Dear San Diego

Aimee Faucett has spent her career in the room where decisions get made. From City Hall to the Chamber of Commerce—and now as CEO of the San Diego County Building Industry Association—she’s built a reputation as someone who doesn’t just understand how things work in San Diego, but how to actually move them forward. In this episode of Dear San Diego , Tony Manolatos and gues...

Deacon Jim Vargas, CEO of Father Joe’s Villages, joins Dear San Diego for a powerful conversation about homelessness, housing, behavioral health, and what it really takes to move people from the streets to stability. But this episode goes beyond policy and systems. Deacon Jim shares his journey from the Bronx to San Diego, how faith shaped his path, and why simply saying hello, volunteering,...

In this new episode of Dear San Diego, Tony and Elizabeth sit down with their twins Alex and Nicky, who are 12, to talk about baseball — not just the stats and scores, but the lessons the game teaches. As a former Division I athlete and CEO of a large nonprofit, Elizabeth knows athletes at every level perform best when they’re loose, happy, and confident. The family opens up about the...

In this episode of Dear San Diego , Tony and Juan sit down with the CEO of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation - Mark Cafferty , to talk about family, leadership, boxing, and the challenges facing San Diego’s economy. From his Boston upbringing shaped by strong role models to raising two boys in San Diego, he shares how family keeps him grounded even while working on majo...

A revered and longtime North County neighbor, the Community Resource Center (CRC) provides meals and other services to senior citizens, low-income families, and others who need a helping hand. But its downtown Encinitas location has attracted critics recently because of expansion plans on the coveted real estate it occupies along 2nd Street between Hwy. 101 and the Pacific coastline. Tony and Juan...

San Diego Unified School Trustee Shana Hazan sits down with Tony and a very special guest co-host, Tony’s wife Elizabeth Fitzsimons, to discuss what’s happening locally with the state’s second largest school district, and why it’s getting into the housing business and what that is expected to look like.  Shana also discussed the importance of wellness in the classrooms...

As little league seasons kick off across San Diego we take a deep dive into youth baseball with three guests who are as committed as anyone to the sport: Jeff Rosa, Joe Lewis   and Chad Starkey. Our guests shared essential advice for parents, coaches, and players, on handling  nerves, failure, car rides home, “daddy ball", arm care, and much more. They also highlighted some of the...

Unable to catch her breath because of PTSD – brought on by years of abuse and trauma she suffered at the hands of her husband – Mariah Dawn sat down and tried something new. She opened a Word document and started writing. She noticed right away that she felt better. The writing was a release. It was cathartic. So, she kept at it, eventually telling a friend at church she thought she ha...

POLITICO’s  Chris Cadelago joined Tony and Juan for a special 2024 Election Episode of Dear San Diego. Chris provided really smart takes on local, state, and national races, and shared some behind-the-scenes info, too. Chris covered the Trump White House and the Biden White House. He is currently working on building a statewide bureau for POLITICO in California, and covering Kamala Harris and her...

The Padres sensed they had a problem. So they called John Nienstedt, who helped them figure out they should switch to brown jerseys. John brought in models who wore different jerseys to a series of focus groups. Each participant in the room was armed with a dial that they cranked one way for approval and another way for disapproval. John used the dial tests to block debate and strong personalities...

Michael Inzunza is running for Chula Vista City Council. He comes from a long line of public servants and political dynamos. Next year will be the 50th anniversary of his parents’ first major campaign victory. They ran a bilingual campaign as a couple for two local school board seats. They both won, defeating two incumbents. A picture of the couple campaigning at the San Ysidro apartment complex w...

Kelly Williams takes care of people who need care, and she’s creating an army of therapists like her to try and meet the needs of people wrestling with PTSD throughout San Diego. Williams is Clinic Director of The Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Veterans Village of San Diego. In her spare time, Kelly supervises and mentors up-and-coming therapists in San Diego. Additionally, she takes pa...

