Our Community
We believe in the power of collaboration and the strength of our community. Behind every initiative and success story, there is a dedicated team driving our mission forward. Get to know the people and organizations who make it all possible—from our esteemed board members and passionate staff to our invaluable community advisory, working groups, and partners. We are a team united by a shared mission and vision for our cross-border region
Malin Burnham, Co-Founder, Board Chair Emeritus
Malin has been Chairman of John Burnham & Company Insurance and Burnham Real Estate and has been involved in the business since 1949. In 2008, Burnham Real Estate was acquired by Cushman & Wakefield.
Malin is a native San Diegan who graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in Industrial Engineering In addition to his involvement with the Burnham Companies, he has been active as a board member of several major corporations and 16 firms. His present involvements include: Board Member of Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, UCSD Foundation, Rady School of Management, and the USS Midway Museum, and is Chairman of the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine.
Mr. Burnham has chaired nine major non-profits and has co-founded 14 organizations in his career, most providing direct benefit to San Diego. He’s also been a world-recognized sailor for five decades and has helped San Diego achieve prominence in both local and professional sports. At age 17, he became the youngest skipper to win a World Championship in the International Star Class. In 1987, he played a leading role in bringing the America’s Cup to San Diego. He is a former partner/owner of the San Diego Padres and the San Diego Sockers.
Paula A. Cordeiro, Board Chair
Paula is the Dammeyer Distinguished Professor of Global Leadership and Education in the Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego (USD). From 1998-2015 she served as dean of USD’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences and afterwards spent nearly five years working internationally as the VP of Education for Edify, an international micro-finance social enterprise. Paula has served on a variety of civic and philanthropic boards including the James Irvine Foundation, the USS Midway Museum, the New Bedford Whaling Museum (MA), and the Community Technical Assistance Center (MA). She chaired the boards of the San Diego Council on Literacy, the University Council for Educational Administration and currently sits on the boards of the Conrad Prebys Foundation and Building Engineering and Science Talent (Washington DC). Paula was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger to serve on the Board of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Prior to being a professor, Paula was a teacher, principal and school director in international schools in Venezuela and Spain. She is the author of three books and numerous articles. Paulateaches social entrepreneurship and impact evaluation.
Vincent Mudd, Board Treasurer , Vice Chair
Vincent Mudd is the former Managing Partner and Principal of Carrier Johnson + CULTURE. Throughout his tenure at Carrier Johnson + CULTURE, Vincent led the firm to its most solid performance as a private company, leading to its “Top 14” ranking from Architecture Magazine’s “Architect 50” top firms of the year. Previously, Mr. Mudd was the Chief Executive Officer of San Diego Office Interiors.
Vincent is a champion of sustainability having completed several LEED Platinum, Gold and Net Zero projects. He was given the “Cool Californian” award by the California Air Resources Board for his work. As an instructor at SDSU CES, Vincent inspired the next generation of green business leaders through his Sustainable Design and Construction course.
Highly committed to civic engagement, Vincent is one of San Diego’s “Top 100 Influential Leaders,” and has served on a variety of civic and philanthropic boards and led turnarounds of troubled not-for-profit organizations. Mr. Mudd was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Board of State Compensation Insurance Fund. He served as Chairman of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and San Diego’s Citizen’s Sustainability Task Force. He is a former director of the San Diego County Water Authority, Metropolitan Water District and Sharp HealthCare – the largest private health care system in the San Diego region.
Jack McGrory, Board Secretary
Jack is CEO of La Jolla MJ Management, LLC, a real estate investment company. Prior to that, Jack worked for the City of San Diego for twenty-three years, including serving as City Manager from March 1991 through August 1997. After his time with the city, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Price Enterprises, Inc., where he oversaw the sale of the company.
From 1999 to 2000 Jack was Chief Operating Officer of the San Diego Padres and from 1999-2002 he was President of the subsidiary responsible for building Petco Park and the adjacent commercial development.
Jack has also served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Price Legacy Corporation, a real estate investment trust specializing in the acquisition and management of retail power centers, as Manager of The Price Group, and as Director and Executive Vice President of PriceSmart, Inc.
Throughout his career, Jack has served on more than a dozen boards and committees and has been a lecturer at the School of Public Affairs at San Diego State University and in the Urban Studies and Planning Program at the University of California, San Diego.
Jack earned his BA at Colgate University, received his master’s in Public Administration from San Diego State University and his Law Degree from the University of San Diego. He was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Human Letters from the CSU Board of Trustees.
