Dear San Diego

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 where the family lived is one of Michael’s earliest political memories. 

“Inzunza is part of a family of politicos who were once called ‘The Kennedys of the South Bay’ when his father, Ralph Inzunza Sr., served on the City Council of National City, his uncle, Nick Inzunza, served on the South Bay School District Board, and his older brother, Ralph Inzunza Jr., served on the San Diego City Council,” is how LaPrensa.org puts it. 

Michael has never held elected office. He has, however, built a career as a community advocate, mostly in the educational space, not unlike his parents. He's running for City Council because he believes he can make a difference in the community he loves, where just about everyone knows him and his family.

“Don't get me wrong, my name, ID and my familiarity with the South Bay really helps. But there hasn't been any member of my family in political office in 20 years. And there's never been an Inzunza elected in the city of Chula Vista. So I sort of really had to start from scratch, so to speak,” he says.

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00:01:08 - Introduction and Sugar Rush
00:03:27 - Overcoming Challenges
00:09:33 - Family Political Legacy
00:13:05 - Kennedys of the South Bay
00:13:55 - Avoiding Politics
00:14:44 - Civic-Minded Background
00:18:21 - Decision to Run
00:21:14 - Chula Vista's Growth
00:23:48 - Future Development
00:26:19 - Affordable Housing and Market Rate Housing
00:27:05 - Biotech Development in East Chula Vista
00:28:14 - Development in East Chula Vista
00:30:39 - Public Safety and Homelessness
00:36:28 - Tackling Homelessness and Housing Challenges
00:36:00 - Addressing Homelessness in Chula Vista
00:37:30 - Compassionate Approach to Homelessness
00:39:28 - Running for Office and Community Engagement
00:44:29 - Community Bond and Cultural Preservation
00:45:59 - Family Roots and Community Involvement
00:48:49 - Rapid Fire Questions

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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 part in public speaking opportunities in the community on the importance of mental health care, particularly for the military community.  She also is a dog lover and enjoys reading, lifting weights, spending time at parks and exploring San Diego through kayaking, beach days and bay walks.

June is PTSD Awareness Month. PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a national mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. While approximately 50 to 60% of Americans experience at least one traumatic event during their lives, only 7 to 8% experience PTSD.

(If you or a loved one are struggling with PTSD or any other mental health issue, call 988. Active-duty military, veterans and military families should call 988 – then press 1.)

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The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:01 - Vocational Compassion and Community Work
00:01:01 - Wedding Planning and Busy Times
00:03:36 - Cold Plunging and Morning Rituals
00:05:56 - PTSD Awareness and Trauma Definitions
00:11:57 - Support for Veterans and Their Families
00:12:31 - The Creation of Veterans of September 11
00:13:08 - Understanding Trauma
00:14:32 - Importance of Timely Treatment
00:19:29 - Desensitization in PTSD Treatment
00:21:40 - Breaking the Silence on Trauma
00:24:29 - Generational Trauma and Openness to Therapy
00:25:27 - Increased Demand for Therapy Services
00:26:10 - Generational Trauma and Military PTSD
00:27:53 - Access to Therapy Services and Kelly's Journey
00:35:25 - Rewarding Aspects of the Job
00:37:01 - The San Diego work ethic
00:38:11 - Mentoring and Public Speaking
00:41:45 - Benefits of Fitness and Therapy
00:43:43 - Making Mental Health Accessible
00:44:53 - Rapid Fire Questions
00:49:26 - Kelly's Compassion and Hustle
00:50:00 - Importance of Mental Health
00:50:52 - Evangelizing Success
00:51:38 - Conclusion and Credits 

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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 variety of campaigns, but he and his team do much more for a wide variety of businesses, nonprofits, government agencies and others.

Tony and Juan unpack all that with Chad, CEO of IVC Media. Chad also explains what full stack digital means; that he has never seen the movie Love Actually, even though the love story he shares with his wife, Arieli, is similar to the best love story in Love Actually; and why he drives an electric car no one can repair.

Tune in to this entertaining episode of Dear San Diego to hear what Chad has to say about digital communications, marketing, family life, and his “high potential teenager,” aka his Fisker Ocean One.

