FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
May 21, 2024

CONTACT:
MayorPress@sandiego.gov

SAN DIEGO – Mayor Todd Gloria today announced the following appointments and reappointments to City boards and commissions: 

Mr. Dennis Doan was appointed to the Arts and Culture Commission. He is a business owner, artist, author, and philanthropist who founded The Doan Foundation to help young creatives get their careers off the ground by establishing a scholarship program for Southern California teens in pursuit of careers in the Arts. He is also a seasoned tattoo artist with 15 years of experience and the owner of BLVCK LOTVS TATTOO & SOCIAL CLUB – the first tattoo business on Convoy Street. He is being appointed to a two-year term in the District 6 Representative Seat.  

Ms. Ann Bossler was reappointed to the Arts and Culture Commission. She is the Director of Program Development for Price Philanthropies, an organization that works to support underserved youth and revitalize the City Heights community. Bossler previously facilitated the leadership development of Fortune 500 corporate clients at The Center for Creative Leadership and was the executive director of the Coronado Response Group, a community program that fostered cooperation between the city, school district, and community. She received her business degree from Emory University, her counseling credential/degree from the University of San Diego, and her Ed.M. in administration, planning, and social policy from Harvard University. Ms. Bossler is being reappointed to a two-year term in a Mayoral Seat. 

Mr. Tyler Hewes was reappointed to the Arts and Culture Commission. He is a Financial Advisor with Christopher Weil & Company, Inc. with a specific focus on Retirement Planning. Having worked in the nonprofit world of classical music for over a decade, Mr. Hewes moved to Christopher Weil & Company, Inc. in 2013. He is a Registered Investment Advisor Representative and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional (“CFP®”). He received an Executive Financial Planner Advanced Certificate from San Diego State University’s College of Business Administration and earned his B.A. in Theatre from Eastern Connecticut State University in 2002. He is active in the arts as a supporter, as well as an occasional actor, director, and playwright. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Production Manager for Mainly Mozart. From late 2007 to late 2010 he was executive director of the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, later returning to Mainly Mozart in January 2011 as associate director. Mr. Hewes is being reappointed to a two-year term in a Mayoral Seat. 

Ms. Lee Ann Kim was reappointed to the Arts and Culture Commission. She is a former journalist, entrepreneur, media producer, and storyteller. A longtime advocate for the arts, she is the founding executive director of Pacific Arts Movement, a nonprofit media arts organization best known for its annual San Diego Asian Film Festival, which has grown to become one of the largest festivals of its kind in North America. During her 16-year tenure with the organization, she helped raise more than $10 million to grow the organization and produced more than 100 youth documentaries. Ms. Kim received her Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism with an emphasis in Spanish from the University of Maryland, College Park. Ms. Kim is being reappointed to a two-year term in a Mayoral Seat on the Arts and Culture Commission. 

Mr. Kamaal Martin was reappointed to the Arts and Culture Commission. He currently works with Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties as Vice-President of Networks and Initiatives. He founded the San Diego-based social enterprise and consulting firm Art Power Equity. Mr. Martin’s passions are arts and culture, community development, finance, improving our local food system, and raising the quality of life throughout the San Diego/Tijuana region. A graduate of the University of Oregon with a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Arts in International Studies, he has served on numerous community organizations' boards/advisory groups, including Project New Village 501(c3) and Somali Youth United 501(c3). He is also a former chair of the NAACP San Diego’s Political Action Committee. Mr. Martin is being reappointed to a two-year term in a Mayoral Seat. 

Ms. Alessandra Moctezuma was reappointed to the Arts and Culture Commission. She is a Professor of Fine Art and Gallery Director at San Diego Mesa College. She has a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Fine Arts in Painting and Printmaking from UCLA and advanced to candidacy for a Ph.D. in Hispanic Language and Literature from State University of New York, Stony Brook. She also received a certificate in Non-profit Arts Management and Marketing for the Arts from the University of San Diego. Ms. Moctezuma is being reappointed to a two-year term in the District 3 Seat.  

Mr. Keith Opstad was reappointed to the Arts and Culture Commission. He is an award-winning artist, art educator, and two-time teacher of the year. He graduated from Poway High School, earned his bachelor’s degree and single subject teaching credential in Art Education at California State University, Long Beach, and a master’s degree from George Washington University in Educational Technology Leadership. He is a lifelong supporter of the visual and performing arts and has 27 years of teaching experience in the Poway Unified School District, where he is currently teaching Drawing and Painting and Advance Placement Studio Art at Westview High School while serving as a department chairperson. Mr. Opstad is being reappointed to a two-year term in a Mayoral Seat. 