Tad Seth Parzen, Co-Founder, President and CEO
Tad Seth Parzen is the President and CEO of the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, which he co-founded alongside longtime civic leader Malin Burnham in 2021. Tad is a highly respected leader in the San Diego region, renowned for his long-standing commitment to civic causes and expertise in collaborative community development. With extensive experience in legal, education, philanthropy, government, and nonprofit sectors, he brings a unique and multi-faceted perspective to his work. Recognizing his exceptional leadership and contributions to the Burnham Center and the community, Tad was named a 2023 Nonprofit CEO of the Year by the San Diego Business Journal.
Prior to joining the Burnham Center, Tad led Parzen Civic Solutions, focusing on cross-sector collaborations to enhance communities. Starting his career as a trial lawyer and later a partner at the law firm of Hillyer & Irwin, in 2000, Tad shifted to public service as General Counsel for the San Diego Unified School District. He continued his public service journey through work in philanthropy, serving as the Executive Vice President at Price Philanthropies, and his work has been funded by some of our nation’s largest foundations.
Tad has contributed his time and expertise to many regional civic organizations, including the Institute of the Americas, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Business Roundtable for Education, World Design Capital 2024, Congregation Beth El, Jewish Federation of San Diego County, San Diego Jazz Ventures, and American Jewish Committee and others.
Adriana ‘Adri’ Brunner, Board Member
Adriana ‘Adri” Brunner, a seasoned professional, recently joined JP Morgan Chase as VP-Senior Business Consultant. With over 26 years of experience, including 17 years at a local San Diego Credit Union as VP of Community and Business Development, Adri has been instrumental in driving community development and economic empowerment. In her new role, she focuses on providing strategic solutions to empower entrepreneurs in underserved communities. Adri’s extensive background in banking, business development, and marketing, combined with her advocacy efforts, reflects her commitment to fostering sustainable growth. She actively volunteers on numerous boards and committees, advocating for diversity and inclusion. Adri resides in North County, San Diego, where she enjoys traveling and immersing herself in Latin American literature.
Veronica Dela Rosa, Board Member
As Executive Vice President of Operations for San Ysidro Health, Veronica Dela Rosa leads the organization with key oversight and strategic initiatives of Clinic Operations, Information Technology, Population Health and Performance Excellence, Compliance, Human Resources, Pharmacy Operations, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. Her insight and vision are assisting the transformation of the organization’s direction in propelling healthcare delivery to include prevention at all levels of care.
In both her career and community involvement, Veronica has a long history of advocating for women’s health, social justice, health equity, workforce development, and policy and advocacy initiatives. She has helped shape multiple non-profit organizations as a board member nationally, state-wide, and locally and continues that work today Veronica holds a master’s degree in business administration from National University and certifications from UCLA’sHealth Executive Program, USC’s Marshall School of Business, as well as a Health Policy Fellow from Milken School of Public Health from George Washington University.
Peter Ellsworth, Board Member
After growing up in Los Angeles, Peter received a BA and a JD from Stanford University and served two years in the Army before coming to San Diego with his wife Doris. Once he settled in San Diego, Peter joined the law firm of Lindley, Lazar and Scales, which eventually evolved to become Ellsworth, Corbett, Seitman and McLeod, of which Peter was President. He left the law practice to become President and CEO of Sharp Health Care. Over his ten-year term in that role, he expanded the system from two hospitals to a group of seven hospitals and two medical groups that cared for one third of San Diegans and was the largest private employer in the City. After leaving Sharp, he refocused and reorganized a foundation established by a former law client and became President and CEO of that Foundation. He ran that Foundation in the new model for over 20 years until its final dissolution in July of 2020.
Over the years, Peter has served on numerous other Boards and committees including the Board of the San Diego Chamber of Commerce and the National Committee on primary care of the National Institute of Health in Washington DC. He currently serves on the Strategic Roundtable of the San Diego Economic Development Council and the Advisory Boards of The Center for Ethics in Science and Technology and the Accelerator program at the Engineering School at UCSD among others.
Lisette Islas, Board Member
Lisette Islas, Chief Executive Officer of Lifeline Community Services, is a transformational leader who has dedicated her career to furthering economic and social strength of the San Diego region. She is recognized by her ability to develop innovative strategies that uplift individuals, families, and communities.
