In response to requests I received for the names of people I alluded to in last week’s commentary Too many years of inbreeding I’m providing a list of mayor Kevin Faulconer’s recent appointees, plus a brief description of who they are.
Many names will be familiar to those of you who have been following city affairs over the years. For others, the people on this list may not ring a bell; like the city’s water and sewer pipes they tend to operate beneath the surface. Their organizational interconnectedness and crossovers, however, are readily identifiable by one and all.
What might cause you to blink once or twice as you scan the list below is how Kevin Faulconer has surrounded himself with people whose affiliations are at odds with his campaign posture as a "moderate" Republican.
What might cause you to blink once or twice as you scan the list below is how Kevin Faulconer has surrounded himself with people whose affiliations are at odds with his campaign posture as a "moderate" Republican.
(For those of you interested in crossovers, you'll find a good description of the city hall game of Chinese Checkers in this 2009 Reader story. Be assured, the game is still being played.)
Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s leadership team
Stephen Puetz - Chief of Staff
VP at Revolvis/a full-service Republican consulting firm. Campaign manager for Kevin Faulconer. Political consultant for Mark Kersey, Scott Sherman, Carl DeMaio. Staffed Faulconer in Council District 2
Jaymie Bradford -- Chief of Policy
Staffed Carl DeMaio, Jerry Sanders, Todd Gloria. Legislative advocate on SANDAG. Internal communications for Building Industry Association. SD Chamber of Commerce public policy committee
Felipe Monroig -- Chief of Community Engagement
Attorney. CEO for SD Taxpayers Assn. Carl DeMaio’s chief of staff. Worked for DeMaio’s Performance Institute
Matt Awbrey -- Chief of Communications
Formerly staffed Fauconer D2. SD Chamber of Commerce public policy committee
Craig Gustafson -- Press Secretary
Former reporter at U-T San Diego
Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s transition team
Tony Young
Former SD council president. Former CEO at SD Red Cross. Presumed new chief at Civic San Diego
Steve Cushman
Businessman. Chair, SD Chamber of Commerce. Chair, SD Convention Center. Board of Downtown SD Partnership. Chair at SD Port Commission. SD Red Cross. Special assistant to former mayor Jerry Sanders
Sharon Cloward
Pres, SD Port Tenants Association. Board, SD Convention Center Corp. Board SD Fleet Week Foundation. One of several women accusing former mayor Bob Filner of harassment
Ronne Froman
Rear Admiral U.S. Navy Ret. CEO at SD Red Cross. COO in mayor Jerry Sanders administration. Senior VP General Atomics. Married to Linden Blue/ co-owner of General Atomics (San Diego's largest defense contractor and developer of Predator drones). Chief of business operations, SD Unified School District. One of several women accusing former mayor Bob Filner of harassment
Aimee Faucett
Chief of staff for councilmembers Kevin Faulconer, Jim Madaffer. Executive VP & COO of SD Regional Chamber of Commerce
Bill Geppert
Former general manager Cox Communications. Past chair SD Regional Chamber Commerce. SD Regional Economic Development Corp. Organized efforts for choosing Faulconer as Republican Party candidate
Kris Michell
CEO Downtown SD Partnership. Former chief of staff to mayors Golding and Sanders. SD Regional Chamber of Commerce public policy committee. Balboa Park Centennial board. VP govt relations for SD Padres
Vince Mudd
businessman. SD regional Chamber of Commerce. SD Regional Economic Development Corp. Chair SD Red Cross. Advisor to mayor Sanders
Bob Nelson
Advertising, public affairs. Melded consulting agency with public relations firm Porter Novelli – where Kevin Faulconer was VP. SD Port Commission. SD Convention Center Corp
Joseph D. Panetta
CEO of trade association for biotech/life science industry. SD regional Chamber of Commerce. SD Regional Economic Development Corp
Faith Bautista
Businesswoman. CEO, Natl Asian American Coalition. Board of SD Regional Chamber of Commerce
Lani Lutar
Former SD Taxpayers Assn. Asian Business Association. Executive Director, Equinox Center
William D. Lynch
Investment banking. Chair of Republican Lincoln Club. Executive committee SD Regional Airport
Jennifer Jacobs
Public relations. Political consultant. Past director SD Lincoln Club. Republican Party central committee. Independent Super PAC for Carl DeMaio
Ure Kretowicz
Developer. Real estate investment. CEO Cornerstone Communities. Building Industry Assn-PAC. SD Lincoln Club
Michael Zucchet
Former city councilman. General manager SD Municipal Employees Assn
Brian Marvel
Pres. SD Police Officers Association
Nicole Murray-Ramirez
Columnist for the LGBT Weekly. Member of Human Rights Commission
Father Joe Carroll
Founder, Father Joe’s Villages
Dan Hom
Businessman. Asian Business Association. Political candidate for Chula Vista council seat
Tony Manolatos
Former Faulconer aide. Pres, By George Strategies. Former U-T reporter
Sam Bedwell
Administrator, SD American African Coalition
Adbur-Rahim Hameed
CEO, National Black Contractors Association
Susan Jester
Public relations. Pres. Log Cabin Republicans. AIDS Walk San Diego
Byeong Dae Kim
Businessman. Chair Korean-American Assn of SD. Pres., Korean Chamber of Commerce
Pastor Rickey Laster
New Assurance Baptist Church
Blanca Lopez Brown
Teacher/businesswoman. Political candidate for District 4 city council office
Kristen Victor
Building consultant, founder of Sustainability Matters
Pastor Walter G. Wells
Mt. Erie Baptist Church
Barbara Ybarra
Public affairs consultant, Ybarra Company
Leslie Kilpatrick
Pres. SD Association of Realtors
