are so fortunate in CA to have support from our elected officials around education, health, and economic mobility. The common challenge we heard was making our issues relevant to the opposition, especially on the financial impact.

January 11

Have you heard about San Diego Fleet? A charter member of the Alliance of American Football, San Diego Fleet will be playing in the SDCCU stadium beginning with their first home game on Sunday, February 17. Today, Ryan Morris, Interim VP of Marketing; Alli Temnick, Senior Development Executive; and I met with representatives from the team – Justin Kirk & Carly Mitchell. We looking forward to partnering with them for team member engagement and fan participation. We also talked about hosting an event with our Emerging Leaders at the stadium. It would be a great opportunity to discuss the challenges and successes for introducing a new business to a new community, which can be an essential part of leadership!

January 14

The California Endowment hosted a meeting today in Los Angeles to discuss “Mobilizing Philanthropy for Census 2020.” Governor Newson has put additional funding into the budget to conduct the Census, but more money is needed to tally the hard-to-count populations. The Census is important to all of us because it can impact our representation in the House of Representatives. It also is used to determine funding for programs such as SNAP, Section 8 Housing, Medicare/MediCal, and Transportation. Many foundations have committed funding to support a more in-depth census count for 2020. The work needs to start now!

January 15

This afternoon, Ian Gordon, Chief Impact Officer, and I met with James Wright, CEO, Classroom of the Future Foundation, to talk about a potential partnership with United Way. CFF has piloted a project at Clairemont High School—along with the Moxie Foundation and San Diego Unified School District—to not only transform the school facility but to also change the curricula strategies. Students now select between 4 academies (Business, Engineering Design, Health & Medical Sciences, and Information Technology) where they engage in more experiential learning. Ensuring students are on a pathway for educational success is just one of the ways United Way is working in San Diego County.

That evening, a series of meetings and events took place, starting with a conversation about a possible role for United Way to play coordinating the Census efforts for San Diego County. Senator Toni Atkins staff, Pamela Ison & Chevelle Tate, spent some time with me talking about the role of the Administrative Community Based Organization (ACBO). It sounds intriguing and is a role UWSD has played in our community – convening and coordinating the efforts of a collaborative network to accomplish a common goal. More to come on this progress.

I followed that meeting with the San Diego Central Library Foundation’s reception, hosted by CEO, Jay Hill. Of course, access to books is an essential part of learning success for children. If students are not at 3rd-grade reading level by the end of the 3^rd grade, they are 4 times less likely to finish high school on time!

That was immediately followed by Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s State of the City Address. His main points focused on housing, lifting up communities, and the environment. These points also addressed the family stability work we are doing through our Unions United program. This program provides support for food, rent, and mortgage payments as well as utility bills. We also fund our partners working throughout the County to help families access much-needed benefits, including the Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC). Through this work, our partners have helped bring over $40M to San Diego County families.

January 16

I caught up with Larry Kesslin, CEO, Corporate Alliance, to learn more about his idea for legacy mentoring. Connecting young adults to more seasoned professionals to mentor and learn together also supports young adults moving into college or career pathways.

January 17

Today I was meeting with Christy Rosenberg and Cheryl Moder to learn more about how they are creating a partner network for their efforts with the Accountable Communities of Health (ACH). Since our role is to bring networks together to transform shared systems, we are exploring the role United Way might have in their work.

This evening, I took our Board of Directors to dinner at Eclipse Chocolates! It was a great time for us to learn more about each other in an informal setting. I learned the following about members: one competed in rollerblading competitions (skating on railings etc.), one had a great-great-grandfather on The Titanic, one was in school in Iran the day the Iran revolution happened, one has read all the Jack Reacher series of books, and so much more.

January 18

Many thanks to my friend, Peter Callstrom, CEO, Workforce Partnership, for inviting me to participate with other CEOs to talk about issues impacting downtown. Hosted by Betsy Brennan, CEO, Downtown San Diego Partnership, and Rip Rippetoe, CEO, San Diego Convention Center, we shared ideas and concerns and heard from the Mayor’s office about his State of the City address.