With over twenty-five years of experience, Lisette has become a pivotal figure in San Diego's efforts to address systemic barriers to equity. Throughout her career, she has held a number of strategic leadership roles in prominent organizations in the philanthropic and nonprofit fields, including significant contributions at the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation and San Diego Grantmakers. Most recently, she was Executive Vice President & Chief Impact Officer at MAAC. In this role, she focused on the intersection of economic inclusion and mobility, housing affordability, and access to quality early care and education. In her current role at Lifeline Community Services, Lisette guides the provision of vital mental and behavioral health services and economic development programs within San Diego County's most underinvested communities. In that leadership role, she ensures that these programs not only meet immediate needs but also address the broader systemic factors contributing to inequity.
Lisette's commitment extends beyond her role at Lifeline Community Services. She plays a pivotal role as a board member of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, where she serves on the Executive Committee as Vice-Chair, Inclusive Growth. Lisette is also an advisory committee member at the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute.
Lisette Islas' career is a reflection of her unwavering commitment to creating a more equitable and prosperous community. Through her dedication, visionary leadership, and inclusive approach, she continues to make a significant impact on the lives of people across the San Diego region.
Patricia Prado-Olmos, Board Member
Patricia is the Chief Community Engagement Officer at California State University San Marcos. She joined the CSUSM campus in 1997 as an assistant professor of education, earning tenure in 2001 as an associate professor, and achieving the rank of professor in 2007. She has also held numerous administrative positions at CSUSM, beginning with the role of academic director for CSUSM programs in Southwest Riverside County from 2005 to 2008. She served as associate dean for the College of Education from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2011 to 2012 under its new structure as the College of Education, Health and Human Services. In 2010, she led the College of Education as its interim dean.
Patricia served as the founding director of the Alliance to Accelerate Excellence in Education in the Division of Community Engagement, the administrative home for CSUSM's guaranteed admission program with 10 area school districts. In 2015 she was elevated to the role of Vice President for Community Engagement and in 2020 took on her current role. Patricia is a champion of equitable workforce development in the region and believes in the power of public higher education to improve our region and its families. She has degrees from Pomona College and UC Santa Barbara, and previously served on the faculty of Pomona College and University of Houston-Clear Lake.
Kirby Brady, Board Member
As Chief Innovation Officer and Director of Performance and Analytics for the City of San Diego, Kirby is responsible for the department’s day-to-day data and analysis efforts. Her team is responsible for organizing City data and making it universally accessible and helpful to all users. Using municipal analytics, her team leverages data to drive decision-making efforts to better align services with needs and optimize taxpayer resources.
Prior to joining the City of San Diego, Kirby spent four years working for the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, where she oversaw the research efforts of the organization. Her team’s work focused on analyzing local economic trends, including quantifying the economic activity of regional industries and evaluating policy impacts. Kirby spent seven years working for the San Diego Association of Governments, where she managed the long-range population and housing forecast program for the region.
With a background in urban and transportation planning, demography, and infrastructure policy, Kirby is well versed in economic and demographic analysis and the application of local data sources.
A native San Diegan, Kirby holds a bachelor’s in regional development from the University of Arizona and a master’s in urban planning from the University of Southern California.
Tad Seth Parzen, Co-Founder, President and CEO
Tad Seth Parzen is the President and CEO of the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, which he co-founded alongside longtime civic leader Malin Burnham in 2021. Tad is a highly respected leader in the San Diego region, renowned for his long-standing commitment to civic causes and expertise in collaborative community development. With extensive experience in legal, education, philanthropy, government, and nonprofit sectors, he brings a unique and multi-faceted perspective to his work. Recognizing his exceptional leadership and contributions to the Burnham Center and the community, Tad was named a 2023 Nonprofit CEO of the Year by the San Diego Business Journal.
Prior to joining the Burnham Center, Tad led Parzen Civic Solutions, focusing on cross-sector collaborations to enhance communities. Starting his career as a trial lawyer and later a partner at the law firm of Hillyer & Irwin, in 2000, Tad shifted to public service as General Counsel for the San Diego Unified School District. He continued his public service journey through work in philanthropy, serving as the Executive Vice President at Price Philanthropies, and his work has been funded by some of our nation’s largest foundations.
Tad has contributed his time and expertise to many regional civic organizations, including the Institute of the Americas, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, San Diego Business Roundtable for Education, World Design Capital 2024, Congregation Beth El, Jewish Federation of San Diego County, San Diego Jazz Ventures, and American Jewish Committee and others.