A licensed attorney, Chad Peace never expected to lead a digital communications company that serves an impressive list of clients. With dozens of designers, project managers, and others, IVC Media, LLC ’s binational team has offices in Mission Valley and Tijuana.  Politically, Chad has sort of cornered the market when it comes to talking to independent or NPP (No Party Preference) voters for a var...

Lenny Leszczynski is a car guy, dating back to his days as a young man who drove a Daytona Blue 1964 Chevy Impala, but his wife was not expecting him to land this job. After all, Lenny had never been a CEO before. He did take advantage of all the free time the pandemic gave us by going back to school to earn an advanced degree. He was in Disneyland with his wife and kids hours after his job interv...

The author of  California’s Top Two Candidates Open Primary,  which took effect in 2012, wants to reform his reform. Steve Peace, a founder of the  Independent Voter Project,  wants California to move to a system that would ask voters to rank 4 or 5 candidates instead of voting for just one. Alaska and Maine have adopted a similar Rank Choice Voting system. Peace looks through the national politic...

Michael Zucchet is one of those guys who listens more than he talks, and his calm and thoughtful demeanor has served him well at the poker table and at the negotiating table. Zucchet oversees the City of San Diego’s largest labor union as General Manager of the San Diego Municipal Employees Association.  In addition to his day job, Michael is one of San Diego’s leading political minds, frequently...

The majority of San Diegans are renters, but rents are crazy expensive because supply is so low. Very few new homes are built, so those that are sold come with a steep price. The average home in San Diego sells for $900,000.   How did we get here? What caused our region’s housing crisis? How do we fix it? What do we need to do to build more homes San Diegans can afford?  Tony and Juan get answers...

San Diego Councilmember Monica Montgomery Steppe is expected to win the county supervisor special election on November 7, 2023 to replace Nathan Fletcher. If so, she would leave her job as a councilmember representing District 4, which includes the communities of Chollas View, Emerald Hills, Encanto, Lincoln Park, Mountain View, Paradise Hills, and others. Her constituents need a strong voice at t...

During his 8 years as a San Diego City Councilmember, Chris Cate was known as the smartest guy on the 10th floor, but he became more than a policy wonk. He worked with council members on both sides of the aisle to create positive change for San Diegans, and he became a force for his District 6 constituents, which includes the neighborhoods of Clairemont Mesa, Kearny Mesa, Mira Mesa, Miramar, Park...

James Canning was the PR pro for one the region’s most popular politicians. Everything was going exceptionally well for his boss and for James. And then one morning that all changed.  Nathan Fletcher abruptly ended his State Senate campaign and days later, after being accused of sexual harassment, he announced he was stepping down from elected office, giving up his job as a San Diego County Superv...

Drew Lieberman counts San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, Hawaii Governor Josh Green, and the U.S. Navy among his clients. Drew has worked with Tony and Juan on several land-use campaigns.  A savvy and seasoned pollster, Drew is Executive Vice President at Strategies 360. He also is a dedicated father of two, a loving husband, and a travel baseball dad. With a wealth of political strategy expertise, Drew...

Jessica Grounds does not shy away from a challenge and that’s a good thing considering she spends her days developing young leaders and striving for change in board rooms, on committees, and in corner offices.  Backed by years of experience and painstaking research, Jessica is CEO Corporate Directors Forum and co-owner of Mine The Gap, an international consulting business that helps organizations...

Tamera Kohler is the leading voice on homelessness in our region. As CEO of RTFH or the San Diego Regional Task Force on Homelessness, Kohler is deeply invested in the region’s most pressing issue.  Tamera wears a lot of hats but she and her team are best known for collecting and analyzing data that shapes policy and governs decisions throughout the county. She is a trusted advisor to service prov...

Beginning his journey as a high school intern for a well-known political figure, Art Castañares quickly proved his mettle in the world of state and local politics. As Chief of Staff for former California Senator Steve Peace, Art fostered a deep understanding of public affairs.  In addition to serving as Peace’s Chief of Staff, Art built a successful political consulting business, winning a number...