Spotlight on the Community

Joanna Brooks, Associate Vice President for Faculty Advancement and Student Success at SDSU, is joined by her colleagues, Jessica Barlow, Executive Director of the Center for Regional Sustainability, and Danny Newell, Executive Director of Career Services, to discuss the Carnegie community engagement designation, research-driven partnerships and workforce pipelines. Brooks, Barlow and Newell explo...

Rear Admiral (Ret.) Pat McGrath, President and CEO of the Miramar National Cemetery Support Foundation, discusses building a "San Diego jewel" from the cemetery's new amphitheater to the Avenue of Flags that honors veterans with meaningful ceremonies year-round. McGrath shares insights on leadership, philanthropy, and how the San Diego community can support impactful veteran-focused initiatives. L...

Jim Callaghan, CEO and President of TURN Behavioral Health Services, and Brad Bianchi, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, discuss improving lives through mental health, substance use, housing and veteran services across seven California counties. They explore the "Courage to Call" veteran campaign, strategic partnerships with private donors, and how people can engage in philanthropy that ta...

Stephanie Ortega, Chief Operating Officer of Promises2Kids, is joined by Ayano Morrissette, a Foster Futures participant, and Gabrielle Wesley, a Guardian Scholar and founder of Gabby's Goodies, to discuss creating a brighter future for foster youth through trust, mentorship, housing stability, and education. They explore how the community can leverage philanthropy, corporate partnerships, and eve...

Andrew Blum, Senior Program Director for the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, discusses the OneSD initiative to strengthen our community fabric through trust, safety and engagement. He shares how cross-sector collaboration, data, and aligned leadership can help San Diego tackle complex regional challenges and reduce division. Listen Where You Live! A bout Spotlight and Cloudcast Media   "...

Joaquin Luken, Executive Director of the Smart Border Coalition, discusses improving cross border mobility, border efficiency and shared prosperity in the powerful Cali Baja region. You will hear how regional conveners and connectors are driving innovation in ports of entry, medical tourism, workforce development and cross border education that fuels economic growth. Listen Where You Live! A bout...

Brandon Harrison, Executive Director of San Diego Futures Foundation, discusses bridging the digital divide through low-cost computers, digital literacy and workforce development for underserved communities. Discover how strategic partnerships, Tech on the Go classes, and time, talent, and treasure investments drive impact and innovation for seniors, nonprofits, and small businesses. Listen Where...

Jim Callaghan, President and CEO of Turn Behavioral Health Services, and Alex Goodman, District Director for Assemblymember Tasha Boerner, discuss the power of volunteers ... the "boots on the ground." They chat about how executive leadership, strategic networking, and community-based mental health partnerships drive high-impact philanthropy and nonprofit innovation. Listen Where You Live! A bout...

Tad Parzen, President & CEO of the Burnham Center for Community Advancement (BCCA), is joined by Brandon Harrison, Executive Director of San Diego Futures Foundation, and Adrienne Cisneros-Selekman, Community Relations Liaison for Supervisor Jim Desmond, discuss the importance of the NCPC 39th Annual Volunteer Awards Celebration, BCCA's One SD and the power of volunteers as the "engine" and "h...

Jim Callaghan, President and CEO of Turn Behavioral Health Services, talks about how volunteers, interns, and community-based organizations power mental health innovation. He shouts out the Courage to Call program supporting veterans and active duty military, the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, and why strategic philanthropy matters to regional leaders. Listen Where You Live! A bout Spotlight...

Neville Billimoria, Board President for the North County Philanthropy Council (NCPC), Del Lewis, a NCPC Board member and serial entrepreneur, and Jim Davis, NCPC Executive Director, discuss the NCPC 39th Annual Volunteer Awards Celebration and the "unsung heroes" powering our region. They explore volunteerism as the greatest form of philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, impact investment, and how so...

Nico Marcolongo, Advisory Committee Member for the G.I. Film Festival, and Jeanne Scott, producer of "The Craftsman," a G.I Film Festival entrant, discuss how films by, for, and about the military help bridge the gap between veterans and the broader community. They explore veteran leadership, community impact, and why supporting the May 6-8 G.I. Film Festival at the Museum of Photographic Arts in...