Sophia Eichner, Sr. Director, Program Operations
Prior to joining the Burnham Center in January 2022 as Director of Operations and Programs, Sophia Eichner served in the same role with the Design Forward Alliance. Sophia was part of the shortlist leadership team, which planned and executed a program strategy that resulted in a first-ever World Design Capital 2024 designation for San Diego and Tijuana. Previously, Sophia served in dual roles as the Director of Community Engagement & Real Estate Initiatives and Director of Special Projects for UC San Diego Extension. Her primary charge was the build-out and program development for the new downtown center, UC San Diego at Park and Market. With a 20-year career focused on project management, government, philanthropy and program development, Sophia focuses on leading initiatives designed to create visibility and meaningful opportunities for communities of concern across both public and private sectors.
Known for her passion, creative problem-solving and ability to build and nurture cross-functional relationships, Sophia has aligned multiple organizational and public functions to succeed, including executive leadership, construction, marketing, communications, finance, and community partners. Eichner is inspired by her parents and two children and is dedicated to contributing to our dynamic and growing region.
Bill Ponder, Director of Community Outreach
Bill Ponder is a former University Vice President at Eastern Washington University. Bill is a native San Diegan with three decades of experience in higher education, including former membership in the Leadership Development Initiative at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He has extensive experience in urban planning as a building commissioner, on planning commissions, and as faculty in the College of Urban and Regional Planning at Eastern. He has convened and reviewed grants for the National Science Foundation. Bill also served on the Citizens Independent Bond Oversight committee for the San Diego Unified School District and is currently the Chair of the Trustees Advisory Council for the San Diego Community College District. He also serves on the board of Groundwork San Diego. Most recently invited by Mayor Todd Gloria, Bill now serves on the Mayor's Civic Core Revitalization Citizen's Committee.
Jim Waring, Project Manager
Jim Waring is the co-founder of Cleantech San Diego, a nonprofit member organization dedicated to positioning the greater San Diego region as a global leader in the cleantech economy. During his tenure as Board Chair from 2007 to 2015, Jim played a pivotal role in guiding the organization's strategic direction and fostering its growth. He continues to contribute his expertise as a valued member of the Board.
Before spearheading Cleantech, Jim served the City of San Diego as the Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Land Use and Economic Development under Mayor Jerry Sanders. His commitment to civic service extends to his involvement on various boards and commissions, such as the San Diego Housing Commission and the State of California Transportation Commission.
With a legal career spanning over 20 years, Jim has an extensive background as a practicing attorney, specializing in transactional negotiations. He holds a bachelor's degree in Business from the University of Southern California, and a law degree and a master’s degree in Peace and Justice Students both from the University of San Diego.
Natalie Royston Scoma, Executive Assistant to the President & CEO/ Office Manager
A lifelong San Diegan, Natalie has been working and volunteering in the non-profit sector for 17 years, including the San Diego Center for Children, The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, and the San Diego New Children’s Museum, where she sat on the Board of Directors. Natalie graduated with a BA in Psychology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and is currently on the Alumni Board at the Bishops School in La Jolla.
Blanca Sanchez, Office and Events Coordinator
Blanca is an accomplished event planner and executive assistant with a passion for creative planning, event operations, and administrative excellence. Her educational background includes certifications as an LGBT+ Wedding Specialist from the Gay Wedding Institute, a Certified Master Wedding Planner from the American Association of Certified Wedding Planners, and an International Certified Wedding and Event Planner from Atlantis University.
Before joining BCCA in January 2024, Blanca spent five years honing her skills in wedding and event planning in Los Angeles and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Her unwavering dedication to delivering outstanding results and her commitment to maintaining the highest standards of excellence make her a valuable asset in the event planning and administrative roles at BCCA.
The Community Advisory Board is essential to BCCA’s efforts to identify, prioritize and act on opportunities for impact on some of our region’s most persistent issues. Connect with our advisors on LinkedIn.
