| News From Around the Region - Keeping Leaders Informed on Issues and
Activities |
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LEAD Calendar of Events:
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LEAD San Diego's Alumni Association invites you to:
LEAD Night OutThursday,
February 19, 2009 5:30 - 7:30pm Il Fornaio Wine Bar 1555 Camino Del Mar Del Mar, CA 92014 RSVP: BABall80@cox.net
LEAD Night Out Thursday,
March 19, 2009
5:30 - 7:30pm Fred's Mexican Cafe in Old Town
2470 San Diego Ave.
San Diego, CA
92110 RSVP: BABall80@cox.net
Influence-San Diego
New C-Level Program
Designed for C-Level and Senior Executives
March 26-28, 2009
For More Information, contact the LEAD office at 619-280-LEAD (5323)
LEAD Night Out
Thursday,
April 16, 2009
5:30 - 7:30pm
Il Fornaio Wine Bar
1555 Camino Del Mar
Del Mar, CA 92014
RSVP: BABall80@cox.net
2009 Visionary Awards Thursday, May 21, 2009 San Diego
Marriott and Marina Information on The 2009
Visionary Awards Of Note...LEAD San Diego, along with Volunteer San Diego, partners with KGTV 10New on the 10 Leadership Awards. If you'd like to nominate someone who is doing extraordinary things to improve the quality of life in the San Diego region, Click here |
LEAD Graduates: Is Your Membership Active? |
LEAD San Diego Graduate Members- Have you renewed your membership? Membership provides ongoing support for LEAD San Diego's high quality, cutting-edge curriculum, program development, and member-exclusive programming. It also significantly helps to sustain a LEAD network that reaches nearly 1,700 individuals who are leading this community into a prosperous future. Renew or Activate Your LEAD Graduate Membership |
| Become a LEAD Community Member |
LEAD San Diego Community Members are leaders who are invested in regional success. They are a group of individuals who believe in developing the next generation of diverse and engaged leaders. Many have widely recognized leadership experience in the region and are striving to make a difference through their vision, service, determination and creativity. Please consider becoming a LEAD community member. Become a LEAD Community Member | |
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A Message from LEAD San Diego's Chair Elect
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Mark Leslie - Chair Elect
Vice President - External Affairs, San Diego
AT&T
'Scientia potentia est'
Scientia potentia est - Don't know what it means? Then you aren't familiar with LEAD.
As participants in the 2009 class reach the half way point
they are well on their way to learning the secret of the phrase.
LEAD doesn't have a special handshake or rhythmic knock on a
hidden door but you can distinguish a graduate very easily. They are the ones in a group meeting or at an
assemblage somewhere in town who are the first to ask the right question, take
action or aim the focus on the issue
that sorely needs attention.
Look around our region and you can see this in action every
day. LEAD graduates are front &
center (or behind the curtain) working to make where we live and work a little
bit better everyday.
LEAD graduates are the catalyst for change that our region
has never needed more than it does today.
So when someone asks me "why would AT&T support an
organization like LEAD?" My answer is
easy. Our business grows best when
businesses and the communities we operate in are healthy and robust, LEAD
graduates have played a role in assuring that the San Diego region is just
that. As San Diego prospers so does
AT&T, LEAD graduates are really just another investment in this region.
Oh yeah, and 'Scientia potentia est'? Every LEAD graduate
learns this means 'Knowledge is power.
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LEAD Announces New C-Level Program:
Influence-San Diego
Designed for C-Level and Senior Executives |
By Gayle Falkenthal
 Falcon Valley Group
LEAD San Diego
Marketing Committee
It's been said that "you don't know what you don't know."
It's especially true when you are new to a region or even assuming a different
role or position within the same region.
While everyone at a senior leadership level knows how to get
up to speed quickly on the essentials, it can be a challenge to gain
comprehensive understanding of the key regional issues and to meet the
significant political and community leaders while attending to your own
demanding leadership role within an organization.