Janet Hamada Kelley, Executive Director of the Alzheimer's Association San Diego Imperial Chapter, and David Crean, the Alzheimer's Association's Brilliance Gala Chair, discuss brain health, caregiving leadership, and the "Music Meets Memory" innovation transforming dementia care. Discover how philanthropy, research investment, and corporate social impact can change the trajectory of Alzheimer's f...

Lauren Lockhart, Executive Director of the La Jolla Historical Society, discusses the Society's innovative historic preservation, and how arts and culture drive community engagement. Lockhart chats about the Society's 27th Annual Secret Garden Tour fundraiser, the Space Maker exhibition and its "Growing Together Family Festival." Discover how interdisciplinary exhibitions, school partnerships, and...

Morgan Appel, Assistant Dean and Instructor for UC San Diego Teacher and Community Education, Steve Lockett, Deputy Director of Economic Development and Prosperity for the County of San Diego, and Eden Brukman, Chief Sustainability Officer for the County, talk about the green economy and regional collaboration. They explore how sustainability, workforce development, nonprofits, and the military ca...

Teresa Stivers, CEO and Sales Manager of Walden Family Services, and Haley, former Walden Family Services foster youth, discuss breaking the foster care‑to‑homeless pipeline through housing, education and life‑skills programs. They dive into leadership, corporate social responsibility, and strategic philanthropy for executives who want to drive measurable community impact and support youth indepen...

Wes Lundburg, President of San Diego Miramar College, and Rodrigo Gomez, an English faculty member and AI innovator, discuss faculty‑led, student‑centered AI initiatives, guided pathways and building an ethical talent pipeline for the modern workforce. Lundburg and Gomez are bullish on how community colleges meet students where they are in their education journey, while preparing them for an AI‑dr...

Caroline Grondin, Founder and Executive Director of Grondin Community Bridge, discusses the mission of her organization to link San Diego communities to bring resources, human capital and support to underrepresented students. Grondin chats about her Circle of Impact program that funds pantries, garden and parent programs. Listen Where You Live! A bout Spotlight and Cloudcast Media   "Spotlight On...

David Boone, President and CEO of the San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC), and Jim Gruny, Community Liaison Officer for MCRD San Diego, discuss SB 1407 that calls for a full tax exemption on military retirement pay. Boone and Gruny explain why retaining veterans is a strategic advantage for California’s economy. They break down the data on military-driven economic impact, skilled talent pi...

Neville Billimoria, Chief Marketing Officer at Mission Fed Credit Union and organizer of the May 9 "Joy Jam," is joined by Shayna Kaufmann, a forensic psychologist and cancer patient, and her husband, Eric Kaufmann, a leadership coach, to talk about how Shayna's "spirit of joy" played a key role in her amazing journey from terminal cancer to full remission.  Billimoria discusses how the May 9 even...

Dr. Moises Aguirre, Superintendent of the Sweetwater Union High School District , discusses opening doors of opportunity through college and career pathways in a binational border region. Aguirre shares how community schools, cross-border partnerships, and regional collaboration with business and education leaders are building a stronger, future-ready workforce. Listen Where You Live! A bout Spotl...

Welcome to a SPECIAL "fusion" episode created between "Spotlight" and "Mission: San Diego Mission" to discuss SB 1407, an initiative to exempt military pensions from California state taxation.  The episode took place on the USS Midway to support a press conference held by the San Diego Military Advisory Council and its CEO, David Boone.   In this episode, Charles Parisi, the CEO of Cloudcast Media...

Welcome to a SPECIAL "fusion" episode created between "Spotlight" and "Mission: San Diego Mission" to discuss SB 1407, an initiative to exempt military pensions from California state taxation.  The episode took place on the USS Midway to support a press conference held by the San Diego Military Advisory Council and its CEO, David Boone.   The special episode of two Cloudcast Media podcasts, co-hos...

Michael McHale, President and CEO of St. Paul's Senior Services, unpacks the "tsunami of seniors," the hidden middle and our region's fastest growing homeless population ... seniors over 55. Learn how housing, healthcare and community partnerships can transform the aging experience and protect Social Security-era retirees. Listen Where You Live! A bout Spotlight and Cloudcast Media   "Spotlight On...

Meagan McKissick, Vice President of Philanthropy for San Diego Oasis, and Michelle Irby, Intergenerational Tutor Program Manager, discuss combating senior isolation, promoting healthy aging and scaling intergenerational tutoring across local schools. They share how people can help with community impact through corporate philanthropy, cross-sector partnerships and engaging employees as volunteers t...