Overview
Solving shared challenges requires
integrated regional solutions.
Climate resilience, critical infrastructure,
water/ocean health, and housing are
challenges that require massive collective
effort.
We build partnerships to create cross-
sector, multi-jurisdictional solutions.
Our founding partners include the County
County of San Diego, the San Diego
Foundation, and the Brookings Institution.
Institution.
Our Government & Agency Council is
is comprised of the County, 18
municipalities, SANDAG, MTS, the PORT,
PORT, and Airport Authority.
Our mission is to unlock the region’s
potential by cultivating and
building partnerships.
Our vision is one of enduring regional
collaborations where strong alliances
alliances have brought about a
thriving region.
Our work is to bring intellectual and
and financial resources to local
government.
• The #1 think tank in the world, the Brookings
Institution, is our key partner.
• 1st time in over 100-years that Brookings has
partnered to stay long term and work across
sectors in one region.
• “Over the last century, empires have come and
gone, the world order has changed but
Brookings has sailed on, not just commenting
on events but shaping them.” Lord Jonathan
Hill, Member, European Commission
• “People who observe Brookings have respected
the intellectual integrity, the thoughtful
analysis, and the honest debate that [its
scholars] participate in and contribute to.”
Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA)
• “Brookings has a long and proud history of
tackling difficult public policy issues and
fostering robust public debate.” Kara Stein,
Commissioner, Securities and Exchange
Commission
FOCUS AREAS
6 Housing
Increasing
quality and
quantity of
housing stock to
improve access
and
affordability
Infrastructure
Increasing and
leveraging
infrastructure
investments for the
public good
Community
Wealth
Building power and
prosperity for
historically
disinvested
communities
Climate
Change
Taking action to
mitigate and
adapt to climate
change, and
enhance coastal
ocean health
7 We draw on best practices from across the country to develop new programs, projects, and partnerships for our region.
In a first of its kind report, the
San Diego Regional Policy &
Innovation Center and the
Brookings Institution are
researching climate action plans
throughout the country and
sharing best practices and
strategies to provide regional
leaders a process for catalyzing
scalable and impactful emission
reduction activities.
Example of Bringing National Best Practices to
CA
SECTION TITLEEXAMPLE PROJECTS
10 WORKING WITH THE SAN DIEGO FOUNDATION, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION, THE COUNTY, AND CITIES TO INCREASE HOUSING STOCK (innovative financing models, government land asset mapping, regional policy to expedite permitting and reduce costs, explore alternate housing systems)
FIXER-UPPER BY DR. JENNY SCHUETZ
REVITALIZING SAN DIEGO’S COMMERCIAL FISHING
INDUSTRY & PROMOTING SUSTAINBLE FOOD
11 The San Diego commercial fishing industry is a small but iconic part of the region’s waterfront. The PIC team is working with partners including the Fishermen’s Working Group, the Food Systems Alliance, Scripps to design infrastructure projects to strengthen the local fishing industry and enable the growth of new industries, and create quality jobs, including restorative aquaculture and ocean technology innovation sector opportunities.
Current Status
• Developing a new annual food festival (Local Fish,
Global Flavor) to showcase local catch, reach new
markets, create jobs and opportunities to elevate
aspiring local restauranters.
• Pursuing federal funding for restorative aquaculture
and ocean technology innovation to protect our
coasts and water quality.
Through an Infrastructure Launchpad, PIC seeks to attract world-class companies with solutions (real assets, not apps) to address critical local public infrastructure needs. The Launchpad will pilot company systems and install improved materials, technologies, and/or services that result in quality jobs to the region and have measurable climate and socio- economic benefits for under-resourced areas.
Current Status
• Research on regional infrastructure needs,
gaps, and “weak links”
• Engagement with Port, municipalities,
companies, and local incubators
• Active discussions with companies
• Launchpad framework design in progress
ATTRACTING INNOVATIVE COMPANIES TO
UPGRADE SAN DIEGO’S INFRASTRUCTURE
12 This project creates new entry points for retrofitting aging, multi-family buildings with climate-smart water and energy efficiency upgrades and to create quality jobs through accessing and leveraging federal funding.
Current Status
• Data gathering on relief programs & other
sources
• Research to understand where residents are
struggling and would benefit most from direct
financial savings, improved air quality, and
lower heat/ health impacts
• Developing recommendations and design
options for new retrofit programs and federal
funding proposals
SUPPORTING WATER & ELECTRICITY
INFRASTRUCTURE
13 FIXING BOTTLENECKS TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING
INFILL PROJECTS
14 The challenge of upgrading water and sewer infrastructure to accommodate additional density can be a real barrier to affordable housing development. Up-front infrastructure costs can bottleneck project financing, slowing down development (sometimes by years) and reducing the total number of units built. These issues are most likely to be a barrier where maintenance has lagged. Our goal is to increase the quality and quantity of housing stock.
Current Status
• Brookings Institution researching solutions
• Explore how EPA State Revolving Loan Funds
can be structured to address bottlenecks and
accelerate/expand affordable housing supply
and provide resources and jobs
Our team is exploring new green stormwater infrastructure projects to enable more strategic broadband expansion to underserved areas (reduce the digital divide) and improve flood and fire risk monitoring and protections throughout the region.
ALIGNING WATER & BROADBAND
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS TO REDUCE
WILDFIRE & FLOOD RISK
15 Current Status
• Developing pilot location opportunities list
• Interfacing with key decision-makers to align
existing capital plans, identify federal funding,
and project pipelines
Jim Howell
Treasurer & Chair, Finance &
Administration Committee
Chief Financial Officer
San Diego Foundation
Kay Coleman
Board Chair &
Vice-Chair, Governance & Risk
Committee
President & CEO
Del Mar Venture Group, LLC
Lisa Cuestas
Chair, Audit & Risk
Committee
CEO
Casa Familiar
Constance Carroll
Board Vice-Chair &
Vice-Chair, Audit & Risk
Committee
Chancellor Emerita
San Diego Community College
District
Susan Guinn, Esq.
President & CEO
Policy & Innovation Center
Mark A. Stuart, CFRE
President & CEO
San Diego Foundation
Ben Haddad
Vice-Chair, Finance and
Administration Committee
Partner
California Strategies
Mel Katz
Chair, Governance and
Nominating Committee
Co-Founder and Executive
Officer
Manpower Staffing Services
Ernest Rady
Chairman & CEO
American Assets Trust
WORLD CLASS BOARD
Shalini Vajjhala, Ph.D
Executive Director
Ben Shorofsky, P.E.
Senior Officer
Strategy & Grants
Josh Jacobsen
Officer
Government Relations
Jamal Russell-Black
Senior Officer
Analytics & Impact
Victoria Vasquez
Executive Assistant
Susan Guinn, Esq.
CEO and President
David Sharak
Controller
Tedi Doychinova
Officer
Network Engagement
Niloufar Nasrollahzadeh
Associate
Research & Analytics
Andrew Bourne
Fellow
Research & Analytics
OUR TEAM
SDRPIC.ORG
Susan Guinn, Esq.
CEO and President
619-507-2189 [email protected]
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