LEAD San Diego has developed
a program specifically designed for C-Level and Senior executives who could
benefit from the insight of an "insider" to San Diego. Chaired by longtime community leader
and LEAD board member Marilyn Allen Sawyer (84), Influence-San
Diego is a first of its kind program allowing
senior executives to quickly gain an understanding of regional themes and
contemporary community issues through insightful presentations led by political
leaders and key regional CEOs, experiential tours and exceptional access to San Diego's leaders
across multiple sectors.
Best of all, this program takes place in just two days, plus
an orientation session. It would take months for an individual to research,
connect and arrange the same meetings, events and activities.
Participants are drawn from executives who have been in San
Diego less than five years or who were recently promoted, are interested in
becoming engaged in the San Diego community and would benefit from a
comprehensive understanding of the key regional issues and meeting influential
civic and community leaders.
The sessions will highlight contemporary perspectives on
relevant regional themes and featurelectures,
experiential tours, dialogue with leading experts and key community leaders.
Topics include the vision for San Diego's future, the political landscape, the
regional economy, education, health and human services, environment and growth,
arts and culture, the sports industry, military, tourism, and Mexico and our
international region among others.
Organizations collaborating with LEAD San
Diego to present Influence-San
Diego include the City and County
of San Diego, the San
Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Regional Economic Development
Corporation, Connect, San Diego Association of Governments, Port of San Diego, San Diego County Medical Society, The Old Globe, San Diego County Office of Education and many others.
The inaugural program launches
on March 26, 2009. To inquire about
participation please call the LEAD office at 619-280-5323.
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The 7th Annual Visionary Awards
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 Thursday, May 21, 2009 5:30 - 8:30 pm San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina Marriott Hall 333 West Harbor Drive San Diego, CA 92101
2009 Honorees:
Morgan Award for Lifetime AchievementDarlene ShileyCommunity & Civic Leader LEAD Graduate of the YearDoug Sawyer (85) President & CEO, United Way of San Diego County Ronald Kendrick Memorial Award
for Regional Stewardship
Eugene "Mitch" Mitchell
Regional Vice President for External Affairs,
San Diego Gas & Electric
Economic OpportunityNeal Blue and Linden BlueChairman and CEO, Vice Chairman, General Atomics Community Collaboration Robert A. and Delores McNeely Executive Vice President, Senior Vice President Retired, Union Bank of California Charles Nathanson Memorial Award
for Cross-Border Region BuildingMercy Outreach Surgical Team (M.O.S.T)
The
Herbert G. Klein Award For Exemplary Leadership
Awarded to a member of LEAD San Diego's
Class of 2009, for significant leadership contributions to the community and
demonstrated potential to effect further change upon graduation.
To Be Announced the Evening
of May 21st
Brought to you in part by:
  
 
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Leadership Trust Tours the State Water Project
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 A Sobering Insight into Water: The State Water Project
By Peter James MacCracken, APR
"Water, water, everywhere, nor any drop to drink," wrote Samuel Taylor Coleridge in The Ancient Mariner, eerily presaging a two-day tour of the State Water Project sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) and San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA). Among the January 30-31 trip participants were several members of the LEADership Trust.
Considering California's 840-mile long coastline and the vast amounts of water in the Delta area around Sacramento, it seems unimaginable that we are desperately close to having our water supplies fail, but that was the inescapable lesson of the tour.
Southern California gets most of its drinking water from the east (the Colorado River) and the north (the Delta, through the State Water Project, the nation's largest state-built, multipurpose water project). Just how jeopardized is our source to the north? Consider this.
Left alone, the Delta would become a brackish inland sea in a matter of decades. If a major earthquake hit, failure of the levees would make that a reality in a matter of days.
Recent court orders have restricted the times when water can be pumped into the aqueducts that deliver water to Southern California because of the Delta smelt. Any interruption in the ability to pump water is a threat to reliable supplies.
