Burnham Center for Community Advancement

05/13/2026

The Burnham Center for Community Advancement proudly launched OneSD, a regional initiative grounded in a simple but urgent belief: stronger communities begin with trust, connection, and collaboration.

What we witnessed was powerful. A standing room only gathering of cross sector leaders, community organizations, elected officials, educators, business leaders, nonprofits, philanthropists, and residents coming together around a shared commitment to strengthening the social fabric of San Diego County.

Throughout the afternoon, one theme surfaced again and again: trust.
How do we rebuild it?
How do we create spaces where people feel seen, heard, safe, and connected?
And how do we move from division toward collective problem solving?

Thank you to our panel and moderator for leading a meaningful dialogue on community trust, inclusion, and collaboration: Patricia Prado-Olmos, Vincent Mudd, Adriana "Adri" Brunner, and Mark Cafferty.

We are grateful to County Supervisor Joel Anderson and City Councilmember Raul A. Campillo for presenting official proclamations recognizing May 12, 2026 as “OneSD Day.”

We are equally honored by the Joint Senate Resolution recognizing BCCA and OneSD, signed by Senator Catherine S. Blakespear and Senator Brian Jones. We are grateful for the bipartisan recognition and support of this work.

Thank you as well to District Attorney Summer Stephan, Mayor Todd Gloria and his office, and David Holt, Mayor of Oklahoma City and President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, for joining the conversation.

We also thank our BCCA board members, coalition partners, community leaders, and more than 50 participating organizations who showed up ready to listen, engage, and build together.

A special thank you to our OneSD donors and sponsors whose support helped make this initiative possible, including CalPrivate Bank, Ace Parking, California State University San Marcos, and MiresBall.

The launch also marked the release of the OneSD Baseline Report, an important first step in understanding social trust, civic connection, belonging, and polarization across our region.

Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/gBSK3iZA

OneSD is not a one time event. It is the beginning of a long term regional effort to strengthen our communities together.

If you would like to get involved, partner with OneSD, support this work, or join the growing coalition, we invite you to connect with us. Building a stronger San Diego belongs to all of us.

05/07/2026

We appreciated the opportunity to join NBC 7 San Diego to preview the upcoming OneSD Kickoff and discuss why this moment matters for our region.

Representing the conversation were Andrew Blum, Senior Program Director at the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, and Gina Lopez, CEO of the California Center for the Arts Escondido and proud OneSD coalition member.

The discussion focused on the launch of OneSD, a growing coalition of more than 50 organizations coming together to strengthen trust, connection, and civic life across San Diego County. From business and education to arts, nonprofits, and community leadership, OneSD is creating space for collaboration around the issues that impact all of us.

Thank you to NBC San Diego for helping elevate this important regional dialogue as we look ahead to the May 12 OneSD Kickoff.

More than 50 organizations across San Diego County will come together on May 12 to launch OneSD. NBC 7’s Marianne Kushi has more.

04/02/2026

The Burnham Center for Community Advancement is thrilled to celebrate Longer Tables San Diego, a movement bringing people together to share meals, exchange stories, and build genuine connection.

Last week, this vision came to life at the first Community Leader Dinner, where strangers became neighbors around the table, discovering the power of togetherness and community. We were proud to help co-create the community leader dinner because Longer Tables champions the same mission we pursue at the Burnham Center for Community Advancement through our OneSD initiative: uniting people together across sectors, building trust, and strengthening connections throughout the San Diego region.

This is only the beginning as we nurture the connections and reliance that were planted at the table.

Celebrate with us and get involved in co creating the longer table for San Diego at LongerTablesSanDiego.org.

03/30/2026

The Burnham Center for Community Advancement was proud to stand alongside our partners at last week’s press conference supporting Senate Bill 1407, which helps retain and attract military veterans to California.

Hosted by the San Diego Military Advisory Council (SDMAC) aboard the USS Midway Museum, the event brought together regional leaders committed to supporting military families and strengthening California’s workforce and economy.

Special recognition to David Boone, CEO of SDMAC and BCCA Board Member, whose leadership and dedication over the past two years have helped bring this moment forward, providing military families with greater financial security and the ability to keep more of the retirement benefits they have earned.

BCCA is proud to support our partners in their efforts to make this region a better place to live, work, and play for all.

03/26/2026

We are proud to welcome Keith B. Jones to the Burnham Center for Community Advancement Board of Directors.