Jim Woods, VP Resource Development, and I met with Dr. Bob Brower, President, Point Loma Nazarene University, to hear his perspectives on young adults, changing ideas, and the impact on the education pathway in the future. We share a common interest in ensuring our recent high school graduates are well prepared for the future they will face when they choose either college or career.

For lunch, I headed to the Educational Cultural Complex to learn about issues around homelessness and education, presented by the San Diego Community College District. We were welcomed by San Diego Community College District Chancellor, Constance M. Carroll, Ph.D., and San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE) President, Carlos O. Turner Cortez, Ph.D. In 2018, 12 men were selected from the San Diego Rescue Mission to attend the SDCE campus and pursue free training programs in plumbing; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC); welding; and office assistance.

January 22

Ian Gordon & I met with Omar Passons, Director of Integrative Services, HHSA, to hear how he is shaping this new role and effort. We have a mutual interest in the success of children and young adults throughout the educational pathway so they can thrive in our community. We will continue to talk about how we can integrate and align our work with theirs in the coming months.

Which, of course, means we should meet with Alethea Arguilez, Director of First 5! Alethea has an impressive background with Head Start and First 5, which gives her an excellent understanding of the needs of children as well as the non-profit service providers. As we all face funding decisions, we hope to find ways to work together to reduce duplication and to support each other’s direction.

Have you heard of Journey’s Map? It’s a technology tool that can help people figure out the pathway that will get them to their employment goals. I met with Scott Sibley and Drew Schlosberg for a demo of the tool. Information provided helps a person learn which school topics will best position them for their dream job while also giving them an idea of similar jobs. In our college-to-career readiness program, this could be a great tool for our partners to use.

January 23

A big day for me and United Way! We held our board retreat at Ashford University to talk about my vision for United Way. We talked systems, our role, and our messaging draft. You’ll hear more about our work in the days to come, but I was excited about the board engagement and participation in the discussion. This was a big step in our work to align the message, the board, the staff, and the community!

This afternoon I met with Connie Matsui, Interim CEO, San Diego Foundation, to tell her about our alignment work and get her feedback. She has some great perspectives on where we can play a role, especially as it relates to families and children and how they can thrive in our community!

January 24

As I continue to listen to people in our community talk about United Way’s role, I enjoyed meeting up with Jim Floros, CEO, Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank. Jim has a long history with United Way, and it was great to get both the history and his perspective. He always sparks my innovative thoughts about how to partner with education success and food insecurities…

This evening I attended the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce’s Business Mixer hosted by our new football team – San Diego Fleet! We got down on the field and enjoyed great company and good food. Alicia Quinn, VP of New Business Strategies, attended with me as we continue to explore ways to partner with San Diego Fleet, much like United Ways partner with the NFL in other cities. My goal: meet Hines Ward! I have always loved his smile…

January 28

I spent the day in Riverside at the gorgeous Mission Inn for the United Ways of California statewide meeting. Hosted by Pete Manzo, Director of United Way of California, we heard about the national and state strategies, learned from each other how to respond to disasters when you and your staff are also experiencing that disaster, and how to diversify the ways we conduct our fundraising efforts. It was great to meet my colleagues in the State. 

January 29

Torrey Albertazzi, Senior Impact Manager, Ian Gordon, Chief Impact Officer, and I met with Rob Podlogar, CEO, Siemer Institute, to find out about their current funding strategies. United Way had a partnership with Siemer a few years ago, and we are exploring ways to partner again! Siemer is strategic about multi-generational strategies to address student mobility—hopefully, reducing the need to change schools—and educational success.

That evening I caught up with Nelli Garton, Founder of Tablecloth, a company that uses real-time software for impact, measurement, and evaluation. Given the role that the collection and analysis of data will play in United Way’s future efforts, it is important that we also know what is already taking place in our community that will inform future partnerships.

January 30

Many thanks to United Way board member Dr. Wendy Hunter and her husband, Greg Hunter, CEO, Hunter Industries (a long time United Way workplace campaign partner) for opening their home for our first community salon. In my effort to align our work at United Way, I believe it is also important to listen to the community and get feedback along the way. We rolled out our vision, mission, role, and work along with draft messaging to this small but very engaged group. I look forward to hearing from more community members throughout the month of February.

