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News ReleaseSan Diego Union-Tribune Emerging Leaders Grant Provides Diverse LEAD San Diego Candidates Partial ScholarshipsSAN DIEGO, CA – LEAD San Diego announced the recipients of the 2007-2008 San Diego Union-Tribune Emerging Leaders Grant. Established in 2002, the Emerging Leaders Grant was created in partnership with The San Diego Union-Tribune to benefit seminar candidates from diverse communities currently participating in LEAD San Diego’s leadership seminars. This grant provides finances to aid the seminar candidates as they go through LEAD’s intense nine-month Core Curriculum designed to transform a highly motivated group of individuals into a network of leaders with knowledge and commitment that benefits the entire region. The program focuses on building leadership skills, providing a regional issues orientation and a hands-on leadership project providing assistance to area non-profit organizations. The grant is a partial scholarship and each candidate is responsible for acquiring the balance of their tuition from employers or other sources. The Emerging Leaders Grant targets youthful candidates from diverse communities in the San Diego region. The grant recipients are selected based on the potential value, energy and dedication they bring to community leadership in the region. In addition, the recipients leverage considerable influence with their professional networks, and have demonstrated connections within their communities. According to Drew Schlosberg, Community and Public Relations Manager for The San Diego Union-Tribune, “Our goal is to encourage and include new leaders from diverse communities as the demographics in the region continues to shift dramatically. Our leaders need broad and innovative perspectives in order to solve problems and take advantage of opportunities. This grant helps identify, support and develop volunteer community leaders from diverse backgrounds so that more of these leaders are brought into San Diego’s decision-making process and can positively affect the future of our region.” This program supports LEAD’s diversity goals, and helps to create a critical mass of emerging leaders who are passionate about our region’s future. The Emerging Leaders Grant will help ensure that diverse communities’ viewpoints will be sharply focused on and that their ideas and knowledge are brought to bear on larger regional issues. The candidates receiving the Emerging Leaders Grant are Ana R. Melgoza, Jason Lacsamana and Vicky Rodriguez. Ana Melgoza, a resident of Chula Vista, is Director of Community Relations for the San Ysidro Health Center. She oversees all aspects of public and community relations. Last year alone, SYHC provided medical care services to over 50,000 low-income, at-risk South Region residents, of which 90 % are minorities- predominantly Latinos. Melgoza’s prior experience include Medtronic Foundation’s Senior Health Program Officer/National Urban Fellow and Vice President of Organizational Development at The Don Bosco Social Services Center. The Medtronic Foundation is committed to improving the health of people and communities throughout the world. She is currently involved in MANA of San Diego and Kiwanis Club of Chula Vista. Melgoza is interested in child enrichment programs and is particularly concerned with the lack of affordable housing/homelessness and lack of school readiness for children in low income communities, particularly in San Ysidro. She hopes her LEAD experience will “allow me to gain a more detailed overview of the region, both geographically and politically.” Jason Lacsamana, lives in Mira Mesa and is Program Associate at California Endowment. In this position, he works with community organizations and institutions to develop innovative projects that will positively impact the health of the region. New to San Diego, his past experience includes program manager for the Orange County Asian and Pacific Island Community Alliance. He also served as the Communications and Program specialists for this organization. He is currently a member of the American Public Health Association & sits on the Board of Directors of the Pacific Islander Health Partnership. He is most interested in building the capacity of community-based organizations, allowing them to become stable and self-sustaining. Additionally, he would like further involvement in assisting corporate community to become more involved and more responsive to the needs of the communities in which they do business. Vicky Rodriquez, a resident of Imperial Beach or Chula Vista??, is the Human Services Manager at MAAC Project, a multi-purpose social service agency which provides her an opportunity to work on initiatives that build economic opportunities in underserved San Diego communities. Prior to this time she was the Childcare Program Director at South Bay Family YMCA, as well as the Urban Education Partnership’s Program Manager. Her current professional affiliations include the United Way, National City Collaborative, and County of SD Community Action Partnership. She also finds time to volunteer with the AjA Project and Media Arts of San Diego. Rodriguez held leadership positions at Filipino Student Organization and at the United Front Multicultural Center. She is most concerned about how broadband affects our communities and wants to specifically address access, affordability and application and the oportunity to have immediate internet access to key tools such as jobs and education. LEAD is especially pleased to once again have the opportunity to partner on the Emerging Leaders initiative with The San Diego Union-Tribune, one of LEAD San Diego’s long time supporters. Established in 1981, LEAD San Diego is one of the oldest and most prestigious community leadership organizations in the nation and is highly regarded throughout the greater San Diego region. LEAD San Diego’s influential members represent all sectors of our community and are dedicated to providing leadership that is dynamic, meaningful, and relevant. LEAD San Diego, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation. The San Diego Union-Tribune is the oldest business in San Diego County and the second-oldest newspaper in Southern California. Its mission is to be the leader in providing news through the highest standards of journalistic quality, information and marketing services indispensable to customers in its diverse region. You can contact the San Diego Union-Tribune at www.uniontrib.com
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