As it is today, the Delta water supplies are decreasing due to "unprecedented drought" (a newspaper headline that coincidentally appeared on the second day of the trip). Lake Oroville, one of the first stops on the trip, is down almost exactly 60 percent since 2005. Looking at the high water line around the lake was a shocking start to the trip.
The lake was created by Oroville Dam on the Feather River, which is the 8th tallest earthen dam in the world, and which we drove around before going to the Hyatt Power Plant, a pumping station built in bedrock below Lake Oroville.
By now, you should be getting the impression that this was a stunning education.
The second day of the trip was devoted to driving through the Delta, from Sacramento to the beginning of the California Aqueduct at the Clifton Court Forebay. We saw and drove on levees that ranged from very well engineered to verge-of-failure. In several places, we could look to one side of the levee and see river water levels up to 10 feet higher than the built-up areas on the other side of the levee. Those levees have failed before and will fail again. In one spot, a Department of Water Resources truck driven out to inspect damage during a storm was washed into the levee and subsequently was left in place to help restore the barrier.
 The tour did not focus only on problems and pending crises. To address the Delta smelt issue, a new conveyance system that will bypass the smelt's spawning area is proposed. Governor Schwarzenegger has proposed a massive fix of the levee system ... before it fails due to an almost inevitable earthquake. But the solutions to our water reliability are dauntingly large-scale, dauntingly bold, dauntingly expensive and long-term. The key, we learned (or relearned) is the kind political will we rarely see.
During lunch just before heading to the airport to return to San Diego, Port Commissioner, former City Council President and LEAD graduate Scott Peters (95) asked a telling question that we will be following up on: "How can we, now educated, become educators?"
That is the least we can do and this problem requires us all to do the most we can do.
The LEADership Trust is LEAD San Diego's highest level of membership and a civic venture open to graduates and other community members. Members enjoy exclusive opportunities like this on a quarterly basis to foster "ideas and innovation, to launch new initiatives and stimulate progress."
For more information on the LEADership Trust, contact the LEAD office at 619-280-LEAD (5323).
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LEAD Alumni Association's First
Community Service Project |
 On Saturday, January 24th, seven LEAD Alumni and five guests met at the San Diego River Mouth wetland area in Ocean Beach as part of a group of approximately fifty volunteers to help maintain this sensitive environmental area. The project was sponsored by Aquatic Adventures, which educates urban youth about science, the ocean and nature via tuition-free programs, creating the next generation of scientific and environmental leaders. This was the first in a series of quarterly alumni community service projects created by the LEAD Alumni Association to offer opportunities for alumni to give back to the community. The alumni team was comprised of Bob Alden (06, team leader), Victoria Garrison (99), R. Alan Smith (87), Ross Porter (00), Patrice Saxon (04), Rebecca Pollock (06) and Scott Brown (07).  The alumni and their guests helped pull invasive weeds from a demonstration garden that has examples of native plants that grow in the area. With the recent rainfall, the weeds had proliferated and were begining to choke off the native species. The volunteers worked for three hours and cleared weeds from a large area of the garden. In all, 86 plastic bagfuls of weeds were removed for composting at another location. The alumni and their guests thoroughly enjoyed the project which also gave them a chance to network and learn more about each other. It is a great start to what will be a series of meaningful and enjoyable service projects for our alumni. |
Sixth Annual Member Celebration
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On December 9th, LEAD graduates and community members celebrated the Sixth LEAD Member Celebration in The Odysea Bar at the newly opened Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Early arrivals were treated to a fabulous sunset, and nearly 200 guests gathered to spend a few hours enjoying cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and visiting with friends old and new. LEAD members were some of the first to experience the newly opened hotel, and a number of them took time to tour the hotels' bar, restaurant and spa.
