Officers

Sumeet Parekh
HP Investors, LLC

(Chairman)

James Lawson
Presidio PAG, Inc.

(1st Vice Chairman)

Craig Benedetto 
California Strategies, LLC

(Immediate Past Chairman)

Phil Rath
Rath Miller

(Treasurer)

Bill Sauls
William H. Sauls, Attorney at Law

(Chief Legal Officer)

Chanelle Hawken
Cox Communications

(Secretary)

Betsy Brennan
Downtown San Diego Partnership

(President & CEO)

2019 Board of Directors

Jessica Abbo
Wells Fargo Bank

Michael Akavan
MA Engineers, Inc.

Ruben Andrews
Graphic Solutions

Terry Arnett
TSA Construction, Inc.

Adam Attia
Shapery Enterprises

Mary Ball
Scripps Health

Madeleine Baudoin
America Medical Response

Whitney Benzian
California Apartment Association

Robert Betz
McCarthy Building Companies

Phil Blair
Manpower San Diego

Greg Bowman
Bollert | Lebeau Commercial Real Estate

Casey Brown
The Casey Brown Company

Stephanie Brown
Manchester Financial Group

Marjorie Burchett
Withers Bergman LLP

Michael Burton
Flocke & Avoyer Commercial Real Estate

Frank Busic
The University Club atop Symphony Towers

Melissa Cameron
Southwest Strategies

Jeff Cavignac
Cavignac & Associates

Jim Chatfield
JMI Realty

Nikki Clay
The Clay Company

Steve Cushman
Cush Enterprises

Natalie Dahl
CBRE

Bob Daugherty
Ashford University

Perry Dealy
Dealy Development, Inc.

Rodger Dougherty
Kaiser Permanente

Steve Espino
Banner Bank

Jennifer Farnham
PCL Construction Services, Inc.

Tod Firotto
San Diego Restaurant Supply

Brian Fish
Dentons US LLP

Jeff Forrest
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP.

Chris Frahm
Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP

Michael Friedman
LEVITZACKS

Darrel Fullbright
Gensler

Yehudi “Gaf” Gaffen
Gafcon, Inc.

Jeff Gattas
UC San Diego

Bill Geppert
Geppert Foundation

Ashley Gosal
BOSA Development

Howard Greenberg
Trilogy Real Estate Management

John Greenip
Turner Construction

Pamela Gabriel
Bank of America

Wayne Guymon
Fox Sports San Diego

Alex Guyott
Hensel Phelps

Ernie Hahn
Pechanga Arena San Diego

Ed Hartless
SSP America

Derek Hulse
Cushman & Wakefield

Michael Johnson
Carrier Johnson + CULTURE

Keith B. Jones
Ace Parking

Doug Kerner
Higgs Fletcher & Mack LLP

Daniel Kuperschmid
Grand Hyatt San Diego

James Langley
LDG Commercial Real Estate

Rob Lankford
Lankford & Associates, Inc.

Stacey Lankford Pennington
SLP Urban Planning

John LaRaia
H.G. Fenton Company

Kevin Legge
Clark Construction Group – California, LP

MaeLin Levine
Visual Asylum/Urban Discovery Academy

Jeff Light
The San Diego Union-Tribune

Robin Madaffer
Madaffer Enterprises

Sean Marcel
Syska Hennessy Group, Inc.

Mero Marmé
Dentons US LLP

Amber Mauer
The Miller Hull Partnership, LLP

Jennifer McCarthy
Swinerton

Dan Michaels
Stockdale Capital Partners

Howard Mills
Rudolph and Sletten, Inc.

Neil Mohr
Republic Services, Inc.

Cynthia Morgan-Reed
Vanst Law

Michael Nelson
Kilroy Reality Corporation

Justine Nielson
Procopio

Sam Patella
Navarra Properties

Phil Peterson
Dynalectric San Diego

Richard Porras
AT&T

Matthew Porreca
BNIM

David Potter
JPI Companies

Diana Puetz
San Diego Padres

Glenn Quiroga
Sycuan Band of Kumeyaay Nation

Nicole Ramos
Irvine Company Office Properties

Daniel Reeves
Juniper Strategic Advisory

Paul Robinson
Hecht, Solberg, Robinson, Goldberg & Bagley LLP

Manuel Rodriguez
U.S. Bank

Rana Sampson
Union Bank

Ken Sauder
Wakeland Housing and Development Corporation

Greg Shields
Project Design Consultants

Jenner Smith
Carleton Management, Inc.