Lucky for me, I get to mix celebration with United Way’s focus on education & family stability. This month, that included honoring an elementary school’s outstanding everyday attendance rate (Go, Franklin!), lauding the efforts of the Partnership for Children’s own efforts in attendance improvement, and, most significantly for this season, helping our neighbors in need by co-hosting the annual Food & Toy Distribution at the Stadium with our partners and friends at the Labor Council. Read more about these and the other ways we’re connecting United Way to the community.

Dec 1

Alberto Cortez, CEO, Mama’s Kitchen, hosted the annual tree lighting on World AIDS Day at the Plaza on 5^th Avenue. It’s always a great turnout with elected officials – Representative Scott Peters; Speaker Pro Tempore, Toni Atkins; Assemblymember Todd Gloria, via video; Supervisor Ron Roberts; Councilmembers Barbara Bry, Chris Cate, Chris Ward; and school board member Kevin Beiser – also the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence; Dr. Adam Zweig and the Gay Men’s Chorus; and Ed Quinlan, CEO, CHIP. This tree lighting is a particularly special event as it honors those we have lost to this disease as well as it celebrates the progress in treatment and prevention options.

Dec 3

Oh, what a fun morning! We celebrated the 97.15% attendance record at Franklin Elementary! United Way’s Attendance HEROs – Here, Every day, Ready and On Time – dressed up as superheroes and greeted students as they arrived at school…celebrating the fact that they were at school. At the assembly, we cheered their winning attendance record out of 16 participating schools. And as if that wasn’t enough, we also joined them in their classrooms to honor the teachers who come every day, ready to teach the students. Our thanks to staff and volunteers who made this such a special day!

Dec 4

This morning was dedicated to learning more about the work at Classroom of the Future Foundation. This pilot project at Clairemont High School, with funding from the Moxie Foundation and SDUSD, transforms the way students are taught. Students learn by using experimental projects, hands-on opportunities that put their learning into practice, making education more relevant. Divided into four academies, students are more engaged in areas they have interest. Now, the foundation is ready to do this again – and again – to bring it to scale! Congratulations, James Wright, CEO, for a successful project and informative meeting today. I look forward to our upcoming one-on-one meeting.

For lunch, I joined many community members at the Metro Region Career Centers to learn more about Opportunity Zones. Hosted by Robert Foster, Director of San Diego Impact Investors Network of San Diego Grantmakers, we learned about the history and the future possibilities for San Diego.

Later in the afternoon, Ian Gordon and I traveled to Oceanside to meet with Dr. Sunny Cooke on the campus of MiraCosta College. We learned about the campus students’ expanding needs and the unfunded services MiraCosta offers. In my previous work, areas that surfaced were the mental health support needed as well as food insecurities.

And in the evening I joined a whole host of others at the annual San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce holiday event at the Hotel Del Coronado! Awesome event, Jerry Sanders, CEO, SD Regional Chamber of Commerce!

Dec 5

I started my day with a breakfast with Kim Becker, CEO, San Diego Airport Authority, and Nancy Jamison, CEO, San Diego Grantmakers. Sometimes it’s good to join others for informal conversation and life outside of work!

Two events tonight – ‘Tis the season #1! First, I celebrated with Supervisor Ron Roberts as he ends his term on the Board of Supervisors. I have enjoyed my work with him in a variety of areas and most especially in his leadership role with the Regional Task Force on Homelessness. I’ll miss working with him but hope our paths will cross in the future. The second event was with one of United Way’s affinity groups, Women United (formerly Women’s Leadership Council), at Kendra Scott. So many reasons to be here – supporting their effort to raise funds for United Way and because Kendra Scott is from Austin, Texas, and a University of Texas grad!

Dec 6

Back in September, I attended the Strive Together conference. One morning I was headed to a session when I heard someone trying to get into the hotel through a door that was still locked without a guest key. I opened the door for her and lo and behold it was someone interested in pay for success and impact investing! So today, Shelby Kohn and Ariella Rotenberg from Maycomb Capital met with Ian Gordon and me to talk about potential areas of collaboration! Just goes to show you: always open the door for someone when you have a chance…

In the afternoon, Sarah E. Bowles, VP Global Philanthropy with JPMorgan Chase, met with our staff – Lisa Kalal, VP Philanthropy, Ian Gordon, Chief Impact Officer, and myself – to hear more about our work and our future priorities. Unfortunately, that meant I had to miss our own Ugly Sweater contest – won by Marvin Ellis!