As Executive Chairman and Owner of Ace Parking, Keith has spent more than two decades shaping one of North America’s most respected parking and mobility companies. Under his leadership, ACE has grown into an industry leader grounded in innovation, exceptional customer service, and a people first culture.

Driven by a deep commitment to both business excellence and community impact, Keith brings a powerful perspective to our work. His leadership across civic and regional organizations, and his dedication to initiatives like ending chronic homelessness, reflect a strong belief in collaboration and meaningful change.

Keith’s passion for people, purpose, and progress aligns closely with our mission, and we are excited to have his voice and vision at the table.

Please join us in welcoming Keith to the BCCA Board.

03/25/2026

Bright Spots ✨

San Diego’s tourism and hospitality sector is creating real pathways to opportunity.

Earlier this month, the San Diego Tourism Authority, San Diego Workforce Partnership, and San Diego City College came together to host the inaugural San Diego Tourism Career Fair, connecting hundreds of job seekers with employers across one of the region’s most important industries.

With more than 400 job seekers in attendance, over 35 tourism and hospitality employers, and hundreds of open roles represented, the event created direct connections between local talent and career opportunities in a sector that supports more than 200,000 jobs across San Diego.

This is what regional collaboration looks like: employers, education, and workforce leaders aligned around access, mobility, and long-term opportunity.

A strong workforce strengthens the whole region.

03/10/2026

Please join us in welcoming Courtney Bustillos to the Burnham Center for Community Advancement as Senior Director of Communications and Public Relations.

Courtney has 20 years of experience in journalism, public relations, and strategic communications. An Emmy Award–winning former San Diego news anchor and reporter, she has helped mission-driven organizations strengthen community engagement and expand their impact.

With deep relationships cross local and national media, with placements including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA TODAY, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News Media, Forbes, and Business Insider, as well as broadcast features on The Today Show and Good Morning America, Courtney will play an important role in strengthening BCCA’s communications and visibility.

We are beyond happy to have Courtney join the team and look forward to the leadership and insight she will bring to our work.

03/09/2026

BCCA is celebrating a community leader.

Vicki Estrada, a dedicated member of the BCCA Balboa Park Coalition, has been selected as a 2026 Women’s History Month Honoree for the 78th Assembly District.

This recognition highlights Vicki’s longstanding commitment to civic leadership, community collaboration, and her work advancing projects that strengthen San Diego’s cultural and environmental spaces.

Her leadership and consistent engagement in community affairs reflect the spirit of partnership that drives meaningful progress across our region.

Vicki will be formally honored on March 16 in Sacramento.

Congratulations, Vicki, on this well-deserved honor. We are grateful to work alongside leaders like you who continue to make a lasting impact.

02/18/2026

Black History Month is a time to recognize and honor the immeasurable contributions Black leaders, advocates, educators, entrepreneurs, and community builders have made, and continue to make, to our region and our nation. Their leadership has shaped movements, strengthened institutions, and advanced progress, often in the face of systemic racism, exclusion, and harm.

At the Burnham Center for Community Advancement, we acknowledge that the systems shaping our communities have not always been equitable. We believe organizations have a responsibility not only to convene dialogue, but to help repair harm, confront injustice, and work alongside leaders across all cultures to build a more just and inclusive future.

We are committed to creating space where we acknowledge truth, build trust, and collaboration leads to good community outcomes. This commitment means listening, showing up with humility, and supporting the leaders and communities whose work continues to move our region forward.

Black history is not separate from our shared history; it is fundamental to it. We honor these contributions not only in reflection, but through our ongoing commitment to advancing community, together.

02/10/2026

Welcome to the Burnham team, Alanna Ow!

We are happy to welcome Alanna Ow as the inaugural Senior Burnham Fellow.

Alanna brings more than 25 years of experience in systems leadership, institutional strategy, and cross-sector collaboration, with deep expertise in immigration policy and operations. Her career spans complex, high-stakes environments where clarity, sound judgment, and alignment are essential.

Alanna served as a Senior Executive at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, leading international and domestic operations, crisis response, and large-scale organizational initiatives, often in fast-moving situations with real institutional and human consequences.

At BCCA, Alanna will work alongside our team and community partners to strengthen collaboration, and translate shared intent into clear decisions, momentum-building action, and solid outcomes.

We are grateful to have her insight, leadership, and steady hands to move forward with our work. Welcome, Alanna!