January 8, 2021
We enjoy seeing what our graduates are doing and how they are making an impact on the world. Share your good news with us via email: lead@sdchamber.org.
The following LEAD graduates have been (re)elected to serve in office:
Scott Peters (95) – reelected to Congress
Nora Vargas (06) – elected to County Board of Supervisors
Colin Parent (19) – reelected to La Mesa City Council
The following LEAD graduates are now serving on the LEAD Board & SDYL Board:
Karen Higareda (19) – new to LEAD & SDYL Boards
Rosa María Hernández (20) – new to LEAD Board
Melanie Cohn (18) – SDYL
Katharine LiMandri (18) – SDYL
Jordan Marks (19) – SDYL
Ryan Maxson (15) – SDYL
Javier Metoyer (18) – SDYL
Melissa Peterman (19) – SDYL
Lauren Rowley (18) – SDYL
Jim Woods (17) – SDYL
The following LEAD program graduates have recently taken on a new title:
Paola Avila (20), Chief of Staff, Office of Mayor Todd Gloria, City of San Diego
Alexandra Berenter (18), Senior Water Policy Manager, Office of Mayor Todd Gloria, City of San Diego
Kirby Brady (18), Chief Innovation Officer, City of San Diego
Gil Cabrera (01), Board Member, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
Matt Cobas (20), Trustee, Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego
Denice Garcia (10 & 19), Chief of Staff, Office of Supervisor Nora Vargas, County of San Diego
Vicky Joes (12), Chief of Staff, Office of Councilmember Joe LaCava, City of San Diego
Griselda Ramirez (18), Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships, Office of Supervisor Nora Vargas, County of San Diego
Mario X. Sierra (94), Assistant Director, Building Services, Facilities Management, UC San Diego
Michael Simonsen (09), Chief of Staff, Office of Councilmember Raul Campillo, City of San Diego
Joe Stuyvesant (09), President & CEO, Port of San Diego
The following LEAD program graduates have been named to the San Diego Business Journal’s 500 Influential Business Leaders:
Jason Anderson (07), President & CEO, CleanTech San Diego
Sam Attisha (11), Senior Vice President & Region Manager, Cox Communications
Kimberly Becker (19), President & CEO, San Diego County Regional Airport Authority
Phil Blair (83), Executive Officer, Manpower San Diego
Gordon Boerner (93), Senior Vice President / Western U.S. Region Private Banking Manager, U.S. Bank
Betsy Brennan (06 & 18), CEO, Downtown San Diego Partnership
Dan Broderick (05), President, Western Region, Cushman & Wakefield
Peter Callstrom (98), President & CEO, San Diego Workforce Partnership
Reid Carr (11), CEO, Red Door Interactive
Kurt Chilcott (92), President & CEO, CDC Small Business Finance
Nikia Clarke (16), Vice President & Executive Director, San Diego Regional EDC/World Trade Center
Steve Cologne (12), Managing Partner, Higgs Fletcher & Mack
Michael Cunningham (15), Chancellor, National University System
Natalie Dahl (18), Managing Director, CBRE
Carol Dedrich (17), CEO, Girl Scouts San Diego
Rob Douglas (16), President & COO, ResMed
Paul Downey (96), President & CEO, Serving Seniors
Barry Edelstein (17), Erna Finci Viterbi Artisitc Director, The Old Globe
Jane Finley (15), Senior Vice President & Area Manager, Kaiser Permanente
James Floros (13), CEO, Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank
John Frager (16), Executive Managing Director, CBRE
Marilyn Hannes (17), President, SeaWorld San Diego & Aquatica
Melissa Hayden-Cook (16), President & CEO, Sharp Health Plan
Jo Dee Jacob (03), Retired CEO, Girl Scouts San Diego
Stephen Jennings (16), Senior Vice President, Executive Director, Foundation, Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego
Rudolph A. Johnson, III (94), President & CEO, Neighborhood House Association
Stath Karras (94), Executive Director, Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate, University of San Diego
Sara Katz (89), Founder & CEO, Katz & Associates
Tim Keane (20), Dean, School of Business, University of San Diego
Susan Lew (87), Founder & CEO, S. Lew & Associates
Alessandra Lezama (19), CEO, TOOTRiS
Jim Madaffer (89), CEO, Madaffer Enterprises
Nancy Maldonado (17 & 20), President & CEO, Chicano Federation of San Diego County
Lidia S. Martinez (11), Retired Manager, Community Outreach & Grassroots, Southwest Airlines
Sandra McDonough (16), Partner, Paul, Plevin, Sullivan & Connaughton
Michael Neal (00), President & CEO, H.G. Fenton Co.
Mark Neville (15), Executive Director, San Diego Bowl Game Association
Eric Northbrook (16), Managing Director, Voit Real Estate Services
Lisa D. Ordóñez (20), Dean, Stanley & Pauline Foster Endowed Chair, Rady School of Management, UC San Diego
Julian Parra (09), Senior Vice President & Region Executive, Bank of America
Tom Pellette (10), President, Solar Turbines
Alan Prohaska (15), Region Manager & Senior Vice President – Middle Market Bank, Wells Fargo
Garry Ridge (16), CEO, WD-40 Company
Rip Rippetoe (19), President & CEO, San Diego Convention Center Corporation
Manuel Rodriguez (19), Market President, U.S. Bank
Nathan Rogge (02), President & CEO, Bank of Southern California
Nancy Sasaki (93), CEO, United Way of San Diego County
Lori Ann Stevens (14), Design Manager, Turner Construction
Matt Thoene (14), CEO, NFINIT
Robin Toft (17), Founder & Chair, Toft Group, a ZRG Company
Tonya Torosian (13), CEO, Promises2Kids
Roxana Velásquez (11), Executive Director, San Diego Museum of Art
David Wellis (15), CEO, San Diego Blood Bank
Caroline Winn (02), CEO, SDG&E
Carisa Wisniewski (10), Partner, Moss Adams