Andy Ballester, BQuest Foundation
Mark Balmert, San Diego Military Advisory Council
Debbie Barnum, Founder WorkforceConnect
Regina Bernal, Connect
Andrew Blum, University of San Diego
David Broad, MiraCosta Community College
Julie Coker, San Diego Tourism Authority
Veronica Dela Rosa, San Ysidro Health
Graeme Gabriel, ColRich
Jonathan Glus, Executive Director for the Arts & Culture, City of San Diego
Barry Jantz, Community Representative
Carlos McCray, Social Work Entrepreneur
Jason Paguio, President & CEO, Asian Business Association San Diego
Anna Quackenbush, Illumina
Lauree Sahba, San Diego Regional EDC
Nancy Sasaki, United Way of San Diego County
Summer Stephan, San Diego County District Attorney
Scott Tritt, Social Venture Partners
Samuel Tsoi
Robert Watkins, R.J. Watkins & Company
Mary Lydon, Lydon Associates Maria Sendra, Sunshine Innovation Fund/Global Tech
Ramla Sahid, Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans
Yolanda Apalategui Lugo, Government and Community Affairs, City of San Diego
BCCA builds issue-based working groups to help gather experts, data, and resources to create innovative solutions for shared goals. Working groups will design platforms and partnerships for successful implementation of initiatives, identify initiative leaders, consensus building and planning. Our current working groups include:
Balboa Park Working Group
The Balboa Park Working Group will look at immediate infrastructure needs as well as long-term financial and governance options for sustainability.
- Erik Bruvold, San Diego North Economic Development Council
Howard Blackson, AVRP Studios
Mike Engel, Sharp Grossmont Hospital
Kurt Haunfelner, KEH Creative Consulting
Rene Smith
Roger Showley, Showley Consulting
Jack Carpenter, Forever Balboa Park
David Rice, FAIA
Pete Wheeler, WFA Wealth Managers
Michael Stepner, NewSchool of Architecture & Design
Patti Roscoe
Haney Hong
Bill Fulton, William Fulton Group
Peter Comiskey, Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
Elizabeth Babcock, Forever Balboa Park
Tamara Craver, Reality Changers
Vicki Estrada, Estrada Land Planning
Workforce Development Working Group
With our partners, our Workforce Development Working Group is working on expanding opportunities into high-growth, high-wage industries in San Diego, finding solutions to support those in occupations impacted hardest by the pandemic, and creating incubators to help entrepreneurs and innovators.
- Barry Jantz, Jantz Communications
- Julie Coker, San Diego Tourism Authority
- Mark Balmert, San Diego Military Advisory Council
- Adriana Brunner, MyPoint Credit Union
- Scott Tritt, San Diego Venture Partners
- Regina Bernal, Connect
- Nancy Sasaki, United Way of San Diego County
- Veronica De La Rosa, San Ysidro Health
Ramla Sahid, PANA
Daniel Enemark, San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center
Elba Gomez, Port of San Diego
Debbie Barnum, WorkforceConnect
Joseph Stark, Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District
Jennifer Gillmore, Kitchens for Good
Danene Brown, San Diego & Imperial Counties Community Colleges
Housing Working Group
BCCA’s Housing Working Group is convening stakeholders and researchers with issue-specific expertise to address the housing crisis in our region.
- Graeme Gabriel, Colrich
- Erik Bruvold, San Diego Institute for Policy Research
- Lauree Sahba, San Diego Regional EDC
- Josh Coyne, Downtown San Diego Partnership
- Andy Ballester, EyePop.ai
- Carlos McCray, Stay Smilin Life
- Makana Rowan, San Diego City Council
- Alan Nevin, Gafcon, Inc.
Mary Lydon, Lydon Associates
Debbie Ruane, Middle March Fund
Sarah Lyman, Alliance Healthcare Foundation
Stephen Russell, San Diego Housing Federation
Louie Nguyen, Mission Driven Finance
Jennifer McElyea, Ethos Real Estate
David Lynn, Mission Driven Finance
Bill Fulton, William Fulton Group
Mai Nguyen, UC San Diego Design Lab
Mitch Mitchell, Sempra
Sean Spear, Community Housing Works
Keith Pittsford, SGPA Architecture and Planning
Heather Riley, Allen Matkins
Amy Denhart, Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties
Keely Halsey, City of San Diego
Community Fabric Working Group
Together, our Community Fabric Working Group is working on rebuilding the community fabric where it is frayed, making us a more robust and interconnected region.
- Lauree Sahba
- Carlos McCray
- Andrew Blum
- Samuel Tsoi
- Veronica Dela Rosa
- Yolanda Apalategui Lugo
BCCA serves as a nexus point where community stakeholders and multi-sector partners come together to identify regional needs, find innovative solutions, and tackle some of our most pressing issues. We are a platform for our partners to enhance, amplify and accelerate their work through collaboration and cross-pollination.
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