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The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:01 - Inside Successful Families
00:01:31 - Karaoke Go-Tos
00:02:26 - Remote RV Trip
00:04:09 - Culture Inside a Home
00:09:29 - Growth and Expansion
00:12:51 - Lack of outreach to independent voters
00:13:48 - Non-partisan voters' preferences
00:15:10 - Significant number of independent voters
00:18:27 - Family culture and success
00:22:58 - Personal life balance
00:25:05 - The From the Nest Podcast
00:25:33 - The Independent Voter Project
00:26:17 - The Fisker Ocean One
00:27:43 - Should People Go All Electric?
00:35:14 - Chad's Lifestyle Choices
00:37:26 - Importance of Confidence
00:38:46 - Trusting Yourself
00:40:00 - Resilience in Business
00:43:16 - Building Partnerships
00:45:27 - Impact of Resiliency

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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 interview when he received the call. He got the job. He was the new CEO of the San Diego Automotive Museum located in Balboa Park.  

That was four years ago. Since then, Lenny and his team have taken several steps to breathe new life into the automotive museum, and they have some ambitious plans for one of the city’s coolest spaces. And Lenny knows a thing or two about cool. Just ask him about that Impala he purchased when he was 17.

He discusses all that and more with Tony and Juan in this episode of Dear San Diego.

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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 political lens and the local one too to discuss voter reform on this episode of Dear San Diego. Listeners also get to hear about his family life (he says he’s an Uber driver for his grandkids) and the advice he gives young people.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:00 - Introduction to California's top two primary
00:01:29 - Inception of the top two primary
00:03:22 - How the top two primary works
00:08:24 - Flaws in the current political system
00:14:01 - Manipulation of the top two primary system
00:15:26 - The Power of Campaigns Driven by Turnout
00:17:27 - Political Maneuvering and Campaign Strategies
00:19:23 - The Influence of Committees and Political Alliances
00:22:29 - Advancing Electoral Reform: Ranked-Choice Voting
00:26:29 - The Need for Continuous Electoral Reform
00:31:02 - Ranked Choice Voting System
00:33:21 - Nonpartisan Top Four or Top Five System
00:35:17 - Reducing Campaign Costs
00:41:13 - Fixing Ranked Choice Voting
00:46:35 - Misjudging Willie Brown
00:48:27 - Steve Peace's Personal Life
00:53:30 - Motivations and Family
00:55:50 - Privacy Rights and Identity
01:00:17 - Childhood Influence
01:03:39 - Reflection on past behavior
01:05:13 - Advice for life
01:05:59 - Importance of facing adversity
01:07:02 - Perception of need and resilience
01:08:57 - Closing remarks

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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 called on for his strategic advice and recommendations. He’s also a fierce poker player, enjoying rare success in Vegas. Michael also serves as a San Diego Port Commissioner. 

He’s married with two kids and he and his family reside in Ocean Beach. It’s his family life, he says, that’s the priority and it may not have been if his political career did not take an unexpected turn.

Michael has seen a lot in and around City Hall over the years. He discusses local politics, poker, leadership, work-life balance, his wife and kids, and much more with Juan and Tony on the latest episode of Dear San Diego.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:00 - Introduction and Guest's First Impression
00:01:20 - Podcast Overview
00:05:29 - Guest's Background and Personal Life
00:10:29 - Balancing Work and Family
00:13:36 - Career Aspirations of the Guest's Son
00:14:33 - World Series of Poker Win
00:15:12 - Endurance and Emotions
00:16:31 - World Series of Poker Experience
00:19:42 - Poker and Life Skills
00:26:50 - San Diego Municipal Employees Association
00:29:59 - Discovering Local Politics
00:31:08 - Partisanship in Politics
00:33:22 - Changing Dynamics in Politics
00:36:43 - Impact of Media and Public Perception
00:41:18 - Political Endorsements and Races
00:46:26 - Political Race Predictions
00:47:45 - Impact of National Politics
00:48:33 - Personal Lifestyle Choices
00:49:36 - Daily Habits and Routines
00:59:33 - Closing Remarks
01:01:12 - Michael Zuchett's Leadership Style
01:01:39 - Getting to Know Michael Zuchett
01:02:10 - Unique Woodworking Family
01:03:19 - Zuchett's Political Insights
01:03:40 - Conclusion and Gratitude

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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 to these questions from two of the region’s leading housing advocates, Lori Pfeiler and Hannah Gbeh, on this episode of Dear San Diego.

In addition to housing policy and politics, Lori and Hannah talk about what it’s like working in an arena mostly dominated by men at the top of the food chain.

Lori is CEO of San Diego County Building Industry, and Hannah is the organization’s Vice President of Government Affairs.