Kristy Gregg (98), President of the LEAD Board of Directors, thanked Victoria Garrison (99), LEAD's Co-Chair of the recently formed Alumni Association, as well as Alumni Association advisory members and LEAD Board members Larry Fitch (01f) and Peggy Hanley (01w)
for their many efforts over the course of the last year.
Each year, LEAD San Diego expresses appreciation to all active LEAD graduate and community members - many of whom devote tireless talent and an extraordinary personal commitment toward strengthening the nation's finest city and enhancing the lives of those who reside within it. The LEAD Board of Directors and a special committee of LEAD Graduates designed this event as a special thank you to the ever-growing number of LEAD Graduates and to commemorate over two decades of outstanding leadership and service to the San Diego region.
LEAD thanks our sponsors for their generous support.
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2009 - 2010 Leadership Action Teams
are entrenched in their projects
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Learn, Experience, and Leave a Footprint!
 LEAD San Diego
is able to directly affect positive change in the non-profit community through Leadership Action Teams - the Service
Learning component of the 9-month Core
Curriculum program. The 2009 Class
divided into Leadership Action Teams (LAT) and were deployed to work on
community projects, which are drawn from community-based organizations in San Diego County's low-or-moderate
income/traditionally underserved communities. These LAT efforts harness the talents,
energies and resources of local civic and community members to make substantive
changes in a community or organization.
The partnership between the
team and the non-profit is mutually beneficial. Class members get a first-hand
glimpse into the world of an underserved and/or under-resourced community,
while enhancing their leadership, teambuilding, relationship building, and
collaborative skills. The organization gets a valuable and tangible result, and
builds relationships with team members that surpass the goals and life of the
project. Former LAT members have become board members, volunteers and
supporters of their partner organization.
The 2009 Leadership Action Teams
are now well on their way to making a big difference for six deserving
organizations as the Teams have devoted countless hours diligently working
towards their project goals.
Can farmers' markets sustain themselves in predominantly low-income
communities? The City Heights Farmers' Market (CH Farmers-Market) will
benefit from a comprehensive analysis and understanding of the market's diverse consumer base so to adjust product
offerings and create new opportunities for new vendors through more strategic
and effective efforts. One team is
joining forces with KIPP
(Knowledge is Power Program): Adelante Preparatory Academy (KIPP) in the development of an on-going program to increase
and maintain public awareness within the communities of Southeastern San Diego
and the region so to enhance student recruitment, strengthen revenues and increase
human resources by expanding its volunteer network. The team working with Mind Treasures (Mind Treasures) will help develop strategic
collaborations/partnerships with community based organizations that have strong
roots in underserved communities. These collaborations and partnerships may
enable community members to take control of their finances by helping them
realize their potential (character traits) by learning the financial aspects of
their local economy. Mind Treasures' overall mission is to develop a wealthy,
prosperous and philanthropic generation through financial literacy and
character development. Stepping Stone (SteppingStoneSD.org) will receive a feasibility plan of a sustainable
business enterprise that can offer additional revenue, provide opportunities
for clients to learn important employment skills and gain professional
experience, and to assist the organization in the shift toward a 'value
creation' paradigm. Another organization to benefit from market analysis is Urban Corps of San Diego County (UrbanCorpsSD), which
will receive a 'Corps-to-Career' business network and resource development plan
to assist with job referral and placement services for Urban Corps graduates.
Finally, YMCA Youth & Family
Services (YMCAYFS),
the social services department of the YMCA of San Diego County will benefit
from a business/marketing plan for expanding the
current multilingual, holistic mental health services that are based on
existing and projected community needs and help to reduce the stigma associated
with psychotherapy.
As the LEAD Class of 2009
approaches the first phase of their community projects, great progress is being
made on all of them. The graduation presentations taking place on June 12, 2009 are sure to be impressive. It
will soon be time for a new LEAD class to be identified; please see our website
for information and applications for the 2010 class. If you know of a deserving
organization in our region that would benefit from a Leadership Action Team
next year, please let us know by contacting Sherrie-Lyn Thompson at smthompson@leadsandiego.com.