Ms. Becky Philpott was reappointed to the Arts and Culture Commission. She designed and directed targeted youth intervention programs, including Check & Connect Pathways Opportunity Youth -an Aspen Institute Forum for Community Solutions initiative, the Check & Connect High School Persistence Research Implementation Study conducted by the American Institutes for Research, and other locally developed attendance and school engagement programs for the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). Through these programs, Ms. Philpott partnered with many community organizations to serve youth including the San Diego Workforce Partnership and the Urban League of San Diego County. She has more than 30 years of experience in education policy analysis, public education advocacy, and program development. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from San Diego State University and a Certificate in Community Research and Program Evaluation from the University of California San Diego, Extension. She currently serves on the boards of Harmonium, Youth Will, and the San Diego State University Alumni Association- Bay Area Regional Council (BARC). Ms. Philpott is being reappointed to a two-year term ending in the District 5 Seat.  

Ms. Imani Robinson was reappointed to the Arts and Culture Commission. She has been a licensed cosmetologist and business owner for almost 30 years. With a passion for the arts, she has supported outreach and engagement efforts for the La Jolla Playhouse Leadership Council. Ms. Robinson has served as chair of the Mountain View Advisory Council and currently serves on the San Diego Parks Foundation Board to help revitalize underserved parks with new construction and programs. She is being reappointed to a two-year term in the District 9 Seat.  

Mr. Colin Dowd was appointed to the Funds Commission. He brings nearly two decades of strategic leadership and financial expertise to his role as the current Senior Vice President of Strategy and Initiatives at City National Bank Previously, he worked as the Vice President and Financial Analysis Manager for California Bank and Trust. He holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance and New Venture Management and bachelor's degrees in Business Management and Spanish Language and Literature from the University of San Diego. He is being appointed to a three-year term in the Bank Official Seat. 

Mr. Michael Robinson was appointed to the Balboa Park Committee. He is the Principal Architect of Robi4 Architecture and Planning Inc. and serves as the President of the San Diego chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (SDNOMA). He also serves on the American Institute of Architects San Diego Board of Directors as an Ex-Officio member, the Balboa Park Committee of 100, and the Alumni Advisory Board at the New School of Architecture and Design. Mr. Robinson is a member of the San Diego Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and is a graduate of the Executive Master of Architecture program at the New School of Architecture and Design. He is being appointed to a two-year term in the District 3 Representative Seat.  

Mr. Howard Blackson was reappointed to the Balboa Park Committee. He currently manages the Urban Design Studio, AVRP Skyport and Community Planning Group within a 40-person architectural firm in downtown San Diego. He is a lecturer at San Diego State University, New School of Architecture and Design and the University of California at San Diego Extension, where he teaches about Urban Design. Mr. Blackson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Arts in Urban Design from the University of Westminster. He is being reappointed to a two-year term in the North Park Neighborhood Representative Seat on the Balboa Park Committee. 

Mr. Chris Eddy was reappointed to the Balboa Park Committee. He is a real estate professional with 46 years of experience in sales, leasing, and financing and development, currently working as the Managing Partner of Riverdale Commerce Park and General Partner of Gaslamp Heritage, LP. Prior to this, he was the Vice President of Acquisitions at CT Realty Corporation. Mr. Eddy serves on the Downtown Community Planning Council, the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation, and the Gaslamp Quarter Land Use and Planning Committee. He holds a Bachelor of English Literature from the University of Arizona and is being reappointed to a two-year term in the Downtown Community Planning Council Representative Seat.  

Ms. Kathy Vandenheuvel was reappointed to the Balboa Park Committee. She has been an engineer and project manager with Tetra Tech for 20 years. She has managed and conducted all phases of environmental projects, including agency and subcontractor negotiations; work plan preparation; client contact; monitoring well installation, development, sampling, and monitoring; remediation design and implementation; operation and maintenance of remediation systems; and report preparation. Ms. Vandenheuvel holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Systems Engineering - Agricultural and Biological Engineering from Cornell University. She is being reappointed to a two-year term in the Golden Hill Neighborhood Representative Seat. 

The appointments were approved at the City Council on Tuesday, May 21.  

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