The key moments in this episode are:

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:00 - Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:05:21 - Housing Crisis in San Diego
00:07:05 - Impact of Regulatory Environment on Housing
00:13:37 - Infrastructure and Funding Challenges
00:14:09 - Challenges of Bureaucracy and Budgets
00:15:03 - Unprecedented Leadership
00:19:33 - Gender and Leadership
00:22:00 - Housing Crisis and Regulations
00:26:16 - Environmental Impact and Building
00:28:13 - Government Regulations and Impact on Housing
00:35:55 - The Cost of Building in California
00:37:45 - Influence of Local Policy and Education
00:40:32 - Life as a Single Mom and Former Farmer
00:41:37 - Diverse Farming Experiences
00:41:48 - Lucrative Non-Edibles
00:42:20 - Missing Being Mayor
00:43:12 - Coffee vs. Tea
00:47:14 - Policy vs. Politics
00:49:25 - AI and Housing Crisis

 

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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 the table. Otherwise, she said, they will be overlooked.

While the challenges Councilmember Montgomery faces as a black woman representing Southeastern San Diego are long, she draws on her hope and her faith while pursuing her goal of ensuring opportunities are available to everyone who wants them.

Tony and Juan discuss all that and more on this episode of Dear San Diego with Councilmember Montgomery. They also talk about Tony’s dad, Bobby George Manolatos, who passed away October 5. This episode is dedicated to him.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:00 - Introduction and Background of the Guest
00:09:21 - Reflections on personal loss
00:11:03 - Campaign and Election
00:14:27 - Readiness for New Position
00:14:32 - Conclusion
00:14:39 - Making Tough Decisions
00:15:19 - Advocacy for Racial Equity
00:18:29 - Monica's Advocacy and Vision
00:25:35 - Unraveling Institutional Racism
00:30:35 - Staying True to Your Values in Politics
00:34:14 - Standing Up for What's Right
00:37:23 - A Day in the Life of Monica
00:39:56 - Monica's Humanity and Hope for the Future

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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 Village, and Sorrento Valley. Chris was only the third Asian American in San Diego’s history elected to the City Council.

On this episode with Tony and Juan, Chris talks about what he’s most proud of; his luck landing a huge press event with Mark Hamill aka Luke Skywalker, who grew up in Clairemont; the Chargers running ads attacking Chris – which made national news; and more.

He said the key to succeeding at City Hall is not to take things personally. Another key, he said, is finding balance, something he was very intentional about to ensure he was being a good father to his three kids and his wife, Maria.

As the founder of 3MC Strategies, Chris now spends his days as a consultant, assisting clients with government relations and advocacy, coalition building, community outreach, and fiscal and policy analysis.

The key moments in this episode are:

00:00:01 - Introduction and Setting the Scene
00:04:39 - Smuggling Activities and Trips
00:05:54 - Introduction to Guest - Chris Cate
00:10:01 - The Paradox of Politics
00:12:22 - Achievements and Policy Impact
00:14:02 - Redevelopment and Community Vision
00:15:45 - Community Impact and Micro Issues
00:20:18 - Cultural Center Development
00:23:40 - Post-Council Life and Business Work
00:27:17 - Controversy and Impact
00:28:14 - Chargers' Move to LA
00:29:25 - Stadium Subsidy and Public Backlash
00:31:00 - Fallout and Re-election
00:32:39 - Remembering Father Joe
00:41:35 - Morning Routine and Productivity
00:44:19 - Remote vs. Physical Work
00:46:12 - Board Service and Community Involvement
00:48:08 - Family and Work-life Balance
00:52:30 - Conclusion and Future Episodes

(Originally aired 19Oct23)

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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 Supervisor. 

For the first time publicly, James discusses what that was like for him and his colleagues, and how he dealt with the backlash from Nathan’s critics and some members of the media. James also was on the frontlines when former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick resigned under mounting pressure and allegations. 

James discusses that, his love for the Detroit Lions, cooking, painting, his Flack Talk podcast, and more with Tony and Juan.

The key moments in this episode are:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Background
00:04:31 - Nathan Fletcher's Resignation
00:08:12 - Flack Talk and Journalism
00:10:27 - Career Path and Motivation
00:12:45 - Networking and Mentors
00:13:19 - Finding Common Ground
00:16:36 - Shocking News
00:21:36 - Dealing with Crisis
00:24:52 - Public Scrutiny
00:25:40 - The Impact of Crisis Communication
00:30:54 - Moving Forward from Past Leadership
00:31:44 - Continuing Service Amidst Challenges
00:33:48 - Creative Outlets and Artistic Endeavors
00:37:49 - Brand Building and Leadership
00:38:31 - Setting the Creative Standard
00:39:59 - Functional Art and Creativity
00:41:46 - Michigan Values and Connection to San Diego
00:47:56 - Impactful Interview and Personal Insights

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