About Us
The San Diego Leadership Alliance (SDLA) is a nonpartisan nonprofit formed to develop San Diego's progressive leadership. After over a decade, the SDLA has graduated more than 300 progressives from its program who now carry our values into their respective leadership roles in the community across the public, private and nonprofit sectors.
Our Mission
The mission of the San Diego Leadership Alliance is to develop an organized progressive infrastructure. We drive progressive policy change by equipping the next generation of leaders with the skills, relationships, and opportunities to make this a reality.
Our Progressive Values
- Society should work for everyone and promote equity and diversity across intersectional identities, including class, race, ethnicity, conscience, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, ability, and histories of disenfranchisement.
- Government and institutions can and should be a force for good.
- Progressive policies are created through the power of organizing.
- We commit to solidarity across differences to strengthen collective power.
- Justice is achieved by dismantling harmful systems and building a restorative future centered on equity for those impacted.
- We fight for an affordable, livable San Diego that’s built for, and by, the working class and serves the interests of the many, not the few.
- People should have fundamental rights to affordable basic needs such as health care, housing, transportation, food, and robust economic opportunity.
- We strive for accountability to the people and communities most impacted by injustice through actions and change that manifest these values.
- Members, alumni, and fellows commit to effectuating these values through shared action and organizing for progressive policies and leaders in San Diego.
Our Work
SDLA exists to build a network of progressives with the skills and relationships to provide a focus on equity, equality and justice. SDLA is not just about developing candidates to run for public office. Political change includes elected officials, but it also requires supporters from the business, nonprofit, and other sectors.
SDLA's benchmark program is our leadership Institute that runs January through June ever year. We bring together a diverse group of progressive individuals and provide them the tools needed to become leaders in San Diego. For more information on the institute please visit our program pages.
SDLA was formerly affiliated with the national non profit the New Leaders Council.
Board of Directors
Meet the board members of the San Diego Leadership Alliance.
Executive Committee
Board Members
Founding Members
Founding Members of the San Diego Leadership Alliance are a diverse network of supporters who are dedicated to advancing SDLA's mission to build the next generation of young progressives in the San Diego region.
Consider joining as an SDLA Member!
Our sincerest thanks to our Founding Members, listed below.
Founding Members
- Jeremy Addis-Mills
- Treasure Addis-Mills
- Amanda Allen
- James Alvernaz
- Robert G. Antonio
- Nadia Bermudez
- Megan Blair
- Trevor Blair
- Amanda Bonds
- Sarah Borger
- Aaron J. Brooks
- Aaron Burnett
- Jay Buys
- Gil Cabrera — Supporter
- Jeff Chinn
- Kirsten Clemons
- Amy Denhart
- Clarissa Falcon
- Katherine Field
- Erin Francis
- Wyn Furman
- Lev Gershman
- Robert Gleason
- John Greenwell
- Stewart Halpern
- Jeremy Hirshberg
- Cody Hooven
- Emily Howe
- Eric Alan Isaacson — Advocate
- Malieka Johnson
- Donna Jones
- Katasha Kalonji
- Rebecca Kanter
- Eric Klein
- Heather Laird
- Jamie Latiano Jacobs
- Tammy Lin
- Kate McDevitt
- Melissa Meagher
- Arian Mojiri
- Colin Parent
- Dale Parent
- Shanna Pearce
- Gary Rotto
- Scott Schechter — Enthusiast
- Johanna Schiavoni
- Kimberly Simms
- Prabha Singh
- Gabriel Solmer
- Maureen Steiner — Supporter
- Mark Tran
- Davin Widgerow
- Wilda Wong
- Shane Yonston
Membership Levels
Founding Membership
$150
(within first year of SDLA Membership Program)
Supporter
$200
Enthusiast
$500
Advocate
$1,000
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