Again with the rain! Tonight I was honored by the Urban League, led by CEO Ray King, along with other amazing Women in Leadership. I was humbled to be in the group that included Speaker Pro Tempore, Toni Atkins; Cónsul General of Mexico in San Diego, Marcela Celorio; Kirby Brady, San Diego Regional EDC; Janice Brown, Brown Law Group; Zeeda Daniele, New American Funding; Kathy Patoff, Union Bank; Becky Phillpott, SDUSD (retired); Dee Thomas, SAIC and SDSU (retired); and Vickie Turner, Turner, Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP.

Dec 7

This afternoon we celebrated the incredible efforts of the Leadership Team of the Partnership for Children. Co-led by Cindy Marten, Superintendent, SDUSD; and Steve Eldred, The California Endowment, the group has worked to improve attendance and helped to slow “summer slide” in City Heights. Here’s to more successes in the future!

Later, Ian Gordon and I met with Jennifer James, Harder + Company, to talk about data collection and collaborative efforts. Topics that come up in these discussions look at the role of mapping resources and understanding the interconnection between various organizations. It starts looking like a tangled web when viewed from the consumer’s perspective. The system can make it incredibly complicated. Hmmm….does United Way have a role in bringing partners together to make the system more efficient? What do you say?

I ended the day with a quick trip to the IBEW holiday party. They were collecting toys for the Labor Council/United Way Unions United’s Food and Toy Distribution later this month, along with hosting a great buffet, raffle prizes, drinks, live music, and even Santa for the kids. I got to meet Nate Fairman, Business Manager, IBEW local 465, and also ran into Keith Maddox, San Diego Labor Council, his daughter, and some of his staff.

Dec 9

The Wacky Winter Wonderland holiday event at San Diego Center for Children is always lively and fun. CEO Moises Baron hosted the annual event with bungee jumps, Santa, arts and crafts, food, and a holiday costume contest. I was sorry to miss the train parade, but it’s a good time for all ages!

Dec 10

I was invited to tour the campus at Miramar College. What a beautiful, inviting, and easy-to-navigate campus! I’m always struck by the amount of services offered to students (beyond the typical education classes) and the community partnerships they’ve created to share the facilities with others. Thanks to Dr. Patricia Hsieh for the tour and her incredible vision for the campus!

The last event of the evening was with Karim Bouris, Business for Good. This group came together to impact policy changes that affect the community’s greater good. They also honored several community partners for their work:

• Partner of the Year – City of San Diego Councilmember Chris Ward (District 3)
• Biz of the Year – Emily Wilkinson and Sam Mazzeo of WilkMazz
• Business Resources – Lauren Grattan of Mission Driven Finance
• Homelessness – Indra Gardiner Bowers of i.d.e.a.
• Environmental Health – Scott Borden of Uptown Tavern
• Immigration – Juan Pablo Sanchez of Super Cocina

Dec 11

A fellow United Way CEO reached out to ask me to talk with his daughter’s friend about employment in San Diego. Today I met with Anna Ta to discuss opportunities working with children with a focus on adoption or social work. Anna is a bright young woman who has a clear passion for a better world for children. I look forward to following her career path in San Diego!

I also met with Leanne Abraham, who I had previously met through a grant with Solutions for Change, where she’s the incoming chair. It was a great opportunity to get an update on their work and progress.

This evening I attended the Jingle and Mingle event for the Community Resource Center in Encinitas. Hosted by John VanCleef, CEO, at the Del Mar Racetrack, we saw the “Holiday Basket” work for struggling families to get food and gifts for the holidays. Fun photos went along with a silent and live auction to raise funds for their programs, including domestic violence shelters, food pantry, and thrift stores.