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LEAD Announces New Partnership
with The San Diego City Club
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It is with great pleasure
that we share with LEAD San Diego
graduate members, investors, and community partners an exciting new venture for
our organization.
With a very dedicated effort
from our newly formed Alumni Association working group, we have spent the past six
months refining and developing new ways to further engage our members. In a recent survey sent to our alumni,
graduates asked for more educational learning programs, community service and
networking opportunities in an effort to
bolster LEAD's effectiveness in serving the greater San Diego region.
 In accordance with these recommendations,
we are thrilled to announce that LEAD San
Diego is now partnering with George Mitrovich and The City Club of San Diego to bring this kind of programming. The first of these educational learning programs took place on Saturday, February 7, 2009. The City Club, the
Truman Association and LEAD San Diego welcomed the Honorable Michael Dukakis
- former Governor of Massachusetts and nominee for President of the United States
for a Saturday morning gathering.
After a light breakfast, guests listened as
Dukakis, accompanied by his wife Kitty, spoke to the 150 gathered at the Hall
of Champions. Discussion highlights
touched on topics ranging from the new Obama administration and the grassroots
precinct-based efforts that ensured his election, to the stimulus package,
foreclosure rates and America's
domestic and foreign relation policies.
The 67 LEAD graduates who joined the session expressed a
desire for similar programs to come. Watch for more announcements on future gatherings. |
| 10 News Honors the 2008 Leadership Award Winners |
 Since 1988, 10News has saluted nearly 1,000 ordinary people doing extraordinary things to improve San Diego with the 10News Leadership Award. On Saturday, January 21st, 2009, a special reception was held to honor the 2008 Leadership Award winners. Since 2003, LEAD has partnered with 10News to present The 10 Leadership Awards program. We have worked to honor local San Diegans who went above and beyond to help their communities. The 2008 recipients were individuals who have demonstrated leadership by making San Diego a better place to live, have initiated or created solutions for others, served as a role model by fulfilling a local need, and worked to improve the quality of life in our community. Nominated by their peers, the 10 Leadership Award is presented every Thursday by 10News anchor/reporter Geni Cavitt. The following award recipients were instrumental in improving the lives of all San Diegans by motivating others, acting as a role model, serving as a volunteer, working to improve the environment and promoting diversity, economic development and community collaborationCommunity Action: Lesia Cartelli, founder of Angel Faces, an organization that provides healing retreats for adolescent girls with facial disfigurement. Learn More About Angel FacesEnvironment: Jim Peugh, an active environmentalist who devoted 20 years to helping transform former dumping station Famosa Slough into a beautiful bird sanctuary.Diversity: Amigas Punto Com, a nonprofit organization that hepls Hispanic women and families in San Diego.Volunteerism: Bob and Georgia Langhorst created the "Rainforest Project" at Kaiser Permanente Hosptial in San Diego, which turned the pediatric unit into a place of peace and beauty. LEAD San Diego is proud to work with our partners KGTV 10News, Sempra Energy, and Volunteer San Diego. If you'd like to nominate someone who is doing extraordinary things to improve the quality of life in the San Diego region, Click Here |
LEAD is Now Accepting Applications
for the Class of 2010-2011 |
Are you ready for a challenge? For a clearer understanding of how our communities are interconnected? Do you have a desire to increase your personal growth and leadership capabilities?
LEAD is now accepting applications for the class of 2009-2010, and we turn to you - our members - for help in identifying candidates who have the interest and potential to help us build a better region. The Class of 2009, at the half-way point, is in full swing. They are drilling down deep into their own leadership practices and are gaining a greater understanding of how their own contributions can impact the region we call home. Some of what they have experienced so far includes...
...An opportunity to hear from Rear Admiral Leendert (Len) Hering, Commander, Navy Region Southwest, on the many assets the Navy brings to the region, including its mission and presence, as well as the economic impact it has on employment and tourism in San Diego County.
