December 14, 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.
Advance class of 2021 graduate Andrea Caldwell now serves as Director, Government Relations of San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.
Impact class of 2017 graduate Jenna Harris now serves as Vice President & COO/ Chief of Staff of San Diego County Taxpayers Association.
Influence class of 2011 graduate Sam Attisha now serves as Senior Vice President, Field Operations of Cox Communications.
Impact class of 2021 graduate Keshia Javis-Jones now serves as Council Member, Military, Veteran, and Families Advisory Council of City of San Diego.
Impact class of 2022 participant Vincenzo Tarantino now serves as Board Member of Diversionary Theatre.
Impact class of 2022 participant Barbarah Torres was awarded Circulate San Diego’s Advocate Award.
Impact class of 2021 graduate Mindy Wright now serves as Director, Communications of SBCS.
Impact class of 2006 graduate Supervisor Nora Vargas was named by Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE) as a 2021 Spirit of Hope Award Recipient.
The following were named to San Diego Business Journal’s 500 Most Influential People in San Diego:
Elizabeth Fitzsimons, President & CEO, Episcopal Community Services
Carol Dedrich, CEO, Girl Scouts San Diego
James Floros, President & CEO, Impact the Change
Paul Downey, President & CEO, Serving Seniors
Lisette Islas, Executive Vice President & Chief Impact Officer, MAAC
Rudolph Johnson III, President & CEO, Neighborhood House Association
Rip Rippetoe, CEO, San Diego Convention Center Corporation
Jason Paguio, President & CEO, Asian Business Association of San Diego
Nancy Sasaki, President & CEO, United Way of San Diego
Lauree Sahba, COO, San Diego Regional EDC
James Sly, CEO, East County EDC
Joe Stuyvesant, President & CEO, Port of San Diego
Tonya Torosian, CEO, Promises2Kids
David Wellis, CEO, Community Bio
Tim Keane, Dean, University of San Diego School of Business
Michael Cunningham, Chancellor, National University System
Lisa Ordonez, Dean, Rady School of Business, UC San Diego
Mark Sanchez, Superintendent/President, Southwest College
Dana Alligood, Market Executive, Global Commercial Bank, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Isai Amaya, Regional President, San Diego Branch Banking Division, Union Bank
Gordon Boerner, Senior Vice President & Western Regional Banking Manager, U.S. Bank
Karen Harrison, Senior Vice President, SBA Executive, Bank of America
Julian Parra, Senior Vice President, Region Executive, Bank of America
Alan Prohaska, Regional President & Head of Corporate Banking, PNC
Manuel Rodriguez, Market Executive, U.S. Bank
Jane Finley, Senior Vice President, Area Manager, Kaiser Permanente
Rob Douglas, President & COO, Resmed
Melissa Hayden-Cook, President & CEO, Sharp Health Plan
Stephen Jennings, Chief External Affairs Officer, Senior Vice President, Executive Director, Rady Children’s Hospital
James Mackay, President & CEO, Aristea Therapeutics
Robin Toft, CEO, Founder & Chair, Toft Group, A ZRG Company
Jason Anderson, President & CEO, Cleantech San Diego
Tom Pellette, President, Solar Turbines
Caroline Winn, CEO, SDG&E
Mark Neville, Executive Diretor, San Diego Bowl Game Association
Roxanna Velasquez, Executive Director, San Diego Museum of Art
Reid Carr, CEO, Red Door Interactive
Steven J. Cologne, Managing Partner, Higgs Fletcher & Mack
Steven Jones, CEO, JONES
Sara Katz, CEO, Katz & Associates
Alessandra Lezama, Founder & CEO, TOOTRiS
Seth Stein, CEO, Eastridge Workforce Solutions
Carisa Wisniewski, Partner, Moss Adams
Doug Arthur, President & CEO, SENTRE
Dan Broderick, President, Western Region, Cushman Wakefiled
Natalie Dahl, Managing Director, CBRE
John Frager, Executive Managing Director, CBRE
Michael Neal, President & CEO, H.G. Fenton
Eric Northbrook, Managing Director, Voit Real Estate Services
James Schmid, CEO, Chelsea Investment
Lori Ann Stevens, Design Manager, Turner Construction
Sam Attisha, Senior Vice President, Field Operations, Cox Communications
Bahija Humphrey, CEO, Data Science Alliance
Phil Blair, Executive Officer, Manpower San Diego
Jo Dee Jacob, Former CEO, Girl Scouts San Diego
Stath Karras, Executive Director, Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate, University of San Diego
Susan Lew, Founder & CEO, S. Lew & Associates
Lidia S. Martinez, Manager of Community Outreach (ret.), Southwest Airlines
Garry Ridge, CEO, WD-40 Company
Patti Roscoe, Owner, Roscoe & Associates
Kwofi Reed, CEO, San Diego Habitat for Humanity