Dec 12

Many thanks to Krista Torquata, Bank of America, for hosting a community breakfast to discuss the economic realities of our region. My meeting with her included Adrienne Vargas, SDSU; Emily Young, USD; Deacon Jim Vargas, Father Joe’s Villages; Andy Hall, Workforce Partnership; John Ohanian, 211 San Diego; Jennifer Storm, EDC Foundation; Ben Moraga, Sharp Healthcare Foundation; Ricardo Flores, LISC. Joining Krista from BOA were Dana Alligood, Mary Noor, and Mia Spano.

I also met up with Marcy Morrison and Eric Mowrey for lunch and learned about their work through Passion Purpose Academy and Careers with Wings at Mission Bay High School.

Dec 13

‘Tis the season #2 – I was invited to attend the Carmody Team holiday celebration at JRDN. Although I didn’t expect to know many people, I had a chance to catch up with Jim Floros, CEO, Jacobs and Cushman Food Bank; Sean Mahoney, CEO, American Red Cross; and many others. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Dec 14

We held our own holiday party for staff and significant others at the Turtle Reef at SeaWorld. We had a fun time watching the turtles and fish, playing the turtle race game, enjoying the food and drinks, and learning more about each other while playing bingo! Thanks to our Employee Committee team for hosting the event and to Mitchell Medrano for emceeing the evening!

Dec 18

‘Tis the Season #3 for the Annual Holiday Food and Toy Distribution. United Way of San Diego joined the San Diego Labor Council at SDCCU Stadium to distribute food and toys to 500 families. Folks started arriving early this morning to drive through the line in their cars. Even though they were receiving toys for their children, many arrived with kids in their car, too. I imagined they had nowhere to take their kids while they waited to receive food and toys. Many came in work vehicles or older-model cars, but all were grateful for the food, the toys, and the good cheer from the volunteers who made it all happen. Many thanks to Keith Maddox, San Diego Labor Council and Ruby Featherly, United Way’s Unions United, for coordinating all the efforts, and to the many unions who were represented as volunteers. SDG&E staff, including Warren Ruis, also helped out, and Vince Hall, CEO, Feeding San Diego, was there with his staff and the pounds and pounds of food that was distributed. It was a full meal – turkey, potatoes, vegetables, and bread! Keith Maddox and I were joined by our media teams – Laura Fink, Rebelle Communications, and Sandy Young, J. Walcher Communications – to provide live interviews with KUSI, Channel 10, and Fox News.

I also met with Ernesta Johnson, Neighborhood House Association, to learn more about their plans to open a charter school in the future! As one of the largest providers of Head Start programs, it’s a natural progression for NHA to follow these children throughout their education paths.

Dec 19

10 News developed stories on surviving in San Diego and the various ways families and individuals struggle in our community. Today, we focused on a young girl at Adams Elementary who, despite living with 4 other people, has a tough time getting to school every day. Her story forced us to step back and look at the systems that are designed to help but ended up failing this young girl too many times. Our work with school attendance helped her achieve her goal – attending school every day for 5 days in a row! Congratulations to her! I was also able to highlight our work building the capacity of school attendance teams, as well as interns, to reduce the number of chronically absent children.

I caught up with Jacob James at lunch today. Surprising news: he’s reducing his role at the Waitt Foundation and will become a special consultant in January. I look forward to watching him develop his next direction and the impact he will have on our community in the future!

Dec 20-25

Home for the holidays… Hope y’all had a great season! While I was away, I visited the E3 (Education Equals Economics) project in Austin, Texas. Now serving a five-county area in Central Texas, E3 acts as a data analytics and research firm that identifies areas in the education system that aren’t producing the desired results. They convene community partners and, together, design solutions through a common agenda. Thanks, Sue Dawson, CEO, E3, for sharing your work’s history and progress!

Dec 27

Many thanks to my former CFO, Paul Brown, for connecting me to Win Englebert, VP, Business Development, at Bank of the West. We had a great conversation about work in San Diego’s nonprofit community, the fact that he has run 101 marathons (!), and how we can connect in the future.

Dec 28

Sierra Visher, San Diego Social Venture Partners, and I have been in the same meeting many times but haven’t had the chance to say “Hi” for a while now. Today we were able to catch up by phone and talk about their upcoming work in health. Even though United Way focuses on Education, my background in Health and Wellness intersects on many occasions. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes of SVP’s interest in health in the New Year!