...A behind-the-scenes glimpse of the arts & culture community through the eyes of those managing, directing and leading the goings-on at Balboa Park. Home to 15 major museums, the San Diego Zoo, and countless other cultural attractions, class members learned about the park's future and the challenges it faces.
...Participated in some very hands-on collaborative exercises through a unique and exciting drum circle. To close out the Health and Human Services seminar in January, rhythm-master Nana Yaw Asiedu brought a variety of percussive instruments and taught the class to work in unison to produce some truly inspiring music! Drum Circle
Still to come, law & society, cross-border issues, growth and the economy and influence: who runs our region? The issues are compelling. If you'd like to apply for the LEAD Class of 2009 - 2010, please see the LEAD Website.
Click Here For The Application in Word
Click Here for PDF Version
Application Due Date is June 18th. |
Graduates in The News
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LEAD Extends Kudos to...
George Ramirez was chosen to lead Union Bank's fast-growing Priority Banking(R) program that provides specialized services to affluent individuals, families, and small business owners. The Priority Banking offices are located within Union Bank branches throughout California and are staffed by a team of personal bankers who provide individual consultation and offer a suite of specialized financial services. Ramirez is a '92 graduate of LEAD.
Sandy Crays, director of human resources for T-Systems International, has devoted nearly two decades to serving United Way awarded United Way's Naish Volunteer of the Year Award. The Naish is among United Way's highest honors and commemorates the service of long-time volunteer and board member Jack Naish, who served the organization from 1965 to 1978. Crays is a '00w graduate of LEAD.
Jan Tuttleman has been chosen as a Woman of Dedication by the Women's Auxiliary of the Salvation Army. She and 14 other deserving volunteers will be honored at the Women of Dedication Luncheon taking place on March 10, 2009 at the new Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Tuttleman is a '01f graduate of LEAD.
Anthony Bollotta, of Bollotta Entertainment, produced the 2008 Women Who Mean Business Awards for the 7th year, and was named Instructor of the Year from the USD Event Management Certification Program. Bollotta Entertainment was also a finalist for the 2008 Entertainment Company of the Year, presented by Event Solutions Magazine. Bollotta is a '03 LEAD graduate.
Scott Suckow, a member of the current LEAD class, was chosen as one of San Diego Magazine's 50 people to watch. Suckow, CEO of Mental Health America of San Diego County, has pledged to help break down barriers to healthcare and ensure access to prescription medications for the mentally ill.
Hot Husbands
In the spirit of Valentines Day, Hal Dunning (08), was chosen as one of San Diego Magazine's
"Hot Husbands." Nominated by his wife Hilary, Dunning, COO, CFO of
Barney & Barney, was one of a half-dozen San Diego husbands who are
accomplished, civic-minded and family oriented.
Several LEAD graduates were chosen as San Diego Magazine's "Powers To Be." Some of those highlighted in specific areas are:
Faith
Christopher Yanov (06) started Reality Changers, a nonprofit that inspires former gang member to work hard for an education. Since 2001, his nonprofit has given away $1 million in scholarships and has 50 graduates from schools that include Dartmouth, Harvard, Duke and the University of California, Berkeley. His next goal? Helping provide scholarships to siblings of kids murdered by gangs.
Education:
Bob Benson, a member of the current LEAD class, is the director of UCSD's service and civic leadership department, launched in April. As part of his responsibilities, he also manages the Center for Global Volunteer Service, which provides resources and even short Peace Corps-style trips for those interested in international volunteerism. Benson, 37, is also involved in developing courses, along with the San Diego Foundation, that teach aspiring politicians about campaign strategies, ethics and leadership.
Media:
An Honorable mention went to Ileana Ovalle, a member of Cox Communication's senior leadership team, is a ('06) graduate and is responsible for building the Cox image in the South Bay and East County.
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