Eric Stenman
Balfour Beatty

Tito Taing
reproHAUS/signHAUS

Christine Takara
EMMES Realty Service of California, LLC

Krista Torquato
Bank of America

Frank Urtsun
Regional Strategies Group, Inc.

Deacon Jim Vargas
Father Joe’s Villages

Pedro Villegas
San Diego Gas & Electric

Bess Wakeman
JLL

Nicholas Wilson
Douglas Wilson Companies

Tim Winslow
Cushman & Wakefield

Advisory

Darin Anderson
CyberTECH

Jason Anderson
Cleantech San Diego

Matt Awbrey
Office of Mayor Kevin Faulconer

Rear Admiral Bette Bolivar
Navy Region Southwest

Jaymie Bradford
San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce

Mark Cafferty
San Diego Regional EDC

Cónsul General Carlos Gonzalez Gutierrez
Consulado General De Mexico

Molly Chase
Office of Councilmember Chris Ward

Domenico D’Ambrosio
San Diego County Regional Airport Authority

Rick Gentry
San Diego Housing Commission

Cindy Gompper Graves
South County Economic Development Council

Howard Greenberg
Gaslamp Quarter Association 

Dr. Helen V. Griffith
e3 Civic High

James Haug
East Village Association 

David Hazan
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services

Tomas Herrera-Mishler
Balboa Park Conservancy

Stephen Hill
Office of Assembly Majority Whip Todd Gloria

Haney Hong
San Diego Tax Payers Association

Eric Jones
Colombia District Representative

Elyse Lowe
City of San Diego

Mike Madigan
Community Representative

Stanley Maloy, Ph.D.
San Diego State University

Jamie Moraga
San Diego Military Advisory Council

Bob Morris
RBM & Associates

Job Nelson
Port of San Diego

John Ohanian
2-1-1 San Diego

Joe Panetta
BIOCOM

Andy Phillips
Civic San Diego

MaryAnne Pintar
Office of Congressman Scott Peters

Clifford “Rip” Rippetoe
San Diego Convention Center

Jarrod Russell
Startup San Diego 

Claudine Scott
Keller Williams Realty, Inc.

Adam Smith
Comic-Con Museum

Deanna Spehn
Office of Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins

Joyce Summer
Cortez Community

Joe Terzi
San Diego Tourism Authority

Jeanie Tyler
San Diego City College

Paul Worlie
Office of  County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher 

 

Emeritus Board Member

Jim Dawe

Committees

FINANCE 
Chair: Bill Sauls, William A. Sauls Attorney at Law
DSDP Staff: Alicia Kostick
This group is responsible for reviewing and providing guidance for the DSDP’S financial matters. Specifically, the committee assures internal controls, independent audit, and financial analysis for the organization.
Committee meets on an as needed basis.

QUALITY OF LIFE
DSDP Staff: Alonso Vivas
This group’s focus is on Quality of Life issues in Downtown and how it affects our surrounding communities and vice versa. The purpose of the committee is to open communication between San Diego’s urban communities and to advocate for change in San Diego.
Committee meets on an as needeed basis.

EVENTS & MEMBERSHIP

Co-Chair: Chanelle Hawken, Cox Communications
Co-Chair: Margie Newman, Intesa Communications Group, LLC
DSDP Staff: Kaitlin Phillips & Taylor Stahl
This group is focused on ensuring that we have a comprehensive membership program offering the right mix of events, benefits and value to retain and attract new members so we can successfully grow our organization and deliver on our mission.
Meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month from noon-1:00 p.m.

URBAN SPACES
This group will focus on advocating for the acquisition, promotion and retention of urban spaces and the activation of these spaces in Downtown San Diego.
Committee meets on an as needed basis.

DOWNTOWN PLANNING & PUBLIC POLICY
Co-Chair: Michele Vives, Douglas Wilson Companies
Co-Chair: James Lawson, Presidio PAG, Inc.
DSDP Staff: Alexandra Berenter, Carey Algaze & Kalei Levy
This group monitors and advocates on public policy issues affecting the design, development and economic health of Downtown San Diego and provides direction to the Executive Committee and Board of Directors on all matters under consideration by the Downtown San Diego Partnership.
Meets the 2nd Thursday of the month from 8:00-9:30 a.m.

DOWNTOWN IN PROGRESS
Essentially functioning as a downtown community outreach program, the main goal of Downtown in Progress is to keep track of the numerous construction projects and special events in order to help visitors, businesses, residents, and workers avoid potential delays and enjoy all that downtown San Diego has to offer. We do this in part by hosting quarterly community meetings that are open to the public.